5.5 The Group Blog
Let's assume for a minute that after reading the last page you set about creating a blog devoted to your specialty, Jane Austen. After a few months of daily updates you discover two things: First, you suddenly have a lot of content, and, second, several of your colleagues from the Jane Austen Society of North America have begun to post frequent comments.
Now imagine how the tone and function of that blog would evolve if you invited your colleagues to become full-fledged members. Instead of offering a single voice, the site would now take on the tone of a conversation among peers. Instead of necessarily limiting the subject matter of the site to your particular sub-specialty—say, feminist critiques of Victorian gender roles in Austen's novels—you would be able to pool the various interests and expertise of your colleagues.
A group blog is a simple and convenient way to build an online community among scholars who, because they live in various corners of the world, might never actually meet face-to-face. It functions, in essence, like a public email listserv, offering a venue for a conversation that too seldom takes place only at annual conferences.
Click next to complete the Lesson 5 activity.
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1. history of blogs
2. anatomy of a blog
3. how-to
4. active learning
5. professional development
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