Time to check: Are you using the right blogging tool?

Blogs are moving inward from the fringe as more and more people find uses for them beyond the personal diary and/or workplace rant. They are finding their way into academia as a teaching tool - especially for writing and collaboration - and not just for those at the head of the class and/or doing research. More and more educators at all levels are finding uses for blogs to get their students writing, sharing, communicating and learning. It may sound hokey - but how often have we heard of the need for students to write more - especially students for whom writing may be their greatest challenge?

Blogs can get students to write more - to unwittingly practice their writing under the cover of keeping a journal of their academic endeavors over the course of a semester or year. The adage ‘practice makes perfect’ may be stretching a bit as far as blogs are concerned – but practice does improve and perhaps more important – practice confounds fear. It has been my experience that simply keeping a blog [or two] has lessened some of the trepidation I feel every time I put my hands on a keyboard. Whether it’s a memo to my boss or a paper I am writing for class, I feel both more relaxed and confident since I have been blogging. It’s kind of like hitting the gym regularly – flexing those muscles a little bit at a time keeps them in tune for when they are needed most.

But where do you start? As blogging has become more common the number of free & on-line blogging tools has increased proportionally. Picking blog software can be confusing and frustrating if you do not know what to look for. Though far from complete - this comparison chart will give you a feel for what's available and what may work best for you. [FYI - the blog you are reading right now uses Blogger]