This post is aimed at Bloggers who are writing about learning or teaching English and is an invitation to take part in a Carnival!Except that this particular carnival won't be about learning or teaching English as a second or foreign language but instead, about blogging...
How easy was it for you to make the transition from English teacher/ teacher trainer to ELT Blogger?
What do you now know that you wish you had known six months, 2 years ago? A lot, I bet!
Do you have a special trick or tip to share with others who are thinking about doing this?
Would you like to share a surprising or shocking result of having become a blogger?
Instead of commenting below, which you are also welcome to do, how about writing up a post on your own blog, sharing your knowledge, experience and opinions with your readers about one or more of the following:
- why be a blogger
- the hardest thing about blogging is...
- the best thing about blogging is...
- the bloggers who inspire you & why
- blogging with students
- blogging as a freelancer
- blogging as an author/ teacher-trainer
- blogging in corporate ELT
- choosing a host site
- rss feeds & feed readers, email subscribers
- widgets, gadgets or things that go flash
- choosing the right template
- changing a template/ changing the host site
- getting your own domain name
- analyzing site statistics
- marketing your blog and postings
- networking with other bloggers
- back-links, in-bound linking
- blog-roll policy
- net-i-quette
- choosing a theme or specific topic for your blog
- writing great content
- guest-blogging
- creating an editorial calendar
- using creative commons materials
- learning html
- dealing with comments
- making money from blogging
- fending off the freeloaders
- dealing with copyright issues
- anything else that you think is important and would like to share!
And then what?
Submit the URL to your own blog and specific posting by July 15th to a themed blog carnival I've set up...
UPDATE 19 JUNE 2009 = this link has been reported as broken. I have been in touch with the blog carnival people but haven't had a reply yet. If you already submitted a posting, I already have your listing. However, for now, you can send me an email directly.
UPDATE 25 June 2009 = the new link here.
I'll then collate your posts, extract the very best advice and post up links to your sites at the end of that month.
And if you're not a blogger but you'd like to have one soon - or you've just started out - what sort of advice would you like to read?
Jot us a note in the comments below.
Useful links
What is a blog carnival?
Previous blog carnivals on teaching/learning English
Nik Peachey
David Duebel
Alice Mercer
LarryFerlazzo
Really looking forward to reading your submissions,
Karenne
p.s any questions, don't hesitate to email!
Posts
I joined edublogs but never really got going. I have wondered what the return on time investment would be for me to start an ELT blog aimed at helping my students. I write some other blogs (personal, corporate...) and maybe I'm a little blogged out. I also have the problem that a lot of my students don't have wifi access at home during the week, and our establishment closes early in the evening, so I'm not sure how much online time I can demand of them.
The new link seems to have gone dead as well, until I think I managed to get it up this morning (until our school computers blocked it as "matchmaking"!). Can you select one (or more if that's allowed and desirable) from my recent posts on the topic. 101 easy blog posts has been the most popular, thanks to some kind person putting it on Technocrati
Hi ya, Alex
I got your posts - ta,
K
Whoops, wrote another one:
http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/tefl/time-management-for-bloggers/