If so, keep this feeling in mind while you read this post.
I love the idea of LeaderTalk and think that the group has some very talented and knowledgeable individuals posting daily. I also know that I have been focusing hard on developing my posts each month and spending very little time commenting on my peers' posts. It seems very possible that I am not the only one doing this each month.
I recently went through the last 20 posts and found that there were a total of 44 comments. When doing the math consider that one of the 20 posts received 9 and another 8. I also noticed that post are not happening daily, as planned. We all know that the small number of comments is not due to the quality fo the ideas that are being shared.
I'd like to suggest that the assignment for this month (and future ones) be that, in addition to our monthlhy post, we comment on at least 2 of our peers posts. Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach in her 21st Century Learning highlights the importance of members of the PLP receiving responses to their posts.
"As the community leader you should make sure in the practice posts and introductions that 100% of member posts get a response from you or someone else. The thrill of getting a response encourages more participation."
My guess is that all of us can relate to the 'thrill' that she mentions and we can probably agree that more comments lead to more learning, excitement and a stronger learning community.
Feel free to comment!
Blair Peterson
"We all know that the small number of comments is not due to the quality fo the ideas that are being shared."
Are you sure?
Great idea - it's always nice to know someone else is out there considering your ideas.
It is always nice to try and increase the flow of ideas, sharing etc. At times, I find that I read and read and read, but don't always take time to comment. My lack of commenting is not always because I feel I don't have anything to add, rather the post has pretty much said it and the comments already left have nailed it down. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like to restate what someone has already said better than I could say it anyway...
Agreed, I received a comment from someone in Australia on my last post and it was very exciting to know that someone half way aroudn the globe was actually reading my blog post!
No, Maybe the quality of the posts are the reason for the small number of comments being generated. Maybe the typo errors play a role. How would we know without some type of feedback? Maybe people could comment and critique the ideas. If weren't generating interesting stuff, then we get sacked.
I was only pointing out the typo, not maligning the content. (You also have a typo in your last comment.)
The only reason I mention typos is because this is a blog supposedly run by school leaders. The typos make all of us all look bad!
Do you know how much traffic you get? That would tell you what you need to know, at least indirectly, or incompletely.
Many bloggers simply don't allow comments because they often lead to rants and nonsense. I believe in allowing them, and not moderating them. But I also rely on sitemeter to inform me of traffic to my blog.
There are also widgets, as I am sure you already know, that can rate traffic to particular posts (postrank). Maybe you want to look into those?
There, a rather snarkless comment from TFT!
(Please excuse any typos)
I agree that commenting on posts can be a professional contribution to this learning community and a professional courtesy to each other. I have not been writing my posts as I was scheduled and have commented only on occasion. I appreciate the suggestion and the reminder! I have, however, been reading the posts on a regular basis and frequently reflect on both the content of the posts and the 'discussion' in the comments. One thing I have been mulling over as I read blog posts (not just here, but on others, as well) is the tendency of some to attack and malign the people who post or comment, rather than voice opinions about the content in a civil manner. Some are also very quick to jump on any error in an apparent attempt to ridicule or discredit another person. This is especially troublesome when it is done anonymously. However, when I think about the discourse in our country at this time - through various media, in town meetings, and in other public forums (including, in my case, at school board meetings) - I imagine I should expect nothing different in this on-line forum. I do wonder why we cannot discuss and disagree in a kinder, gentler manner. I guess it is a sign of the troubling times in education. I just have never understood how anyone thinks that approach is helpful or beneficial - though it does encourage some to withdraw from the dialog. Thanks again for the thoughtful post!
My guess is that all of us can relate to the 'thrill' that she mentions and we can probably agree that more comments lead to more learning, excitement and a stronger learning community.
I don't agree that making an author feel good is even a legitimate reason to post something in a professional forum and waste thousands of other people's time. This is not Facebook.
I don't agree that more comments are necessarily better in any of the ways suggested. I think it's obvious that the quality of the comments matters far more.
What *will* inspire people to write thoughtful and (more to the point) thought-provoking pieces? This would need to become the go-to site for many. (I don't know how many.)