Blogging As Learning

I read a very interesting post from Nick Booth yesterday, who highlighted a report from the Charity Commission stating that they don’t believe that people can learn from the experience of blogging, so much in that it ‘offers them no educational value’.  I am pretty new to the Blogosphere, but I have to completely disagree with that statement.

I am fortunate enough to be part of a generation which has seen huge advances in the development of social media.  At secondary school through the late 90’s and early 21st century, I was able to use many forms of digital media to help me throughout my studies.  Indeed, subjects such as Media Studies highlight the development of media as a tool, and how it can benefit many.  I see blogging as a natural extension to the learning process.

It is for me, just like any other information source… you take a look at it, evaluate the information it provides you with, while seeking references and other opinions to either strengthen or weaken the arguments put forward, and then you decide how useful the source of information is to you.  I would argue that you are ‘learning’ at all stages of this process.  I aim to learn something new every day, and with the huge range of blogs on weird and wonderful topics out there, it is entirely possible to be able to do this.  But more than this, the experience of actually blogging for myself has taught me new skills, which I have previously struggled to pick up.

A blog is a personal opinion… its an opportunity for you to share your thoughts on exactly how you are feeling, and in language that you feel comfortable with.  It does not matter how many people read your blog, the fact is that you have the chance to ask yourself some questions about how you feel, and then to write that down and share with the world.  This is the height of creative writing… much more creative than my English GCSE where the topic, length, style, word use etc etc were already chosen for me before I even sat the exam.  What is best about blogging is that it wont be marked… so there is no pressure to conform.  I believe that if schools encouraged kids to start up their own blogs, this would develop a lot more creative talent than there currently is.

There is an interesting argument to be had on how far your personal opinion should go, and an interesting article in the Birmingham Post just shows how many bloggers are unaware of their legal rights when posting information in a global arena.  Ultimately, that is an argument for my legal partner to get her teeth into… as far as I am concerned you should be able to publicise your opinion, its up to others to decide whether that opinion is worth reading.

I have had the unique experience of three different jobs this year where I have learnt more than I could have ever imagined, but there are some industries who have completely failed to catch onto the creative development of learning.  I do not know many accountants or tax advisors who blog, but perhaps more of them should? In a challenging market place, businesses are screaming out for more creative ways of reaching new consumers, perhaps blogging could be an answer?

In conclusion, I struggle to see how the experience of sharing your thoughts in a global environment can be anything but a learning experience.  I have learnt more about my way of working, my thoughts on particular issues and my reaction to different circumstances simply by writing a blog post.  Blogging encourages discussion, and from discussion comes learning.  I just think that those with little knowledge of the topic fail to see how the experience of learning is changing… so perhaps they should start a blog themselves and see what they learn.  If you have learnt something about me, then please leave a comment, it will help to prove that bloggers can learn!