Step 5: Using Blogs(I)

 Tips for building your PLN via Blogs:
The key components to making blogs part of your PLN are really simple:

• Read and comment on other people blogs posts. Then share anything that resonates with you with your PLN(e.g. on Twitter).
• Publish posts on your own blog to reflect your thoughts,ideas,and/or to share resources. Remember, this is optional but keep it in mind!

There are tips that will both save you time and make you more effective, like everything!
Reading Blog Post
There are thousands of educators out there who are regularly publishing on their own blogs. Many of these blogs resolve around specific topics,interests, or subject areas. Others are more general reflections on all areas  of education.
Reading blogs posts is an important part of connecting with other educators. But how do you keep up to date with your favorite blogs and know if something new has been published?
There are three main ways you can keep up with your favorite blogs:

1. Email subscription or email newsletter if available. Many bloggers have an option to be notified via email when they publish.This might be via a simple email subscription widget on the sidebar on the blog.
2. RSS (Rich Site Summary) feed (using a tool like Feedly). One of the easiest ways to keep updated with posts from your favorite blogs is to subscribe to their RSS feed using Feedly.
3. Social Media and curation tools like Flipboard. If you follow your favorite bloggers on Twitter, no doubt  you will see them announcing when they have something new on their blog.Of course, there are no guarantees that you will always see this. Another option Sue Waters use on her mobile devices is subscribing to her Twitter timeline and Twitter Hashtags using Flipboard.

Commenting on Blogs Post
Your commenting skills and how engage in comments with others on blogs posts is one of the most important, and often overlooked, aspects of using blogs as part of your PLN. The comment section is where the deep learning, questioning, and reflecting can occur. Comments turn your blog from a static space into an interactive conversation.
Commenting tips for bloggers . 1. Don’t just lurk— comment! Remember, being part of a PLN is about giving as well as receiving .Taking the time to begin conversations will pay off! 2. Approve comments quickly. If you are a blogger and someone leaves a comment on your blog post, make sure you approve the comment quickly ( if you moderate comments). 3.Always respond back to readers on your own posts. If readers have made time to comment on your posts the very minimum you should do is respond back to your readers (ideally each reader) in the comments on your post. 4. Use the Subscribe to Comments option. If a blogger provides a subscribe to comment option, then make sure you select this option when leaving a comment, so you’re notified by email of any follow up comments.