| Would you like to have your own online journal to | | | | homeschool, how to switch from public school to |
| share information, experiences, thoughts, opinions, | | | | homeschool, personal experiences, your children |
| advice, and suggestions about homeschooling and | | | | as homeschool students, opportunities for |
| your life as a homeschool parent? Then consider | | | | homeschool families, and curriculum issues and |
| starting a homeschool blog. Blogging is a more | | | | ideas. |
| recent and very popular phenomenon on the | | | | Now that you have some ideas of what to write, |
| Internet. | | | | you need to find your writing style. First, try to |
| A blog, or "web log," is an online journal website | | | | write the way you speak or think. Forget about |
| where you can post entries as often and as long | | | | being technical or trying to be a professional-be |
| or short as you'd like. Blogs are usually | | | | natural and relaxed, like you're having a |
| subject-based and are geared toward a specific | | | | conversation. For example, don't just regurgitate |
| audience, and in this case, your main subject | | | | online research about Homeschooling, talk about |
| would be about homeschooling, attracting a | | | | your real homeschool experiences as well as |
| readership of homeschool students and | | | | thoughts and stories about your homeschooler. |
| homeschool families or other individuals interested | | | | Also, keep your audience in mind as you write, |
| in homeschooling. Blogs also feature comments | | | | and finally, check out other blogs about |
| that allow your readers to provide feedback to a | | | | homeschool families or homeschooling to get a |
| particular entry. | | | | feel for it. |
| If you're concerned about the fact that your | | | | Furthermore, make sure you write in your blog |
| writing abilities may not be "good enough," take | | | | regularly. You will lose your readership fast if |
| heart. The blogging world is fairly casual. You don't | | | | you're sporadic. It's best to write as often as you |
| have to be a stellar writer and your grammar and | | | | can, even if you write short entries about your |
| spelling need not be perfect. You do, however, | | | | particular day as a homeschool parent. Posting |
| need to have something to say. You need to find | | | | daily or every other day is generally |
| a voice, write in an interesting, engaging style, | | | | recommended, but if you can't, try at least to |
| post often (or at least regularly), and interact with | | | | post regularly and consistently so your readers will |
| your readers through comments. | | | | know when your blog will be updated. |
| First of all, what can you write about | | | | Finally, interact with your readership. If someone |
| homeschooling, the homeschool life, and your | | | | comments on one of your posts about your |
| homeschooler? There are endless ideas here. You | | | | thoughts of the homeschool life, reply with your |
| can write about the different benefits of | | | | own feedback so your readers know you are |
| homeschooling, the challenges of having a | | | | interested in their responses. |