Making History

As an educator trying to keep pace with the ever changing landscape of the 21st century high school, I have embraced the opportunity to create and collaborate in the blogosphere. My journey began after being directed to blogger.com from a EdTechTalk podcast. A road trip to my in-laws in Rochester, NY (3 hours from the home office in Clifton Park, NY) turned into a six hour professional development opportunity as I listened to a variety of podcasts relating to education and technology. By the time I returned from my journey west, my head was spinning with potential applications for this emerging technology.

As difficult as it was to focus on one thing, I directed my energies into creating a blog for my Sociology classes at Ballston Spa High School. I invested about 15 minutes into creating a blog http://sociologyechoes.blogspot.com/.

My plan was to use the blog as a place for students enrolled in my Sociology classes to read, react, and reflect on the exercises and activities that they have participated in during the semester. After my initial time investment, I spent some addition time writing and then publishing my first posts. After I pressed "publish" I experienced a bit of dejavu. This was the same adrenaline rush I had back in 1999 when I created my first experimental webpages through Netscape Virtual Office and Homestead.com. I couldn't believe how simple it was to create a web presence. I spent the summer of 1999 learning and experimenting with Microsoft Frontpage and eventually built my own site www.historyshack.com. My basic web presence has grown into a mini-monster that is now the main platform for communication with students and parents enrolled in my courses.

Fast forward to 2005... I have created four blogs using this free service. Three of the usernames and password I have misplaced or forgotten. The Sociology Blog led to my Veterans Blog which led to my Community Conversations blog which almost led to divorce from my first wife Stacey. So I took a pause for the cause and re-evaluated my goals for navigating through the blogosphere.

Through further investigation,I discovered that I could create several different blogs under one username and one password. All of the catchy names and passwords I created during my first round of blogging were no longer available so I went back to the basics. I went with www.historyshack.blogspot.com. My students are already familiar with the name, so I think the blogspot will not be throwing anyone for a loop.

So in true Hengsteman fashion I became so charged up about this new technology I went on a caffeine induced dash through the blogosphere. I have now caught my breath and decided to take this blog thing in the following direction:

1. I will call the my blog "Making History" because in my mind this is what I am doing. It certainly not on par with the first radio transmission from Brant Rock, Massachusetts in 1906, but in my world it is close.

2. Working off the main blog I have created some blogs to support current and future projects. Theses blogs include The Human Zoo(Sociology); Ballston Common (project scheduled for February 2006); Ballston Veterans Blog (companion to ballstonveterans.com).

3. I also plan on incorporating Podcasts into each of these blogs. Sweet!!!

Some final thoughts: I am encouraged by the possibilty of altering the "learning landscape" for my students. I can not envision the directions that I will take these technologies (blogging and podcasting), but I can trace my steps (and mis-steps) along the way.

Until Next Time,
Mr. H


"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Lao-Tzu