Kick Start Your Blog focuses on imbedding media…

I LOVE media.:)

I have used video, Glogster, and, of course, lots and lots of photos. As a former layout editor, I believe visuals make the page. As an ESL teacher, I am completely sold on the idea that we are all in some way visual learners.

One of the possible assignments for this segment was to “Find a variety of posts that have media embedded and share these with your readers. Discuss their impact and effectiveness.”

Rather than posts, I prefer to share blogs that regularly embed some sort of media.

My all-time favorite is a journalism-technology blog called 10,000 words. The blog regularly shares how newspapers and online news outlets are using technology to reach their readers.

The next one on my list is iLearnTechnology. Rare is the occasion that Kelly doesn’t have some sort of graphic/movie/picture to hold my visual interest.

Technology and Education Box of Tricks is also really amazing for including graphics. I don’t visit often because I get too caught up in all the visual activity! It’s truly a work of art.

Peter Pappas in Copy/Paste also has amazing resources, and he always puts visual focus in his entries.

Pictures transcend. They make language accessible.

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I Love Langwitches

Effective blog posts are ones that make me really pay attention. I don’t know if I believe that every blog post should be effective. Sometimes it’s just good to write without reason…

I am writing this as part of the blogging challenge. Today’s challenge is to share an effective post. One of my favorite blogs that I go to again and again is Langwitches, and here is one of my favorites.

This is an effective post because it engages me. I can see pictures and work that Silvia has done. I can immediately imagine how this will connect to my own life and teaching career. I love the graphics she creates. She is imminently present in the tech course I teach during the summer.

It isn’t that she’s an amazing wordsmith; it’s that she knows how to tell a story that is visually appealing. It’s simple. It speaks to me as an educator. Here is another great one.

I tend to think effectiveness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. What works for me may not work for you. I don’t mind the busy-ness of her posts. In fact, I’m drawn to it. But I think it may put others off. All effective blogs speak to you and your interests.

You can’t please all of the people all of the time, but you can find your niche.