Reflection 8 - blogging to connect to world

I was recently listening to an interview on the radio with a man who was promoting the Emerald City Comic Con April 4-5. He made an interesting point that I have been pondering in its relation to the world of education. When he was growing up (basically the same time I was) he had interests that put him in the "geek" category and was often criticized for his love of technology, particularly the gaming industry (arcade games). He tended to be a loner through school because there weren't too many people like him. Now, he keeps a well-known blog and is able to connect with "geeks" all over the world. He said people used to criticize blogging by saying how impersonal it was and that it could not be truly relational. He has found just the opposite to be true in that now he has friends all over the world that he never would have connected to without blogging. He also found it to be funny that the "geeks" are the ones that have made technology the way it is today and now they tend to be popular for being a "geek." In education, by having our students blog, they may be able to find people like them with similar interests and not feel so alone in their world. I can show them the world beyond the walls of the classroom that they can connect to.