Nine years ago today I wrote my first blog post. I just want to thank all of you who have joined me on this journey for reading, commenting, pushing my thinking, sharing your thoughts, and keeping me motivated to continue writing here. I may not be blogging as much as I did in my heyday four or five years ago, before Twitter and a half a dozen other new tools started eating into my blogging time, but I still love this space and the things that happen here. I feel very, very humbled by how much you all have taught me in the process.
I have every intention of getting back to the blog more often this summer. Not just for the conversation but for the writing practice. As a lifelong writer, I continue to believe in the long form as a way of digging more deeply into what I’m thinking and seeing. In many ways, ideas and connections reveal themselves in the process, and the “other” powerful value of this site (aside from the interactions) is the exercise my brain gets, the “intellectual sweat” that’s required in synthesizing various ideas into a coherent whole. I know I don’t need this blog to practice that, but for me at least, that shift into the public sphere has been the most transformative piece. It raises the game in a good way, and I can’t imagine my life without continuing to write and without continuing to interact with my readers to think and learn more deeply.
My passion here is still in answering this question: “How do these new social online technologies change the nature of learning and, in turn, education?” Over the last nine years, some answers, at least have become clearer. But so much of this story is still evolving. In some ways, it’s moved a great deal since June 11, 2001. In other ways, it hasn’t moved much at all. Now that my own children, who were just 3 and 1 when I started this blog, who will be 13 and 11 later this summer, now that they are deep into their education experience, I’m more motivated than ever to keep pressing the question. I sincerely hope you’ll continue to keep engaging here in the search for those answers.
Sincere thanks for reading.
Will, your blog (along with Wes Fryer’s) was key to me setting up my own in 2005. Thanks! đŸ™‚
Thank you so much for pushing my thinking. I love being witness to the learning that goes on, not only with the blog itself but with the comments that follow. I always look forward to your blog ideas.
Celebrate only 4 years of blogging next week but my attempts have been spread over many different blogs with different uses. My first needs lots of attention.
Many thinks for the inspiration last week via Sydney conference video link – now inspired to encourage staff and students to develop their PLNs wisely – to share their passions and develop great and wise online connections!
Better get back to my neglected blog – or decide where I can best share my passions myself!
It’s been hard to keep up with you lately, but your blog is one of the few that rarely stays bold on the Google Reader I started the day you visited our school.
I look forward to continuing to be challenged in my thinking about education this summer.
Thanks for all you do. Your post inspired me to write a reflective post as well. http://jasontbedell.com/whyblog-why-i-write/
Congrats on nine years. I passed the eight-year mark last spring. Great that you’ve stuck with it for so long, and continue to produce great content.
Yea Will – 8 years in May for me – we are the oldies
Rob
Will,
I always enjoy reading your posts. They encourage me to do my own reflecting and thinking. Thanks and looking forward to some summer posts.
I love the intellectual sweat and you have personally motivated me to be a professional blogger (Saskatoon IT Summit 2010). I try to write about what I learn and that is good enough for me! Thanks for your blogging.
I just started this online technology experience a few days ago when I created my fist blog. I really enjoyed reading yours. It did encourage and motivate me to do my best in this new online venture and be able to reflect and express my thoughts to continue learning from people like you. I also think that I am part of the answer to your questionĂ¢â‚¬Â¦I have been educated from you.