The Salad Bar: Blogs and Learning

In the brief window-shutter spaces of my free time, I have recently been perusing various educational blogs in search of inspiration and wisdom.  Using my Feedly site I have collected several resources that sparked my interest as a future educator and life-long learner.  Much like a salad bar, good educational blogs bring readers edifying texts that while easily consumed in their brevity, enrich the soul of the reader with a sense of personal growth and betterment.

 Currently, one of my favorite cites is an online production of The New York Times, entitled The Learning Network , is actually an collection of educationally directed blogs from various writers. Generally quite interesting and vibrant, the blogs share a similar format and often include classroom application and interesting discussion.  The general set-up of The Learning Network's blog center incorporates a relevant film about 2-5 minutes long with a short, easily accessible article.  The questions and educational application materials, along with a short review of the article, are generally on the first page, with the video.  If you click on the central heading it will lead you to the main text of the article (slightly deceiving).  The format and layout of the page: clean, and very appealing.  The multimedia focus of the website makes it incredibly appealing to educators trying to reach potentially disengaged students.  The blogs are current, featuring captivating topics while including relevant and interesting information. This site would be incredible both as a resource for educators (think--three-dimensional lesson plans) and students, who I can easily see exploring the site for assignments even for pleasure.

While reading through some of the marvelous blog posts by contributing bloggers, I ran across this vibrant posting.  Rich in creative detail and themes of diversity, this blog post seems to channel a few of the most positive aspects of the blog site. A recent image from the September fires in the Southwest frames the introduction, followed by a gorgeous work of poetry. The poem is followed by a few lesson recommendations and a relevant news article. It is well worth a few moments of your time.

Check out this link for an inspirational pairing of "A Small Story About the Sky" by Alberto Ríos with a recent news article, posted by blogger Shannon Doyne.

Be sure to take time for the Salad Bar this week.  You never know just what might be growing.