Teaching Sells, CopyBlogger’s Membership site, has recently just launched and sold out in the same day. The excellent videos, free pdfs, and buzz about teaching online made me think about the excellent medium blogging is for teaching and learning online.
Not only does “teaching sell” but its also fun and invigorating. Its absolutely wonderful to be able to share something that you love. Most blogs are resources for their readers and the writers and owners are using their knowledge to teach a new generation of bloggers, hobbyists, political junkies, gamers, etc. Through the medium of blogs, a new type of education is taking place.
Independent Learning
Time is a valuable resource and with the internet and excellent blogs, you can now learn almost anything online. The best part is you can learn at your own pace whenever you are available. If you have an open weekend and want to learn how to play the guitar, its completly available. Or maybe you can only learn how SEO works one article at a time. With learning and teaching through blogs its okay.
Time to Reflect
Too often I find myself rushed in class or life when I am trying to learn a valuable new idea or tool. Blogs offer you the ability to sit back in your chair and really reflect on what was just said. That is the purpose of our summary list below the post, you read the article and then review the summary and reflect. After proper thought and reflection an intellectual and relevant comment is sure to come.
Participation
Learning and teaching always works best in an interactive environment. You have questions > you ask them > they are answered > you move forward. Not only do you learn and teach through the comments and email, but you become part of the class as you interact with other bloggers reading the article. Speaking with and teaching other commentators is fantastic way to review the material and make new friends.
Understanding Improved through Writing
Writing is a unique learning process. The more you write the better you become at processing your thoughts and making tangible the abstract. As you teach your readers through your post articles you are reinforcing what you already know, gaining new insights, and organizing your knowledge. As the student you can write comments, take notes, or post about the articles you read.
Learning Changes and So Do You
The best part about blogs are that they are constantly being updated with new knowledge and the most recent data available. Unlike textbooks written decades ago, a blog offers up to date information so when knew knowledge is discovered you know about it.
Invite Collaboration
Education through blogging invites participation like we have already discussed, but it goes a step farther and encourages your readers to become the teachers and to work together with other students or even you. Collaboration turns the learning process into more opportunities to truly understand the concepts being discussed.
Informal Education
A great part about learning is that everyone is learns differently. Some people need to see or hear or read the material they are learning about. With blogging the educational atmosphere is as informal as students may like or as structured as they need. The informal atmosphere provides for a comfortable place for students of all ages to learn new and valuable skills.
Use of Media
Lastly, being able to use media like video, podcasts (audio), and images enhance the learning process and increase students ability to remember the content being taught.
Conclusion
With the variety of tools available, learning and teaching through blogs is one of the best ways to communicate knowledge. Just make sure that you are taking advantage of this great process by following all of these 8 blogging tips.
The Discussion
Leave a Comment Read Again?Seth after reading your post, it gives me an idea… or rather a prediction for the future… I wouldn’t be surprised if in the future, we have the opportunity to learn some of the courses that are currently offered at high paying universities for free. I could really see the power in that, if that were to happen.
Oh and on a site note… I am currently a college student so thats why the idea came to me, lol.
Till then,
Jean
So could I… if any professor or educator was revolutionary enough to put their knowledge online, they would hit the universities hard… if they could get some sort of regulatory organization to create a standard of educational knowledge.
If any of you know any investors… I would be willing to start that regulatory organization!
.-= Seth´s last blog ..8 Blogging Tips for Teaching and Learning Online =-.
You’re on to something, Seth! I’d say the Internet is a more conducive learning environment than the classroom. It’s kinda scary. I just wish blogs could give diplomas.
By the way, are you enrolled in Teaching Sells? Brian did an incredible job of promoting that site program. It’s too bad my $1600 is going towards tuition…
.-= Nick Tart | JuniorBiz´s last blog ..10 Trusty Twitter Tips =-.
Blogs can… but the diploma’s have to be worth something. I think a very strict regulatory agency needs to be developed to measure blogs who meet certain standards of excellence.
I am not in the Teaching Sells program, but I definitely wanted to. Law school is not cheap though!
.-= Seth´s last blog ..8 Blogging Tips for Teaching and Learning Online =-.
Grand spanking post Seth. I do agree.
Coming from your “Independent Learning” section: This is one of the reasons I like working online, your time is your value! I get busy a lot, with clients and my business but whenever I stumble upon a article I want to read or think I might find interesting I bookmark in my “reading list” Unlike in school, where the PUSH everything on you in one day.
Great post
.-= Bilal´s last blog ..Five more affiliate marketing tips to help you become a better affiliate marketer =-.
Timing is my favorite part of learning this way too! I am always so busy, so learning when I am ready is the best part of learning and teaching online.
.-= Seth´s last blog ..8 Blogging Tips for Teaching and Learning Online =-.
Online learning, in the form of blogging and membership sites, seems to be the new craze these days. It is definitely more interactive,collaborative, and fun (informal) than the traditional learning (with books and journals). Hey, it’s also very up-to-date and suits this ever changing information era. But, it lacks the face-to-face social interaction that could be had in real world. I think by the next decade or so, those people who could present their ideas effectively through speech (talking, conversing, public speaking, etc), would be the most sought-after commodity. You think?
.-= Andi | Web Marketer Depot´s last blog ..Do You Make These 6 Mistakes When Writing Product Review? =-.
Speaking is and will always be an important skill and trait. But, writing will always be even more important. Writing can persuade the masses not just in your moment of speech, but as long as the text is available. Writing well is the key to success in a majority of all fields.
.-= Seth´s last blog ..8 Blogging Tips for Teaching and Learning Online =-.
