Edublog Awards – Voting Starts

I moaned about these awards last year but this year I thought that I'd shut up and nominate the sort of edublogs I think are deserving of recognition regardless of whether their readership is widespread or not. And because I nominated some close to home (i.e . Aussie and Kiwi blogs) I wasn't too confident that others would share my view and that the North American edublogosphere numbers would wash them away. But I was pleasantly wrong!

The ironic rub is that the familiar names I chose (and I'll get to who they are shortly) probably would prefer to avoid the spotlight and certainly aren't online for personal promotion. I wanted diversity of ideas and opinions to have a place in these awards - and also the fact that most of my nominations have commented on my blog, chatted with me on skype or selflessly pushed relevant resources my way without any strings attached means the wider world needs to read, be challenged and then vote for them.

So who popped up that I had personally nominated?

Best Group Blog

Digital Chalkie - a bunch of Western Australian educators podcasting and blogging offering an open forum space as an alternative to the locked down mailing lists and LMS based forums that seem to pass for e-learning educator portals. By the way, a chalkie is Australian slang for teacher, an image that is sadly not out of date.

Best Individual Blog

Alexander Hayes - it is no shock to anyone who reads here that I am a big fan of Alex Hayes and it is great to see his blog mentioned here amongst some of the big names of the edublogosphere. A Stephen Downes' description of one of Alex's posts sums him up well - authentic. He's a doer in a field of thinkers and speakers - no disrespect to the other nominees - and he challenges like no other person I have crossed paths on the web (with the exception of Leigh Blackall and my next nomination). A mLearning advocate of the highest degree, he is creative and impossible to pigeonhole. You need to put aside several hours and explore his blog and then branch off to his many other spaces on the web.

Best Newcomer

Artichoke - Arti is hardly a newcomer, the blog archives date back to 2004 but 2006 saw this gender-elusive NZ blogger's influence really spread. Everything posted is designed make the reader think, even though I'm convinced the writing is not designed with an audience in mind. And every post gathers a loyal band of commenters keen to put their twist on Arti's words. Go read - be enthralled or appalled.

Best Librarian Blog

HeyJude - fellow Aussie and library guru who is one the fastest learners that I've come across online. Deserves the recognition because Aussie teacher-librarians dabbling in Web 2.0 is a very rare thing.

Best Teacher Blog

Borderland - anyone who attracts DI trolls and phonics fanatics to his blog to dispute his musings and thoughts must be viewed as someone of influence to be countered. Doug writes of his failings as much as his triumphs and is the most honest edublogger in my Bloglines account (IMHO). He shouldn't be but is probably surprised by the attention.

Vote now.

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3 thoughts on “Edublog Awards – Voting Starts

  1. Doug Noon

    Post author

    Graham, I see your name on the list as well. Congratulations. I really enjoy your plain spoken honesty, and consider my blogging acquaintance with you to be one of the great benefits that’s come from keeping the weblog. Best of luck to you in your blogging endeavors. You’re right about my reaction to getting the attention of any group. The outcome of the question about who gets an award is far less interesting to me than the fact that anyone should think I ought to get one. I feel like I already won something. Thanks for the kind words.

    Reply
  2. Judy O'Connell

    Ah, so the secret is out 🙂

    I really appreciate your words, and took to heart your personal encouragement when I first got into blogging. Of course, as you say, I am a ‘fast learner’ and the fact that I can have fun leading a whole system of schools forward in a Web 2.0 world is a credit to you and others like you, more than to me. I have learned from my interaction with others. I have become excited through sharing with others. And most importantly, I really enjoy the authentic sharing of the blogosphere. This is just magic really. None of us has time to have ‘tickets’ on ourselves if we want to keep pace with the changing learning needs of our students. Tomorrow I head of to do yet another presentation on Web 2.0 to a secondary school staff, on the PD day. When I do my sessions I am always pleased to be able to refer to the good work that our Aussie colleagues doing.

    Until a few weeks ago I didn’t even know these awards existed. So I am stunned and honoured to be nominated, and totally amazed at this outcome after 6 months blogging. Wow! You’ve been a grand online friend. Lets all keep up the great work. Lets see what 2007 brings!

    Reply
  3. Alexander Hayes

    Graham,

    Congratulations on your nomination ! It’s a well deserved recognition of the great blog you have and the connected learning you advocate particularly considering that your teaching deep within the hard-yards of the primary sector.

    I hope you scoop it up or at the very least enjoy your fiften minutes of fame. I’m firmly convinced that I’m in for a decade of infamy 🙂

    Reply

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