Comments on: 7 reasons why youth workers should be blogging

By: Confidentiality and blogging as reflective practice? : Tim’s Blog

Confidentiality and blogging as reflective practice? : Tim’s Blog — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:36:19 +0000

[...] year I wrote a blog post on ‘7 Reasons Why Youth Workers Should Blog’. Since then a few blogs from statutory sector youth workers have made it onto the web, but not [...]

By: Support for those Supporting Others… « The World According to Rosehip

Support for those Supporting Others… « The World According to Rosehip — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:11:49 +0000

[...] http://www.timdavies.org.uk/2008/01/10/7-reasons-why-youth-workers-should-be-blogging/#comment-18551 [...]

By: Rosehip

Rosehip — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:08:04 +0000

http://rosehipsworld.wordpress.com/

This was a great blog post, and I will be linking it from my blog.

Great info, thanks.

By: Rosehip

Rosehip — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:07:27 +0000

I am Youth-Worker who blogs!!!!!

By: Youth Work Guide to Blogging | The (late) Breakfast Society

Youth Work Guide to Blogging | The (late) Breakfast Society — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:47:59 +0000

[...] has recently laid out a very good case on his own blog to try and encourage more Youth Workers to blog. Through the subsequent discussions I suggested [...]

By: Carolynn

Carolynn — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 18:19:20 +0000

What an interesting time it is to expand personal skills and knowledge with the use of blogging. I do believe that being able to connect with others in the field is crucial and can be an effective means of strengthening our skill base and at the same time building personal resources that can help us be more effective in the child and youth service we provide.

Although I am no longer a student in school preparing myself to work with the social emotional arena of children and youth development, I personally have found that learning mode continues as we learn from the experience of self and others. Learn and change, change and learn!

I do believe that blogging is an effective two-way learning tool. One, as a chance to share field related learning experiences with others and two, in the sharing process making make full use of the experience as a much needed self-reflective exercise. I also think blogging could be a very useful means to explore useful service related resource possibilities that can enhance the service we provide.

By: Hilary

Hilary — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:40:51 +0000

Hello there!

Well, whilst not currently working face to face on a regular basis I am involved in the Statutory Sector and trying to give this a go!

I’ve been reflecting on why more statutory youthworkers aren’t blogging on my blog through exploring my own concerns, reservations and queries. As a real newbie to this it’s an exciting but time consuming adventure which I’m keen to explore. I think for me two of the main reasons I can see colleagues giving would be time and knowledge. Oh – and possibly the online safety concerns. I’ve had a look at the one pager on Mikes’ site and will try that out whilst I go in search of more answers.

It seems like blogging would be a fantastic reflective practice tool, particularly for trainee youthworkers and I wonder whether it is something to explore with the course providers. I will take this up in our own LA and the universities we work with.

By: Mike Amos-Simpson

Mike Amos-Simpson — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 18:41:27 +0000

I think its certainly an issue that the set up of many local authorities is too restrictive – but of the points Stig makes I think the one with most relevance is Youth Workers getting to grips with the benefits of blogging. I don’t think we’re necessarily talking of youth workers blogging while at work on the local authority PC – I think what we’re really looking for are youth workers who are bothered enough about what they’re doing to want to share their ideas and experiences and to do this of their own initiative.

Blogs can be anonymous or they can be under a pseudonym so theres no need for the PR department to be an issue – in fact for most workers it could be wiser not to use their real name or to name who they work for and certainly not to name the people they’re working with.

So while there are those barriers within the workplace they don’t need to be barriers to any youth worker setting up their own blog in their own time – barriers are things to be overcome – not an excuse for not trying – so who’s going to give it a go?!

By: stig

stig — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 13:48:43 +0000

Ref LA youth services and blogging – I think its down to lack of real invetsment in IT in some services for young people and youth workers to really get to grips with the benefits of blogging etc, LA’s also seem to be extremely tight on allowing workers to make comment outside the PR departments control or the IT depts corporate website requirements.

By: Richard Langley

Richard Langley — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:32:05 +0000

For KYSPA our blog offers an online presence without the expense of having a designed website (though this is something we will get eventually).

I’d like to see our members interacting more and leaving comments but nonetheless, the blog serves very well as a running diary of our events,and performances. Grant and funding providers can be kept up to date with how their money is being spent and potential members, and parents, are kept informed through the blog.

The additional options of images and video are the icing on the cake really, allowing full public access to our work and achievements.

I can’t imagine running KYSPA without the blog! Of course… getting the internet set up in my new house would be a bonus….

In any case, if you visit us at http://kernowyouth.blogspot.com/ check out our “Making Waves” posts, documenting the progress of our community project this far and our training with YoMo (which has been put to very good use!).

Just a word of caution, though. images on youth work blogs, naturally, need full parental consent and great care needs to be taken to avoid names of your young people being identified.