What can we do through blogs?

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Blogging, a social media that became popular early on, is a convenient online platform for people to record their feelings and stories, and to connect people from different places to exchange ideas and learn from each other. This term I will record my learning journey in this blog about how modern technology can be applied to English teaching. 

At the beginning of my studies, I read many blogs exploring English language teaching. Many bloggers have been working in this field for so lang times and one of them has inspired me, which is Hana Ticha. I could tell from her blog that she is a very talented, delicate and artistic women woman. In her own blog,  she shares not only her knowledge about English education, but also that she records more her feelings and thoughts. Her writing and style are full of aesthetics, and it was the first time that I intuitively realised that blogging in a particular field could also reveal the author's personality.

Organisation and Layout

First of all, she put the title index on the left side of the page to clearly see what the title of each article is, which is very convenient for readers to select and read. However, her articles cover a wide range, but she did not classify them, also she is used to abstract the title of every article rather than directly tell the audience  what the article is about, which increases the difficulty of reading. In addition, as we read the article, the index box in the sidebar is not fixed as we slide down the page, so space other than the article is wasted. But in general, her layout includes the use of background images, the selection of colour and font, and the overall style makes readers feel very comfortable.

Content and Features

One of the first things that attracted me to hana's blog was the fact that she put The 13 questions on the homepage, which are actually 13 questions about herself in 2022 rather than teaching English. This made me realise that it is a great way to introduce the author herself and what this blog is about, to give readers the quickest way to get to know you. She also writes about a wide range of topics, from insights and inspirations about teaching English, including some psychology and technology, etc. She also cites some other people's articles for comment, just like I am doing now :) Another point I noticed was that she inserted a lot of images within the article, some related to the content of the article and some just images that fit the vibe, to add some interest and readability.

Ease of use and Navigation

I think it is best for blogs to have a clear focus, especially for a specific area like English language teaching. It is also important to have a clear title. Hana's blog may have some literary merit, but a title that is too abstract will leave the reader wondering what the post is about. It is also important to focus on the practicality of the content. While it is meaningful to record your own feelings and thought, it is also important to consider whether the article will have some meaning and contribution to others and whether it has real-life relevance.

Target Audience

Hana's blog is undoubtedly for English language learners and teachers, and she has discussed many issues in this regard. At the same time, her blog also contains her own record and reflection, her personal experience and feelings, so it can also be regarded as a record of herself to a large extent, and also as a reader.

That's all for today, and hope this blog can be helpful to you :)

See you next week!