March 8, 2006
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This column responds to a lot of stuff like: “What is the purpose of broadcasting one’s unfiltered thoughts to the whole wired world?” For me, keeping a teaching blog allows me to: list things I need to do (an online Post-It Note), connect students to what I am thinking, announce announcements, keep a record of my academic thoughts, etc… My ultimate goal is not to have readers beyond myself. The fact that I do have some is nice.
“Writing a blog under a pseudonym is usually an argument that the only safe way for an academic to write publicly is to write anonymously.” Perhaps. I guess I feel like I safely blog due to having a personal blog for my REAL rants. On here, I do edit myself, but I do try to balance my seriousness and playfulness at the same time. I like to think I am myself on here – the self who is a teacher and creator and academic and geek.
“If we have too much seriousness, nothing new occurs. [...] To break this sense of seriousness, academic bloggers would benefit by engaging with the potentials this medium offers writers and by allowing themselves the opportunity to experiment. In a professional environment like ours, where experimentation is typically admired elsewhere (poetry, fiction) and downplayed in our own practices (exams, dissertation writing, outcomes statements, academic publishing), finally academia has the opportunity to play with digital form, content, and genre in ways previously denied because of the difficulty of learning hypertext or setting up webspace on university servers.”
The author of the column states (the quote links to his blog): “In my writing, I mix personal narratives, imaginative encounters, academic work, critical commentary, humor, Photoshop imagery, multiple personalities, and other items in an effort to generate a space which is both professional and playful. I am serious about what I do; but I am not overpowered by seriousness.” If my students think I am less serious because of this blog then I guess that is their own opinion. I would rather be accused of being a goofy teacher than a stoic one.
