Why Blog? Public History and Reflective Practice

Blogging seems to be an excellent way to reflect on just about anything. Although this is only my second posting, looking at some of the more popular blogs on the Internet, not only does a blog give you a space to interpret and reflect upon your experiences, it has the potential to reach others with similar interests and experiences to share.

While stressing the importance of personal reflection in public history, I think the readings this week were also emphasizing the many factors that the public history practitioner needs to consider when doing their job. To be successful you have to build up a base of knowledge to work from. This knowledge comes from experience and the ability to learn from/with others.

Blogging can be an excellent tool for this. I don't think this idea of reflection in the workplace is anything new. Most professions require reflection to some degree. (I sure hope my surgeon takes a little time to reflect!) Those in academic circles like history also need time to reflect (See: In Defense of History by Richard J. Evans Ekk!)

In Noel J. Stowes article Public History Curriculum: Illustrating Reflective Practice, he made an excellent point which also distinguished a difference between academic history and public history. His point was that often times in academic settings, if an idea does not work out (say a research interest) then one can move along. In public history however, in most cases a task needs to get done. Even if there is not an obvious answer and solving the problem might look impossible, eventually a solution will be met. Along the way, the public historian will make sense of new ideas and structure order.1 Your experiences will help steer you along the way with each new challenge another bit of knowledge to add to your "repertoire."2

In small museums I can see the ability to tap into your personal experience as an important skill. Although, multi-tasking is definitely up there and always seems to be at the top of the list for job descriptions of this type, being able to look back and use ones past experience to work efficiently in this environment can lead to deeper more meaningful work habits.

Back to blogging, a blog is a repository for your experience and interpretation as well as a platform to express new ideas. One can look back on postings and also share with others. Although there has been much debate about blogging in academic circles (out of interest and not to scare see :http://chronicle.com/free/v52/i47/47b00601.htm ) when it all comes down to it, it’s all about communicating and sharing ideas to be a success in anything you do. And since the technology is there - lets use it.

1 Noel J. Stowe, "Public History Curriculum: Illustrating Reflective Practice," The Public Historian 28.1 (Winter 2006): 48.
2. Rebecca Conrad, "Public History as Reflective Practice: An Introduction,". The Public Historian 28.1 (Winter 2006): 12.
Conrad discusses Donald Schon's book The Reflective Practioner and use of building what he calls a "repertoire" which she defines as the "blending of disciplinary knowledge and first-hand experience that practitioners must bring to the process of problem setting."