"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it." -- Pablo Picasso

As the first official week of blogging comes to a close, let's mark it as a milestone. I didn't exactly teach anyone how to blog, and I certainly didn't hold any hands -- and yet, most of you figured it out (even if it took hours of tinkering or calling in some outside tech support, like Katie's dad). That's what this first week of readings and discussions was all about too, emphasizing the importance of AUTONOMY in a college education. Autonomy is tackling something new and figuring it out the best you can and learning from that experience in order to do it better next time.

What did you learn from this week? What are good strategies for you in learning something new? What kind of problem solver are you? How did you manage your time and leave enough time to figure things out, tinker with new things, make mistakes and learn from them? Don't let this milestone completely pass you by before you consider what you gained from it, what you can do next week to make blogging smoother, more effective, more interesting, more innovative.

Remember that autonomy in college also means the ability to self-assess, to see our own strengths and weaknesses and compare our work with that of our peers. As a group, we practiced this a little in class. Interestingly, both classes looked at Tina's blog as a model for strong blogging practices; we liked her organization, use of photos and links, and many people commented on the length of her posts. Is length better than substance? No, it's certainly no substitute. You can eat a whole bag of sugar-free candy, but it still doesn't satisfy your craving for a Hershey bar. However, it often does take some length to move beyond the surface and get into the meat of your ideas. I think Tina's blog showed a healthy balance of both length and depth. We didn't get to look at Louie's blog in class, but his writing, humor, and original artwork are a good example of creativity and finding a unique, personal blogging voice. Finally, you should check out Steph's blog to see an interesting title and design as well as a tech-savvy inclusion of a photo slideshow on one of her posts. Use these examples as inspiration for your own work. Where do you want to take your own blog in the upcoming weeks in terms of the writing, thinking, creativity, technology, etc.?

I've only highlighted a few different blogs this week, and I will try to call your attention to others that catch my eye as the semester progresses. You can do this too -- comment on someone's blog if you see something innovative.


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