6 Reasons You Need to Read Education Blogs (and not just ours!)

Ten years ago blogging was completely foreign to us.  In fact, in 2006 when the newly released book entitled Wikis, Blogs, and Podcasts was put in our hands it seemed like groundbreaking technology that was for IT specialists, not everyday people like us.  However, the world has changed and reading blogs is essential if you want to keep up with current educational topics.  And we don’t just say that because we write an educational blog. Really.  In fact, the reason we write a blog is because we realize the power a blog can have to impact a large group of people with a small amount of words.

Don’t read educational blogs?  Don’t know why you should? If you aren’t reading educational blogs, you may well be getting left behind and don’t even know it.  Here are our top six reasons why you need to read educational blogs:

1. Blogs, and the bloggers who write them, have a pulse on the “now.” Educational books that were written last year could be out of date before you even get your hands on them. Blogs can be immediately reactive to what is happening in the world.  Education is ever changing and the way we communicate about it needs to be immediately reactive to what is going on.  (Disclaimer:  We love books.  We do.  But the immediacy of blogs poses an advantage for many current educational topics).

2. Bloggers are passionate. If someone writes an educational blog, you can bet that they are well vested in the topic.  They have most likely done their research and can present new and interesting information/viewpoints.

(Disclaimer:  Just because someone writes a blog, they are not necessarily always qualified to be an expert in their field.  Anyone can write a blog about anything if they have enough time and writing skill.  Always check the bloggers’ bios (like ours) to be sure they are qualified to blog about the topic.

3. Blogs contain links that instantly take you to other resources. Bloggers, when using links, take advantage of the true inter-connectivity of the worldwide web. Within blogs, there are often links to resources or other related articles by the same blogger on a similar topic.

(Disclaimer: It is easy to get sidetracked by links and forget to come back to the original blog post you started reading.  You may want to read the entire blog post before you start clicking on the links).

4. Blogs are free. Books aren’t. You can come back to a blog post over and over and still never have to pay.

(Disclaimer:  Some bloggers will take paid advertisements so you might see a few advertisements running down the side of the page. Still, what is the disadvantage of finding a coupon for $2 off your laundry soap while reading about a topic you love?)

5. Networking! Yes, yell it from the rooftops, blogging gives people from all of the world an opportunity to share their ideas and give each other feedback.  Most bloggers will call on other bloggers who have different areas of expertise to write feature posts, like we most recently did with our Reading Zombies post. Bloggers also ask their readers to comment.  The more comments the better.

(Disclaimer: You may get to know people from all over the world and your viewpoints could change.  Prepare yourself to make a lot of new friends who care about educational topics as much as you do.)

6. Blogs are easy to share. You can easily share a link with another person via email, or share by the hundreds with social media. Most blogs offer the option to have their blog postings sent directly to your email.  We do.  Also, most blogs have a presence on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest so you can quickly and easily share the ideas you like with your friends and colleagues who use these social media outlets.

(Disclaimer: You may find yourself amazed by all the resources out there once you start looking.)

What are your favorite educational blogs?  What are other advantages of educational blogs?

If you are a frequent reader of educational blogs, please share your favorite blogs in the comments.  If you are just discovering the advantages of educational blogs, we welcome you.  If you write an educational blog, please share the link in the comments so we can all follow your blog.

Whatever your prior knowledge of educational blogging, we wish you the best as you take advantage of the resources available through educational blogging.

Happy blog reading,