While some might feel a sense of relief because the tough slog of the blogging challenge is completed with the final ride down that last steep hill across the finish line, I feel immensely sadness because working together as community for this 31 Day Blogging challenge has been extraordinary. 😦
So this is my last update of daily tasks for the challenge.
Day 27 – Find a Sponsor for Your Blog
YEAH – don’t need to do this task as I am not interested in making money from my blog.
Progress = Completed 🙂
Day 28 – What is Your Blog’s Mission Statement
Cool, YEAH, I have also done this in my post Been Wondering What My Blog is All About? Read On. This is what I said “I am about practical application of technologies in education, and most importantly HELPING OTHERS”.
Progress = Completed 🙂
Day 29 – Email a Blogger that Linked to You to Say Thanks
Unbelievable! I am definitely am not rigging these tasks, but whenever possible I send emails to people that link to my different sites. So for me the task is completed.
But more important, I must say it was nice to receive such a lovely email from Eklavya (The Indian Blogger) today who thanked me for all the support during this challenge. A pleasure Eklavya I have enjoyed reading your posts and look forward to your future posts.
Progress = Completed 🙂
Day 30 – Explore a Social Media Site
Social networking sites are very important to me. WHY, because if you truly want to exchange KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION and CONNECT WITH OTHERS that share common interests than you need to make time to participate in these communities.
Here is a list of a few that I belong to:
Social network sites are about interacting with each other, getting to know the individual’s on a more personal level and making connections. Here is where the personalities of individuals truly comes to the surface. When people are able to connect with you on a personal level there is more chance they will interact with you. They also provide another avenue for people, who share similar interests, to connect with you.
Our networks are really personal to us; and individuals will have preferences for different social network sites. My favourite at the moment is Twitter. I know there are a lot of people that, are not into twitter, all I have to say is where else can you post a question to a global audience and get almost instant feedback. Note it is fun to have the occasional rant in twitter as well!
Progress = Completed 🙂
Day 31 – Run a SWOT Analysis on Your Blog
BUGGER! #@! Honestly Darren I was on the home run, and with one hr to go to achieve the tasks in 31 days and you add this one on the last day, a steep bloody uphill before the finish line!!!!!
Well here goes – will I get it done before midnight?
1. Define Your Mission and Goals see above
2. List Your Blog’s Strengths
What attributes does your blog have that will help you to achieve your blog’s goals? – numerous posts on technology use in education, helpful advice and good Step-by-Step pictures on how to use applications.
What does your blog have going for it? A person who is committed to help others and always looking for self improvement!
What are you good at as a blogger? Motivating others to want to participate in the online world and inspiring them to use technologies with their students
What resources and assets do you have at your disposal? Great friends
What do you do better than anyone else? Being me!
3. List Your Blog’s Weaknesses
What attributes does your blog have that are holding you back from achieving it’s goals?
What skills do you not have as a blogger? Language is not my strength, which is why I am better known as a podcaster. Find it hard to write concisely!
What is ‘broken’ on your blog or in your workflow? This question? Not sure what it is really saying.
What could or should you improve about your blog? Add Subscribe to my RSS feed at the bottom of each post. Create a to-do-list based on what I have learnt from the 31 Day Project that I can refer back to for continuous improvement. From all my reading of posts this month, need to make the first sentence of every paragraph count!
What should you probably avoid in your blogging? Long posts
What is distracting you from your goals? Sleep! Work full time, with 2 kids and several websites.
4. List Your Blog’s Opportunities
What external things could/are helping you achieve your blog’s goals? Connections that I have made through interacting in social networks. Podcasting opens doors, and gives me access to people that previously I might not have been able to interview.
What trends are there in your blog’s niche that you could explore on your blog? WOW what isn’t there, mlearning, mobile technologies and web 2.0 are exploding. So much to talk about and so little time.
What tools and technologies could you use to improve your blog? MMMmm not sure. Thoughts welcome.
5. List Your Blog’s Threats
What external things could or are hindering you achieving your blog’s goals? Sleep
What are other blogs in your niche doing that could be hindrance to your own blog’s growth? Nothing because in our area it is about helping one another.
So my action plan will be constructed by reviewing the daily tasks from the 31 Day Project, to create a checklist of actions that need to be implemented.
Progress = Completed 🙂
31 Day Challenge Progress = Completed 😦
Thanks challenge participants – it has been a fantastic 31 Days!
Sue Waters 
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