Six Eight brave, fearless, and expert music bloggers have joined the ME Blogger Campaign and are off and running with their new blogs. If you haven’t noticed the really COOL java graphic in the upper corner of the mustech.net site that says “click me”, click it and you will see an awesome JAVA effect that entices people to join our campaign.
If you’re a current ME blogger, I encourage you to check out the new ME bloggers and add them and anyone else in the ME blogger campaign (don’t forget us!) to your blogrolls. It’s a great way to give others your support and build our growing network of music education experts!
For this post, I’m going to only list the site author and their new blog site. I plan on posting the official list of ME Bloggers on March 1st. The updated list will include your name (if I have it), your site, and your site title. I also plan on writing an official letter of invitation to the ME blogger campaign for everyone to distribute in any way that can be thought of! This campaign needs another “jolt” and I think that an official letter that could be sent out via snail-mail, publications, MEA newsletters, or e-mail is just the ticket.
It takes a while for people to find your blog, that is why it is so important that you all use the blogrolls to create a linked network. If I could jump up and down and you could see me and shout about the the importance of building these links between all of our sites, I would. Do not underestimate the importance of this simple step. In bold: The more legitimate sites that link to your site, the more your site will be found by others in the search engines and through browsing our ME network. Don’t be stingy on these links, it will only work against you in the long run.
Also, make sure that you tell people that are currently in your email lists, myspace friends, facebook friends, whatever friends lists about your blog. They will read it and you will find a base of others that may become frequent commenters on your site or even want to build their own blogs… Tell your students if your site is appropriate for them. I don’t write anything that I wouldn’t want anybody to see, including all of my students. Your students are very web savvy and you will find them very interested in your new online persona and activities. Many of them no doubt call you all role models. Let them see what you are up to!
If you are having problems or doubts about what you are doing with your site, let the ME bloggers be your cheerleaders. We’re here to help! Comment here or somewhere, start a forum thread, or use our contact page to get the ME ACTION TEAM mobilized.
The following is the list of the new ME bloggers, say hello to them today and if you want… say hello here as well!
Leo Park:
http://iknowithink.blogspot.com
Stan Haskins:
http://gluedtothestring.blogspot.com
Ed Groves: (Almost Up and Running)
http://edgroves.wordpress.com
Barbara Freedman:
http://musicedtech.wordpress.com
Dr. Tom Rudolph:
http://tomrudolph.berkleemusicblogs.com/
Dale Lewis:
http://wirechoir.dlewisweb.com
Last minute additions!:
Steffany Perham:
http://sperham.wordpress.com/
Dr. Kevin Andry
http://docandry.edublogs.org/
P.S. There are at least three budding ME bloggers that have contacted me about joining. I have contacted you back but have not heard from you. If you have not heard back from me, please contact me again by using our contact form here.
I have recently started a music ed (band blog) for my high school band and my middle school band. I have put some links in my blogroll. I got my ideas from Alan November. Don’t know if you’re familiar with him and his push for educational blogging. Check out my site and let me know what you think. Give me some ideas to make it more accessible to other educators.
Kevin Andry, Ph.D.
Director of Bands
St. Michael the Archangel High School
St. Jude the Apostle School
Oh, I forgot, my middle school blog site is stjudeband.edublogs.org
Kevin
I’ve been enjoying getting my new blog (Teaching the Wire Choir) on its way and expanding my knowledge of WordPress and Web 2.0 in general. As I look at different music blogs I’m picking up some helpful ideas too!
Thank you for such a useful article. The information presented will help everyone that reads it. Please continue to elaborate on this subject as I’m sure there will be more need for information on this in the future.