Educational Blogging: Advocating Our Passions

Writing this blog has taught me that there is so much in agriculture to be taught. So far, I have dived into the opportunities for non-farm kids within 4-H and FFA. However, I have not gone into the daily agenda of an Agricultural Educator. I am still a college student, so I do not know this for certain but I think I have an idea of what it is like. A blog post for Norfolk High School in Nevada written by Ag teacher, Mr. Jonathan Anderson, goes into detail of "A Day In The Life Of An Ag Room." He discusses the activities at each hour such as an FFA officer meeting at 7 am and 1st period Introduction to Agriculture starting at 8 am and so on. Educational blogging in my opinion is advocating for your passion whether it be in agriculture, art, music, elementary, secondary, etc. 

Two red hands typing on a laptop with notepads, pens and other items. 

While reading my peer's blog posts, I have learned that mostly all of us have the same goal which is to share our ideas and passions. Three of my favorite blogs were written by Anna Loy, Alexis Lynch, and Olivia Phillips. In Anna's "Ms. Loy's Educational Ploys" blog, I found the "Stop Trying to be PC" blog very interesting and relatable. She discusses the word "disabled" versus "person with a disability." I had not known that there was a difference in the two terms. This is relatable to me because I had a learning disability from elementary school until high school and how I recovered because of my agricultural education and upbringing-- which I may discuss in a later blog. Moving on to "Alexis' View of the World (of Education!)" blog, "Standardized Testing and Students with Disabilities" caught my eye. In her blog she states, "For students with moderate to significant disabilities, standardized tests are absolutely not appropriate." I relate to the struggles of standardized testing because I was one of those kids who needed help or extra time to complete a test. Lastly, "LIVin the Ag Teacher Life" by Olivia Phillips was very relatable because she and I have the same major as well as a similar background. "The Home and The School" caught my eye because she goes into how every child's home environment can determine the type of behavior in a classroom. The type of discipline and rules at home can factor into whether a student is successful or not. I love her statement, "I have high hopes that parents of young children and future parents will understand that school does not end when the bell rings in the afternoon and that their involvement can change the path of their child's life." This is very relatable to my personal growth and development and it is definitely something to keep in mind as a future teacher (and possibly parent). 

Educational blogging is a practice that should be done by all teachers and educators because it allows for us to build off of each other. I have not been a blogger for very long (not even two months...hehe), but this is something that I plan on doing as a teacher. From reading the blogs of my peers, I have gotten the idea to post my story as an agricultural student with a learning disability in a later blog post. Throwing ideas and research information around in blogs is advocating for our passion: education for all. Who knows what else I will write about? - the possibilities are endless.