Where are the Comments? Learning Communities and #etmooc

I was going to tweet this after listening to the last 15 minutes of Dean for #etmooc on connected learning tonight. My mind has been spinning. Here's my issue. Comments can break a great blogger and no I do not mean poor comments, I mean no comments, I have been teaching blogging for gosh, three years now and it is by far my biggest complaint or issue from students. I personally don't mind, I have not put the work into my blog to warrant the traffic YET. Notice I said yet. So here's my question, I tell my students to be patient, to tweet, to link back to themselves, to label, so what am I missing?? I want to share, I want to build, when does one actually find themselves getting good feedback for learning on one's blog? I think many people in this #etmooc have said it a lot this week, we have to comment on othersI have often sent out this link 7 Tips to increase your Blog Comments, please take a read and I would truly like to know what my new community and friends think of increasing good content on your blog? When do my students and myself become like Dean or Alec, who I imagine get to learn from their own blogs everyday.. ???

I'll in turn promise that for every blog post I write such as this. I shall go through the etmooc blogs and comment on 10 others. Call it a new years resolution I think I can keep. :)

I would be remiss If I did not thank Alec as already my own traffic and learning network has increased in 10 days. Thanks putting together such a great community of learners at etmooc!

I Need Connected Learning- #ETMOOC

Ok, here it is a Sunday afternoon and as football looms on the TV, I have just spent 3+ hours looking over various #etmooc sessions run this week as well as looking over google plus for intro's and new posts to see what's going on and who likes what. It was not a wasted three hours but a valuable three hours and soon to be more. In the midst of another share on twitter and I start to to really put somethings together. I love learning this way. I always have.

Let me explain, I joined a MOOC an etmooc.org which is being run by Alec Couros (I pray I spelled that right) and many others. I'm so excited to work with Shareski this week. I have always enjoyed his blogs and posts and am sorry I didnt truly connect sooner. I am, I admit a lurker, I read, I implement, I "borrow" but I never really connected until now!

It reminded me of a post from Jeff Utecht; (then instructor, now friend). In a jist, he needs a network to learn, people to bounce ideas off of and learn from in order to enjoy learning. In order to enjoy learning, he needed to as I do, to feel connected. In re-reading this post, I realized this was my reality, this is why I haven't taken many PD opportunties offered or attended as many conferences. I don't like learning alone, it is so very true for many of us, and it is certainly true of me. I have needed this connection. I trive on a connectivist approach to learning and I embrace the new applications and tools that I am made aware of. I can truly say I need connected learning.

I love finding connections(people and groups) with such similar interests as myself that it is almost scary.

I have found some questions, how do I work on "connected learning"? Are there any articles I should read for etmooc for this week? Am I participating enough? Why doesn't my diigo look as cool as Alec's in the tutorial?? So so much, BUT, It's OK, This is what I love to do, love to tinker, to figure it out. I have found no links on what should or shouldnt be done for the topic of connected learning as outlined in the calendar for #etmooc, but that's cool, It took one day, a few thoughts and boom, I remembered a post from a dear friend and mentor Jeff Utecht, so to him I say thank you as I do to Alec, Shareski and all of those I have watched and learned from since "2009". I thank connected learning as I would not even know thier names. These connections are much more relevant to me as an educator in technology than some of my professors in the lecture halls back in the day....