I’ve now finished and published four blog posts as part of my look at self-regulation for my Foundations 4 Final Project. When I was initially figuring out the details of this project, I thought about how important it was for me to publicly share these reflections. I learn so much from the interactions I have online and in person after blogging, and I wanted these interactions to be a part of this project. I guess that I saw these posts as provocations for continued conversations.
This is where I’m now struggling because these four blog posts seem to have generated the least amount of interest, comments, and conversations than any blog posts that I’ve published in the past. In the spirit of the course and the reflecting that I’ve done since I starting take the first Foundations Course, I’m now left wondering “why.”
- Is self-regulation not a topic of interest for others?
- Does some of the self-regulation terminology used in these posts make the content less accessible and/or less interesting to readers?
- Are people less interested in re-exploring blog posts that have been previously published and would rather new content?
- Is it a question of timing? With the wonderful weather this weekend, are people outside more and less interested in reading online content?
- Is it for another reason altogether?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, for over the next couple of weeks — and maybe longer — I plan on blogging more about self-regulation, and I’m hoping these posts are the starting point for future discussions. What could I do to make this possible?
Aviva
Hi Aviva, I am enjoying reading your updated blog posts but I think that much of the diminished readership has to do with the time of the year. Just as we have bemoaned the fact that the timing of our project isn’t great in the school year, I think others are probably feeling the same. Did you compare the response to these posts to your overall experience? Perhaps it would be helpful to compare it to this very specific timeframe from previous years.
Have a great Sunday!
Cathy
Thanks for the comment, Cathy! I never really thought of this before. I’ll admit that usually at this time of the year, I blog a whole lot less. I’m usually using my time to write report cards (which is what I’m moving onto as we speak). Just as I tend to blog less now, maybe others tend to read less. Hmmm … I guess that the good thing about a blog is that the posts remain, so even if they don’t generate much interest now, maybe they will once the school year comes to an end. Thank you for providing a different perspective that makes a lot of sense.
Aviva
Thank you for this post Aviva. As a fellow blogger I really appreciate this question since we obviously write blogs to share our thinking with others (although I glean as much from the act of writing as the sharing). I suspect that all of these play a role in the issue but I do think the topic has a great deal to do with how many people will ‘show up’. Teachers WANT self-regulation but I’m not sure that every teachers even knows what that is. Is the title really as important as the point you are trying to get across and would a more common term attract more readers? What if you took a closer look at your post and used a key word more likely to connect to readers. You can still write about self-reguation but the blog title would reflect the point you want to get across. Blogging is a gift we all want to offer readers, and I know your blog is a worthy gift. Maybe it just needs another wrapping to attract the recipients. Best of luck Aviva!
Thanks for the comment, Mary! I also learn a lot from the act of writing, and definitely appreciate the opportunity to reflect. I’m struggling with this idea of what “term” to use, as I don’t want people to necessarily think that self-regulation is something that it isn’t, and I don’t want a different term to result in this kind of confusion. That said, I’m beginning to wonder how important the term really is. Can I reflect on the topic without using the terminology, or if I have to use it, how often does it need to be included? Maybe it’s the ideas that are more important that the vocabulary. Thank you for giving me more to think about!
Aviva
I can’t help but think that the concepts are more important than the terms Aviva, and sometimes our message gets lost in the terminology. Think about the message you want to get across in Self-regulation (teacher who are able to monitor & control their teaching in ways that match the demands of the instructional experience.) That’s a REALLY important point but does it matter if you call it self regulation vs professional decision making (just an example)? You could have a section in your blog to explain why you created the blog and then identify and define the term there but I can’t help but wonder if the direct path is the best one in this case. I just really love that you are thinking about this. It think the goal is to get educators to your site so you can have a greater impact, right? It’s certainly worth exploring how to do that.
Thanks Mary! I do really wonder if the term matters (and for the people that are reading the blog, if they really want to hear all of the different terms associated with self-regulation or just the ideas and examples shared). I guess that I’m trying to balance sharing my understanding of the course information (for my instructor and fellow course attendees), as well as sharing my reflections on a topic that I think is a really important one. I kind of think that I can do both without getting caught up in the terminology. As I go to write my next post, I’m going to be thinking about what terms I use and when I use them.
I’m also thinking about the introductory paragraph or two that I’ve been adding to the posts to explain why I’m rewriting them. It’s really this part of the post that focuses on “self-regulation,” but does having this information up front deter people from reading further? I’m starting to wonder if I could include a note at the end of my posts instead. Or if I have to include one first, what do I actually have to share? Hmmm … your responses are giving me a lot to consider. Thanks again!
Aviva
I love how reflective you’re being Aviva. I think that most teachers really want the ideas and examples and yes I do think that you could do this without sacrificing the message you want to get across for the course. For that reason I do feel that what you put at the beginning should be a note at the end (the self regulation part). You want to HOOK the readers as quickly as you can since most people decide in the first few second if they’re going to read or not. That way you can still have the terminology but it wouldn’t the ideas/examples would be the focal point instead of the terms. Think about your PRIMARY purpose… I suspect it’s making a contribution to the field and you can best to that by getting teacher to keep reading. Right?
Thanks Mary! I think that my primary purpose here is two-fold:
1) To show that my new knowledge is making me reconsider what I knew before and giving me a lot more to think about. (This is the learning piece that connects more to the course itself.)
2) To show the importance of self-regulation, both for students and adults, and hopefully use some of the examples that I share as a starting point for further discussion. I think that all of our learning in this area can continue to evolve.
Maybe switching the introductory blurb to a concluding one will help keep the focus on the examples (without the terms necessarily), and hopefully lead to some further discussion. Thanks Mary for helping me work this through.
Aviva
Thank YOU for allowing me to take a reflective journey with you friend!
Thank YOU, Mary! I think that this reflection happened because of the questions you asked and the ideas you shared. Many thanks!
Aviva
Hi Aviva,
I have enjoyed reading the posts, although, as a disclaimer, perhaps this is because I just started reading your blog this year after an OTF connects webinar you did and I hadn’t read the original posts. Could the fewer responses also be due to the fact that you had four posts all on a very similar topic all very close together timing-wise? I read them all, think about the question you pose always, and it has made me start thinking about my teaching and posing my own questions (blog to come someday when I have time to set it up), but I don’t always respond, in part because I don’t always feel like I have something meaningful to contribute. In these posts, you are showing your growth, which means that there may be fewer new ideas to respond with since you have so many new ideas are already part of the blog. Just a thought…
I did really enjoy them, just am way behind in my reading, mainly for scheduling reasons.
Thanks Melanie! This does make sense. Maybe it’s a combination of a couple of different things. With this course, I have been publishing more blog posts closer together. I think that I should consider “scheduling posts”: something I’ve never done before, but would allow for more time between posts. Now I’m writing some new blog posts, so that should help with some new ideas. I do hope you blog soon. Would love to read what you write!
Aviva
I worry about you scheduling your posts because I know that this serves a dual purpose in helping you to think through and process things. That doesn’t always happen on a timeline, and certainly your more spontaneous posts that you feel an urgency or a need to write will be your best, not necessarily the ones that happen at a specific time. Just a thought.
I will add my website when I get my blog up and running. I am already writing and have 5 or 6 posts kind of banked and ready to go when the day comes. It’s just a busy time of year so that is slowing down the process.
Thanks Melanie! When I said scheduling, I meant more that once the post is written, I can choose the date when it’s published. So if I’ve already published one post that day, I could publish it the next day. I’ve never done this before, but maybe it’s something to consider.
I would definitely love to know when your posts are published. Good luck finishing them!
Aviva