The Borderland blog passed its fifth anniversary this month, and I want to recognize some people. Five years is a long time to work on something. For me, at least.
I started writing here just after GW Bush’s second term election. I had not read any blogs at all before that, and I had no ambition to become a blogger. I was simply playing with various options for publishing student work, and Wordpress was one thing I was trying. I updated the blog sporadically and had no particular focus or theme for the content. In a nutshell, I didn’t know what I was doing. But that has never stopped me from doing what I want to do.
I figured I could use a bit of training if I was going to do this with students, and an opportunity presented itself in a community college course taught by Chris Lott. In that class, Chris required several posts a week from each of us, as well as comments on the posts of other class members, so I became a little more productive as a writer that winter. We also read and linked to other blogs for part of the course work. This was when blogging got interesting for me. Looking back through the Borderland archives, I see that I wrote a post called The Best, and linked to a blog post by Tony Pierce titled How to Blog, in which Pierce gave advice about blogging. It was good advice, fun to read again. And it marked the point at which I started thinking about running for real with this blogging project. Chris was enormously helpful to me, introducing me to the blogging practice.
Blogging was a lonely undertaking for many months. The first real comment I got from someone I’d never met was from Newman Lanier, who I’ve not heard from in some time. The initial comments were very encouraging. I read Stephen Downes’ How to Be Heard article and put some of his advice to work as I was by then trying to figure out how to connect to other bloggers.
The readership started to grow in ‘06, and it took a real jump after Will Richardson linked to one of my posts. Since finding an edublogging niche, it seems important to acknowledge that this blog is actually the product of a group effort. There are several people who have been very helpful. Accordingly, I want to thank Leigh Blackall, Artichoke, Stephen Downes, Sarah Puglisi, Graham Wegner, Alice Mercer, Mark Ahlness, Tom Hoffman, Chris Lehmann, Miguel Guhlin, Brian Crosby, Michael Doyle, Franki and Mary Lee, Bud Hunt, Bruce Schauble, Michaele Sommerville, Charlie Roy, Bill Kerr, Susan Ohanian, Ken Bernstein, Fred Klonsky, Clay Burell, TFT, and Dina Strasser (who will be hearing from me soon!) for the help and encouragement they’ve given me.
There are undoubtedly several other people whose names should, but for various reasons, aren’t included in my list. I’m sorry about that.
This is perhaps a much too drawn-out preface for a thank you I want to offer John Connell, who nominated Borderland for an 2009 Edublog Award. I am bowled over that John thought enough of what I do here to name Borderland as his choice for Best Individual Blog – especially when I think about the zillions of other blogs out there.
Very grateful for the kind attention of my readers,
Doug
13 Comments
Your nomination is well-deserved Doug- your blog always gets my **thinker thinkin’** as one of my students put it not too long ago.
Happy Holidays to you and yours- I’m still missing the snow, the silence and the scenery of Alaska- not to mention friends, family and other thinkin’ thinkers in the education profession up north.
How wonderful to be nominated.
I am so glad.
I have never, not once, come here and not felt better, learned something, thought a little more, and found better footing both as a teacher, but maybe more importantly as a person trying to figure it all out.(Remind me to try to edit in future writing, and start something with always over never).
And through the shifting sands of these past few years I’ve really wondered just about every time I got myself on some footing, what it was that was knocking that rug out….somehow the issues in this job/profession came here to be better considered.
It’s kind of ironic because I got a really old computer at home, several years past, an old laptop going in a garbage that still worked a little bit. I decided I should learn to do some things on-line to teach with it in a school with nothing functional, plus I’d heard about blogging a bit watching my kids- who were constantly on their computers.
And I looked up “educational blogs”. Just about the first thing I did. Then I got your blog in a “hit” and I commented-back whenever it was, and you replied. But I didn’t know that. I didn’t know to check back, and I don’t think at first it occurred to me that people replied. Because then the laptop died, and teaching went on, I had no access anyway. But I nagged about it getting fixed at home, and it got repaired, and I then got a very old Windows 95 running bigger throw away- and I decided to blog. I decided that the only way to kind of figure it out would be experimenting.
So I looked you up again. Finding this really positive response to that earlier comment on the reading wars -something that I had done a lot of outreach to thinkers about in emails, mail, and in my own research and reading. I was watching things that seemed Titanic. I had been, of course, in on-going letter and other writing to Susan. And I think you’d seen that. That you responded completely amazed me. Really. Altered perception of this entire blogging experience. (And the help you offered to start a blog was the instruction I had-and I’m still grateful)
So I think of myself, and this has been true in my life, as remarkable adept initially or from the get go, at seeking/finding. My impressions of blogging then were indelibly shaped (which might not be reflected in what I do, but is reflected in what I respect)by your work. Everyone should read the entire archives some lazy Sunday. It’s a really great experience. Awesome.
I really appreciate your time, thoughts, out-reach more than I can say.
Look what you did in five years. Pretty cool. Kind of hard to put into words my meanings about the way it’s built bridges for me. I have read books from here, refined understandings, attempted, laughed, gotten braver, gotten more reflective. Lots of threads….
Thanks for the kindness here, and thanks for your work.
Sarah, your contributions here have been most welcome.
I don’t reply to every comment; mostly I like to respond to new contributors and to people who say provocative things. More often than not, you say provocative things. And I appreciate that. Thank you.
Michaele, it was a real kick to connect with someone from my home town. Maybe you know, I believe there is a special place in heaven reserved for kindergarten teachers. Reservations not required for Alaskans.
Dear Doug,
I love The Borderland–each time I see a new post I feel like grabbing a cup of coffee, setting aside a decent chunk of time, then sitting down and digesting your latest.
You are consistently thoughtful and wise (not the same thing, though the distinction gets lost).
I am thrilled that you got nominated. I am also thrilled that I got my name mentioned in your post. I don’t have a long list of bloggers I check several times a day. I don’t have that kind of time.
I always have time for your words.
Michael, An interesting thing about time – over the years I’ve lost touch with about half those people, and made the acquaintance of several new people, like you. Not too different than what happens in the other places I occupy. Nonetheless, I feel like I’m bringing all of you with me whenever I write something here. I’ve learned a lot from the people who visit this blog.
Howdy! Great to see you’re still alive and kicking, Doug. Wow, has it been 5 years? Maybe it’s time to hang it up?
;->
Miguel
P.S. Congrats on the nomination!
Good to hear from you, too, Miguel. Long time…
I’m not sure how hard I’m kicking anymore, but I can confirm the “still alive” part.
-take care
Please do not hang it up.
Glad you’ve kept it up. It’s a great blog and a source of inspiration for me. Thanks.
Congrats for the nomination you’ve got.. And thanks to your blog it really inspires me…
Doug– your blog has been consistently interesting and informative, but most of all it’s been consistently “Doug.” You have a great voice and the recognition you’ve received– and will receive– are well-deserved.
I look forward to the next five years…
Congrats Doug. I enjoy reading your blog.
Doug, your wonderful blog is right up there at the top of my list of things I can point to – that makes me proud to be a classroom teacher. Thanks! – Mark
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