It’s time for me to wrap up this comment challenge. So rather than stretch it out over four posts, we’re going for the finish line here in this post.

Day 28 - Blog Commenting Strategy

This challenge asks us to answer the question “Do you think it’s important to take a more strategic view of commenting and to have a plan for how you want to incorporate commenting into your overall online behavior?”

And my answer is not really. Unless that strategy is as follows: Be authentic. Comment because you have something to say. Focusing on any other motives can’t help but compromise authenticity. Doesn’t mean you can’t be aware and even embrace the auxiliary impact that commenting might have on your brand or on traffic back to your blog or whathaveyou. But again, I’m not willing to construct my notions of commenting around anything other than contributing to conversations in meaningful ways. Whatever else follows from that is icing.

Day 29 - Commenting guide for students

This challenge is geared towards the educators who make up the majority of the challenge participants. So rather than fumble around aimlessly, I’ll refer any students to my response to the day 28 challenge: <guide>Be authentic.</guide>

Day 30 - How Can You Use What You’ve Learned about Commenting to Change Your Teaching Practices?

Again, not much to say here. I’ve learned, if nothing else, that people prefer a variety of commenting styles, just as people have different learning style preferences. We have to provide the means to learn and participate in a variety of media to let everyone engage in the ways that work best for their learning needs.

Day 31 - My five take-aways

OK, here we are, leaving the challenge with more of a whimper than a roar.

1. Be authentic. I knew this already, but believe it now more than ever.
2. Video commenting is awesome. If you haven’t tried it, but have a webcam, give it a go in the comments on this post. I promise a video response to any video newcomers.
3. 31 straight days of blogging is about 27 too many for me. I couldn’t do it. And I couldn’t write anything else in the meantime.
4. The edu-tech community is awesome. I love all of the engaged people who’ve come and commented on this blog via the challenge, all of whom have outstanding blogs in their own right. A true pleasure.
5. I (and this blog) have a great community. I’ve been blown away by the quality and quantity of conversations on this blog since I’ve started writing again. It’s totally motivating. Thank you for that.

Looking back, the challenge was rewarding in a number of ways, even though my motivation really flagged in the final two weeks. It really got me thinking about how I engage conversations both here and elsewhere. I walk away from it feeling pretty good about where I am and confident that there is still more to learn. Thanks to the challenge organizers for making it happen and thanks to my regular readers for enduring this past month. I now return you to your regular library blog.

Tags: comment08