I couldn’t agree more Seth. Brian’s Teaching Sells is really the most exciting thing that has ever gripped the blogosphere this year. Too bad too I didn’t catch it on opening. Geez. People are far too excited to rush into whatever brian’s up to.
.-= Liane YoungBlogger´s last blog ..In The World Full of Scam Products, Who Do You Trust? Don’t Get Mugged Online =-.
It is true, it sold out so fast that I am amazed at his ability to sell out in only a few hours. Then again, he had all of the biggest bloggers supporting his program. I guess that is the key to success, become the big blogger or get them to support you.
.-= Seth´s last blog ..8 Blogging Tips for Teaching and Learning Online =-.
What I really love in online self teaching that i do when and what time i need, and it’s really friendly more any other way else.
Great post Seth.
.-= Bader Alrayyes´s last blog ..See Who Doesn’t Follow You On twitter =-.
It is really friendly and convenient. I like that so many people are willing to actually help you learn what you trying to understand. They provide links and resources and that is something you don’t usually get in other classes or situations.
.-= Seth´s last blog ..8 Blogging Tips for Teaching and Learning Online =-.
How can “Teraching Sells” sell out? Is a real time course taught through webinars or what?
I think blogging needs to move up to the next level if it wants to make real progress as being seen as a real education platform. We bloggers need to start doing more research, and including some data while still keeping the posts interesting. Data with references will add a lot more authority to one’s blog, too. Cheers!
.-= Lifestyle Design´s last blog ..Be A Lifestyle Design Super Freak: Part 3- Write Personal Action Plans. =-.
Its a membership site that runs for a set period of time and only accepts a certain amount of members (to ensure that members get attention they pay for). It got all the members it could satisfy within the first day. Thus, it “sold out.”
Also, while we always need to be looking to improve, I think blogging is pretty good right where it is. Blogging would lose some of its soul if we all wrote in MLA form and provided references for every fact we state.
It might not be well respected or even accepted by the education community, I would assert that blogging educates more people than every college or university in the world combined.
.-= Adam Baird´s last blog ..7 Reasons Your Blog Needs A Twitter Presence =-.
Thanks for explaining why and how Teaching Sells sold out.
To make blogging more credible I think we as bloggers need to use more citations. I don’t mean MLA or APA or anything like that. Doing that would make people stop reading blogs and too many bloggers would stop wriitng.
Instead I think we should just link to more blogs within our articles. Using credible blogs as proof that others believe your conclusion to be true as well shows that you have done your homework and they agree. A good example is Alex’s last article on writing good titles. Every link helped readers understand that writing titles was important.
.-= Seth´s last blog ..8 Blogging Tips for Teaching and Learning Online =-.
I think teaching skills is runs in blood. But, everyone can break my opinion if they work hard, smart, and right.
.-= Reza Winandar´s last blog ..The Make Money Online Program System =-.
I agree. Hard work and determination can override almost any obstacle. In my opinion at least.
.-= Bilal´s last blog ..Interview with Jean, founder of Wprecipes.com =-.
Hey, when I read your “Time to Reflect” something caught my mind, and that is… I should always reflect what I wrote at the end of each post and present them in a short paragraph just like what you did as a “conclusion.”
Even though I always read your blog, I never realize myself, that your conclusion always some up the whole story of your post. Well I’m going to do that on my next post.
Hey can I ask you, what font are you using for your “header 1, header 2, header 3,” I like your fonts.
.-= The Bad Blogger´s last blog ..The Bad Blogger Reveals His Disagreement To Farrhad’s 5 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Must Attend School ! =-.
The font is Myriad Pro, or Helvetica.
Cool site, love the info.
Hey good stuff…keep up the good work!
Thank you very much.
.-= Seth´s last blog ..5 Ways you are Unknowingly Harming Your Posts =-.
Good Article Seth and Thanks for noticing my article over at Site Sketch 101.
I wanted to ask you a question on the topic of collaboration. In the past few weeks my blog has finally begun to get legs and reach a lot more people. I have also had more folks reach out to me to connect. What do you think are some of the best strategies for connecting with folks. Is it something as simple as trading comments and diggs, or something more involved like writing guest posts and critiquing others blogs. Any insight you have would be appreciated.
.-= Casey Brazeal (North and Clark)´s last blog ..You Are Jazz to Me =-.
Connecting and collaborating is as simple as commenting on every post that your blogging friend writes, or as complicated as setting up an alliance where you always promote each others work. I would just try and be helpful and do what you know you would love someone to do for you. Then trust is built and you have a lot of great things to work on together.
.-= Seth´s last blog ..5 Ways you are Unknowingly Harming Your Posts =-.
I believe that the best bit about learning and teaching about blogging, that most of the time we, internet marketers, learn from experience and blogging really does allow us to reflect on a more profound level on our actions…
Igor
.-= Igor Kheifets-IgorHelpsYouSucceed´s last blog ..Free Internet Marketing Sales Training… No Catch?! =-.
Exactly, we almost always learn best by having to restate our knowledge into writing, video, or audio form. They are great ways to reflect and ponder upon what we know.
i like the “independent learning” idea that i think is the most important and significant aspect of teaching and learning online, compare with the other media.
i must say the work is incredible and appreciable. keep it up. looking forward for more updates
Great article. I think one of the most overlooked aspects about blogging is the connect to other people. There are people who have successfully done so.
If you want to become popular then you need others to help you. You cant do it alone.
.-= Julius Kuhn-Regnier´s last blog ..How to Make a Great First Impression Through Guest Posts =-.
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