By commenting on other blogs, you are telling those around you that you share their interests and concerns. It creates a community of like-minded individuals with common goals. Much like those of us in a teaching class will have a great deal in common with most of our peers. By talking and interacting, even online, a person can speak their mind and receive feedback on their thoughts that may further their investigation or strengthen their thoughts on the subject they are blogging about.
It connects people to a common goal that the entire group can share.
I believe that the two important points of comments for me are expanding your horizons, and feeling a bit empowered. When ideas are added on, and thoughts are shared, it increases the knowledge base of the entire group, and allows you to explore new ideas and topics, expanding your own worldview. It also lets the original poster know that they are not alone in their beliefs, which is empowering to me. Just knowing that I may be able to help someone through what I have said, or that my ideas have strengthened someone else's beliefs is a great feeling.
I commented on Lowen, Singleton, Whipkey, Funderburk, and Leek's blogs. I felt that each one had something in theirs that I agreed with. Lowen had an excellent idea for the use of her blog that I had not considered, and I loved Singleton's idea for a "On this day in History" section of a future blog for her. Funderburk and me had similar beliefs on face to face contact, Whipkey and me had similar interests on continuing learning even outside of the classroom, and Leek and me shared the comfort and familiarity and pen and paper over the computer.
Two great additional blogs were Regurgitated Alpha Bits and ScienceFix. Both are teacher's blogs, and both are so much fun to read! Regurgitated Alpha Bits is written by an elementary school teacher, and is an excellent look into the future at all the cute moments that happen between students and a teacher, written as they occur in her life. ScienceFix is full of useful science experiments done by one teacher at a middle school, tried and true methods that kept his students entertained.
I appreciate what you said about expanding your worldview and letting the original poster know they are not alone in their beliefs. In going through some of the blogs for 23 things, I have realized that you can connect with teachers from not only other states, but other countries. This really offers teachers some great worldview expansion!
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