Entering the Blogosphere

Prior to this exercise in blog review I never fully entered the blogosphere as an avid reader. True, I consistently visit sports sites to read the standings or celebrity gossip sites to catch up on the lives of the rich and famous; however I failed to connect with engaging communities that live on the web. After reading a few articles on the evolution of blogs, I decided to spend some time reading up on two of my passions history and education at the History is Elementary blogspot.
History is Elementary advertises itself as a “site for history teachers and anyone who enjoys reading about history and history education,”[1] so I thought this would be a good place to start. Fortunately, the hosts claim fits the site and the postings are both enjoyable to read and raise interesting questions about teaching history in a classroom setting. Many people will find this blog useful. Although it shifts sometimes from and discussion about lesson plans for Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday celebration to the host’s daughter’s creation of a snowman, the post are usually both informative and helpful to both teachers and parents alike.
Each day the blogger, alias EHT (Elementary History Teacher) from Georgia, surveys links, teaching materials, talks about how to reach out to students and deal with administrators. The posts are entertaining and it is easy to understand how her posts would resonate with a wide audience. The layout of the site is very user friendly, even for the most amateur web browser. Each post contains several links to other sites explore the hot topic of the day. One of the most interesting posts discussed the difficulty in teaching balanced history. This post received the most comments by far and touched a nerve. Teachers complained on both sides of the line where teachers have either glossed over the uglier side of history such as the Holocaust or overly emphasize the negative aspects of history. This extremely sensitive issue provides readers and writers a forum to engage with the issues and formulate resolutions.
The site began in 2006 and receives comments from frequent visitors consistently. Parents, teachers, and even a teacher from Italy read regularly comment on the post. The site generates this return traffic due to several facts. The site contains numerous links to educator sites, pictures, history sites, and teacher resource sites. In addition to these useful tools, the blogger lists past post by title and subject which allows visitors to find a particular topic easily. Also at the end of each blog, the host provides readers with links to related posts that may answer questions or inspire them to spend some more time on the site. Finally, the site successfully creates a community by honestly treating a topic that many men, women, parents, teachers can connect to. EHT looks at the problems, both everyday and unique, that educators face and encourages others to collaborate on teaching lessons and use the web to enhance their teaching skills.
History is Elementary belongs to the larger network of blogs for educator resources. It links to sites including Cliopatria and History News Network. What is interesting is that the educator is no longer only a teacher. The site serves individuals who teach others whether it is a parent to a child or a tutor to an individual student the site discusses all aspects of education. EHT’s blog received several awards including Best Educational Blog from the Blogger’s Choice Awards and a nomination by Cliopatria for Best New Blog. Though I am but a novice in the blogging world, in my opinion this one is worth the time.

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[1] EHT, History is Elementary (http://historyiselementary.blogspot.com/), January 21, 2008.