Blogging?

Well, I've been trying to digest all this nifty stuff that's being tossed out this week.  As I'm considering it now, the "Blogger" function is probably not one that I am likely to invest in, so I'm pretty sure the number of posts will be very limited.

Here's why:

• Redundancy: the main things I would envision using a blog for - whether for myself or for my students - can be largely accomplished in other ways with platforms and apps that I'm already using (or working on using).  Giving anyone - myself or the students - another gadget to work in just doesn't seem necessary.
• Time: I have a pretty functional web site for my AP Euro course (here), one for the U.S. History course I used to teach (here), and one for National Honor Society (here).  I need to create sites for my APUSH course (which is back on my schedule this year - and it wasn't when I created all my sites) and for my new prep, World History, as well as Mock Trial, now that I'm coaching that again.  I already intend to use many of the tools from this week to improve the World History site over its brethren, and to really try to get the 1:1 Chromebooks to be integral to my class.  I don't need to take on anything else.
• From an academic perspective, for any purposes I might actually find for Blogger that are not already covered by other Google applications, I think that I like Edmodo better.  Sorry, Google...

So, while I will continue to follow my favorite blogs (whether 'Blogger'-hosted or not), and will be striving this year to continue to improve e-communication between myself, students, and parents, I think that I will stick with making my main platforms better with some new applications and by being more intentional in making them integral to my World History course.  That's enough for now.  It really is.