My "Why?" on Blogging

My blogging journey began while I was studying abroad. A blog was the perfect way to share my experiences in London with family members back in Missouri. Since then, my blog has experienced a bit of growth and evolved with my life as I've grown up. Believe or it not... my life has changed a bit since the summer of 2008. :)

I'm always encouraging others to blog and jump in on the blogging community because there are so many benefits to being part of this inter-web network.  In almost every conversation I have with a friend about blogging, I (almost) always get the response, "No one will want to read what I have to say!" or "I don't have anything to blog about!".  My response is..... you're looking at it all wrong! 

Simon Sinek says, "People don't buy what you do. They buy why you do it." 

Perhaps my "whys" will give you the little push you need to jump on in and start a blog:

First.... I look at my blog as as a reflective journal of my teaching practices, journal of our home renovating experiences, and an opportunity to share life experiences.  Sure, it's great when people read my blog and interact with me via comments or conversation, but it's also great having an online journal that has collected many memories over several years. 

Secondly... The connections!! Through blogging, I have had the opportunity to connect with teachers around the country. Kudos to my friend Abby for making this neat graphic illustrating connections made with my blog. I've swapped many emails with teachers in Missouri and other states about teaching ideas and my life is richer because of it. 

Next... The tone, style, and flow of my blog is completely up to me. Perhaps I've written one too many college papers where I've been criticized for not writing "professionally".  (Fact! This has happened!) I like to use my blog as an opportunity to write like I speak to others. I want readers to feel like they're having a conversation with me instead of reading my term paper. 

Most importantly... My blog is an opportunity to lead by example. I choose to use my blog as a source of optimism, positivity, and a breath of fresh air. Of course my life is not always sunshine and roses... we all have our bad days. However, I choose to share what makes me happy in an effort to spread good vibes to others. The internet is filled with so much negativity, trolls, and hate... why not use my voice for a positive purpose?

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I would love to hear you WHY! Why do you choose to blog and share your journey online? 

In the meantime.... you should check out my super talented and creative friends and their blogs:

Abby @ The Occasions Closet 

Mary @ Full and Merry 

Why Do I Tweet?

Venspired

I've been a member of the Twitter community since the summer of 2009. I was in college and my roommates and I jumped on the Twitter bandwagon and spent waaay too long one afternoon thinking of clever usernames. Luckily for me, a sweet friend had nicknamed me "Furnelly" and I felt like it would be the perfect Twitter handle for my new social media adventure. 

Speaking of which... hey Lauren, I'll need a new handle soon! Get to thinkin', sister!

Now, if you were to back channel through my tweets and read what I was up to from 2009-2011... you would be unimpressed. We'll just jump ahead to when I found the true value of Twitter as an educator. 

Before I continue I must confess: my Twitter feed is a random collection of all things related to my life. I choose to have my Twitter be a reflection of my personality and my thoughts - even if they are strange and rather goofy at times. 

Exhibit A:

Looking at the forecast makes me think of @Oprah saying, "YOU get outdoor recess! YOU get outdoor recess! YOU TOO! Outdoor recess!"
— Jordon (@furnelly) March 9, 2015

I tweet about my favorite TV shows, what's happening in room 52, what my dog's internal thoughts are, and I share anything and everything I feel someone else can find to be relevant to their life. That's the great thing about Twitter - you control who you follow. You control what information is flooding your timeline. If you're a big fan of March Madness... then your timeline probably looks much different than mine right now. Mine is flooding with Scandal tweets and Edchats.  

Back to my question - Why do I Tweet?

For me, I tweet to be connected. I tweet to find out what other great teachers are doing so I can do those things too. I tweet to share great ideas with MY teacher friends. I tweet to learn new teaching strategies and new trends in education. I tweet to find out answers to things I just can't figure out. I tweet for the professional development in my sweatpants.  I tweet to catch up on my favorite celebrities and live vicariously through the lives of my favorite Housewives. I tweet to find out how I can be a better teacher, better person, and more encouraging educator. I tweet to learn how other teachers are enriching their curriculum with technology. I tweet to share what incredible things people in my world at Osage are doing. I tweet to share what we are experimenting with in room 52.  I tweet to show people that kids really do say the dardnest things.

Student, "I hope it someone's birthday today because I'm prepared." Me, "oh really?" Student, "I brought my kazoo just in case."
— Jordon (@furnelly) January 15, 2015

I've found there is always someone willing to share their expertise on Twitter. Whether it's about removing wallpaper in the house we just bought, where to eat in New Orleans, a new recipe I must try, or how to navigate through the app Explain Everything for the first time. Strangers - fellow Tweeters - are willing and ready to offer their assistance in 140 characters or less. 

I tweet to bring the world outside of Osage into my classroom. Last year, my classroom connected with five different classrooms around the country through Skype. All of this happened through a simple hashtag #MysterySkype. From there, my kids were video chatting with students in New Jersey, Texas, and California to name a few. I tweet to bring authors and writers into my classroom without making a formal field trip. I tweet to show my students how it's possible to communicate with astronauts living on the International Space Station.

Welp, those are my two cents on the Twitter bandwagon. If you've been thinking about jumping on board, maybe this is the little inspiration to get started. Good luck!


You can find me @furnelly (you've been warned about my Twitter feed....)!

26 Acts of Kindness

Happy New Year's Eve, friends! I've spent the afternoon curled up on the couch watching movies and napping. I think I have this break thing figured out. I've certainly missed my students, but I can't complain about the extra sleep and quality time I've been soaking in this past week. 

While I'm enjoying my relaxing Christmas break, I know that many families are still suffering from the tragic events that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary. My heart has been with those poor families. I wanted to do something, but I wasn't exactly sure what I could do until Ann Curry's tweets stuck out to me. Here's her challenge:

I'm in, Ann. I'm in! Check out the Facebook page here. 

Before I share my first three acts, I must post this disclaimer: I am not posting these for personal praise. I'm simply sharing my participation in hopes to spread the word, and to possibly encourage YOU to take part as well. That being said, here is what I've done so far!

In my bf's apartment building, there is a pretty stingy vending machine, so I stuck $1.25 on the machine with tape and bought a drink for someone. 

For number two, I went down the road to Red Box and taped $2.00 on the machine. Now, I understand that Red Box movies are bought with a debit card, but someone needs that $2 more than me!

For my third act, I bought a $10 gift card for a meal and stuck in on a car windshield. The car and the card were gone this morning, so I hope it was enjoyed!

When Chip (the dog) and I got home from running all over the city, my heart was LEAPING out of my chest. I can't explain it! My spirit was incredibly uplifted and I felt like one of Santa's elves. It only made me want to do more and more and more and more. I have no idea who benefited from these acts, but I can only hope it made them smile. 

This truly was an incredibly way to get a jump start on the new year. I am not rushing to finish my 23 acts, but I'll continue posting as I finish a few. I would love to include my class in on the fun. Since I have 21 students with huge hearts, I know that they would be more than willing to share a little love around the area. 

Have you participated in a "Random Acts of Kindess" challenge? Are you taking on Ann Curry's challenge? Do share!

See you next year! :)