Teaching is often a very private existence. It’s difficult to find out what others are doing in their classrooms or what other teachers think.
But we live in fantastic times! Anyone with an idea in their head and an internet connection can start a blog and have their voice heard. I read lots of teacher blogs and learn so much. Thank you so much.
Below you’ll find eight of my favourite bloggers at the moment. I asked them all one simple question, “What’s your favourite blog post”. So here it is, My favourite bloggers favourite blog posts. Check it out.
George Couros
A serious Edu-Celebrity here is George Couros, I’ll admit to feeling a little intimidated when I reached out to him on twitter. I shouldn’t have though, we had a chat and what a cool guy. Seriously committed to blogging, my back of the envelope calculation tells me he’s written at least 700 blog posts in the last 7 years. When I asked him what his favourite blog post was he sent me this. 8 Characteristics of the “Innovator’s Mindset”. This is as exciting as it gets. This post is the birthplace of George’s book, The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity. I love the idea that his blog birthed a book. Check it out.
Stuart Kelly
Stuart is the kind of guy that walks around in thunderstorms and says “Oh what a lovely day”. Brimming with positivity, I think I kind of hate him for it. Stuart runs #digitaledchat so you know he loves the tech. But…
What really comes across in his twitter and blog is how much he values relationships with his students. I think when you read his favourite blog post you’ll know what I mean. Do I have the best students in the world?
Jon Orr
Reading Jon Orr’s blog is an incredible experience. I have never seen a teacher so willing to share so much about their practice. You’ll learn exactly what happens in Jon’s Math class. The ups and downs, failures and triumphs. I feel like I’ve actually been there.
Whether you’re a math teacher or not, there is so much to take away from his blog posts, which are basically retrospective lesson plans. When I asked him for his favourite blog post he sent me this. Better Questions: Two Truths & One Lie. Coincidentally, this was the very first Jon Orr blog I read. I’ve been hooked ever since.
Dr Deborah Netolicky
In a world of Black and White, Yes or No, For or Against, Dr Deborah Netolicky is a beacon of reasoned argument. I’ll admit that as I read her blog posts I feel a pang of jealousy, acutely aware I will never write with such clarity of thought.
Take the time to relax with a cup of coffee and browse a couple of posts from the éduflâneuse (it’s that kind of blog). You’ll be glad you did. Here’s a great place to start and exactly the kind of nuanced thinking I’m talking about. Traditional Progressivity or Progressive Traditionalism: Ditch the dichotomy.
Dr Linda J Graham
I’m partly including Linda in this list to guilt her into writing just a little bit more. If you’re reading this Linda, get to work!
I’ll admit that when it comes to teaching sometimes I maybe don’t do the “touchy-feely” stuff so well (the fact that I call it that is testament to my difficulty with it!) I love hearing from Linda because my weakness is her strength. In education it’s about understanding that sometimes what matters can’t be measured. Here’s Linda’s favourite blog post. Acknowledging the Little Things…
Brian Aspinall
It’s all about computational thinking and coding right now in education. Especially here in Australia, where we’re all trying to figure out how to embed the digital technologies curriculum into primary.
If you’re looking for inspiration, Brian is your go to guy. Not only will he quite eloquently extol why students should learn how, but there’s also plenty of practical ways for teachers to make it happen to. Here’s his favourite blog post, a great argument for teaching coding. Coding: Developing Rigorous Thinkers
Matthew Oldridge
Matthew is a cool guy and he’s the reason this blog post exists. Matthew believes, as do I, that people’s blogs are a goldmine of information. As teachers we should relish the opportunity to share our practise and to learn about the practise of others.
I love Matthew’s blog posts because they feel very real. He’s a teacher, trying stuff out with his classes, seeing what works, being realistic about what doesn’t and always learning and trying something new. Here’s his favourite blog post: If You Want Innovative Classrooms, Let Kids Lead!
Greg Ashman
Greg’s blog is an incredibly well researched feast of negativity. I am led to believe that he writes most of his blog posts during bouts of insomnia and I can only assume this sleeplessness has made him incredibly grumpy.
Greg will tell you exactly what’s wrong with education today and this often makes him quite unpopular. Personally, I love having my thoughts challenged and reading his blog has made me question my own practice a lot. When I asked him for his favourite blog post he declined to provide one. Luckily he blogs prolifically, so jump in and you’ll soon get the gist of it. https://gregashman.wordpress.com/
What about you?
If you only comment on one blog this year, make it this one. Comment below and let us know who your favourite blogger is and why. I’d love to widen my reading circle!
Hi Joel, You have my faves already but I also love Jennifer Gonzalez Cult of Pedagogy – http://www.cultofpedagogy.com and Alice Keeler Teacher Tech – http://alicekeeler.com
Hi Joel,
Yeay! More blogs! Thanks : ) . George Couros’s posts are an Inbox highlight (and your posts as well) Brian has encouraged me to get back to coding so I can teach it, and Stuart just keeps it real. I still hear his “Walk the talk” words whenever I fell doubtful.
A couple of great NZ educator blogs I follow are Stephanie Thompson, who’s a principal (https://fourseasonsinonekiwi.blogspot.co.nz/) and Phillipa Nicholl Antipas, a Connected Learning Advisor (https://eodysseyblog.wordpress.com/ -she’s also an English teacher so I lap up the eloquence and brilliant grammar while despair at my lack of both).
I enjoy how each has their own particular style of writing, and both bring well considered and robust discussions from ideas that they are developing about the ongoing dynamics and frictions in education.
I find it so useful to get different perspectives about what we call learning, and blogs are not just a wealth of teaching ideas but also a way for me to develop my critical thinking.
As I follow quite a few blogs, choosing ONE is a bit of a step challenge, so I will go four:
– Jon Andrews jonandrews.edublogs.org
– Amy Burvall amysmooc.wordpress.com
– Alan Levine cogdogblog.com
– Bianca Hewes biancahewes.wordpress.com
Each share what I consider an authentic part of them.