Good blog posts come in a variety of different types.
Episode posts
Some posts are primarily for the purpose of sharing a video episode. They consist of (1) the episode, maybe with a bit of transcript, and (2) enough context so that the reader can understand what’s going on. They may also contain a bit of what the scholar thinks of the episode. Here are some good posts of this type.
“We’ll make something up” (Mac
Stetzer)
“Why gesture when no one’s looking?” (Virginia Flood)
“Open vs. closed circuits andinventing a metaphor” (Krishna Chowdary)
“Can you see me now? Good.” (Virginia Flood)
“What is the purpose forwhiteboards? or Creating an inequality of access” (Kara Gray)
“Badgering” (Sam McKagan)
“Shrinking people to representusefulness in Energy Theater” (Abby Daane)
“The answer is…” (Sandy Martinuk)
“Why gesture when no one’s looking?” (Virginia Flood)
“Open vs. closed circuits andinventing a metaphor” (Krishna Chowdary)
“Can you see me now? Good.” (Virginia Flood)
“What is the purpose forwhiteboards? or Creating an inequality of access” (Kara Gray)
“Badgering” (Sam McKagan)
“Shrinking people to representusefulness in Energy Theater” (Abby Daane)
“The answer is…” (Sandy Martinuk)
Some blog posts in this category not only share a video
episode, but also conduct significant analysis of that episode and/or delve
into the literature that informs the scholar’s interpretation of events. These
are the kinds of posts that could be the starting point for research projects.
They are something to aspire to, but they can take days to produce; try to
balance depth with coverage.
Issue posts
Issue posts
Some posts put out an issue for discussion that is not attached to a particular episode; it’s just something on the scholar’s mind that s/he wants
to put out there for others to consider and comment on. The comment threads on
some of these are significant.
What other features do you notice that the good posts have in common? (Answer in the comments!)
You might find it instructive to browse around the blog and find blog posts that seem to lack the features that make them valuable for later readers. Please don’t judge the authors – it’s an art form that we are all learning!
“Collaborate first, or think privately?” (Rachel Scherr)
“Why are your white boards different?” (Rachel Scherr)
“Field energy – my own curiosity”
(Emma Kahle)
Event posts
Some blog posts document an event that is worth sharing, but for which there is not video. In this case, the blog post is possibly the only record of what happened. They can be research-worthy or lighthearted.
Some blog posts document an event that is worth sharing, but for which there is not video. In this case, the blog post is possibly the only record of what happened. They can be research-worthy or lighthearted.
“S.C.R.E.A.M.” (Rachel Scherr)
“Coffee break” (Dorothy Echodu)
“My favorite quote of the day” (Sam
McKagan)
Features of good blog posts
There is a lot to be said for just reading these posts and getting a sense of what different kinds of good posts can be like. I noticed the following features that I think these posts all have:
There is a lot to be said for just reading these posts and getting a sense of what different kinds of good posts can be like. I noticed the following features that I think these posts all have:
- They tell a little story. They have narrative coherence, instead of being just notes or a list or a transcript.
- They tell you enough about what was going on that you feel like you are back in the scene, without being so detailed that you feel swamped with minutiae.
- They have a good title – one that tells you what the post is actually about.
What other features do you notice that the good posts have in common? (Answer in the comments!)
You might find it instructive to browse around the blog and find blog posts that seem to lack the features that make them valuable for later readers. Please don’t judge the authors – it’s an art form that we are all learning!
These blog posts are dangerous! I do feel like I'm back in the scene (even though I was never there to start with). One of the examples I read was "Shrinking people..." and I found myself writing a three paragraph response and excitedly thinking about these topics. I need to bottle that energy, though, because I have a lot of papers to read yet as well.
ReplyDeleteA comment about organization. As an incoming Scholar, if I have a research topic I'm interested in and wish to search for relevant blog posts, is there a good way to search? Or are all posts simply organized by "post date"? If the latter is the case, has there been any discussion about tagging all posts with a set of search words (specifically, a predetermined set approved of by the directors)?
Searching for relevant blog posts is not as easy as we'd like it to be. Part of the deal is that people post episodes that potentially bear on many interests (gestures, energy conservation, energy degradation, metaphors, etc.), and not all of these interests may be apparent to the one who posts it, so people wouldn't necessarily tag everything that later people would have wanted tagged. Another issue is that our research interests change every year, so if we start tagging "gestures" or whatever, the tag doesn't necessarily maintain its relevance. If you have suggestions we'd love to hear them.
DeleteI agree the the "Shrinking people" post is intriguing. I think that it might be challenging incorporating the second law or thermodynamics (including concepts such as entropy and quality or usefulness of different types of energy) into the Energy Theater.
DeleteWe haven't figured out how to do it yet. We will be setting the task to the teachers this year for the first time and are very curious what they come up with.
DeleteI think tagging for relevance will continue to be a problem in terms of going through the archives. However, I do find that the blogs do give rich examples of the observation process and helped me clarify my purpose in I-RISE
ReplyDeleteBased on my previous experience, I want to encourage people (myself included) to remember that the blog is both a way to document our ideas for later researchers and a way to get feedback on our developing ideas from the current researchers. In other words, an idea doesn't have to be solidified to be ready for a blog post.
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm definitely jealous that you get to watch all these! It seems like easy "searchability" is often a pipe dream. However, tagging things as you go can't hurt (I don't think).
ReplyDeleteThe "Bagdering" post shows how much emotions people invest in the sessions and the need for careful coaching of small-group work at times. Has it happended that particularly dysfunctional I-RISE groups have been split up and rearranged?
ReplyDeleteYes, it has happened. Usually the instructor doesn't single out the poorly-functioning group -- instead the whole class mixes up into new groups. I-RISE scholars can be useful to the instructors for additional perspective on how a group is functioning.
DeleteAs writing just this comment has taken me several tries and several minutes, I can image that crafting a good blog post will not be easy for me at the beginning, but I am glad to have the opportunity to hone my skills in this regard.
ReplyDeleteAlso looking through the posts really hits home the breadth of investigations already taken up by previous scholars. Is there a way to look at the themes of the congress presentations for inspiration beyond the publication list in the "Existing research themes"?
Katie, most of the I-RISE scholars posted their Congress presentations to the blog, so if you search on "Congress" you can check them out. But don't worry about the Congress. You will get help when you're here on what to present, and it's not hard.
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