This is a blog post about blog posts…a meta-post, if you will (and even if you won’t). 🙂

I call myself AEA365’s biggest fan. It’s true. I’ve been a daily reader since its inception.* For the uninitiated, AEA365 Tip-A-Day by and for Evaluators is the official blog of the American Evaluation Association. It’s well-designed, reader-friendly and very searchable. I strongly encourage everyone to spend time exploring posts using keyword searches, or posts tagged for Topical Interest Groups (TIGs). Or, simply click on Archive and see every title and author of the more than 1000 posts. 

Within aea365’s archives lies an incredible wealth of evaluation know-how in daily posts by hundreds of authors from a variety of fields. What other blog offers that? I find posts particularly appealing when they offer technology tools, evaluation strategies, exciting resources (e.g. books, evaluation blogs, TED talks), and when they make me both think deeply and take action to learn more.

Here are some of the posts that have done exactly that:

• VSA Week: Cheryl Kessler on Visitor Studies Evaluation Methods

I’m fascinated with evaluation in informal as well as formal learning environments and with Personal Meaning Mapping (PMM) in particular. This prompted me to communicate with another author on PMM, and experiment with PMM in my graduate courses.

• Tom Archibald and Jane Buckley on Evaluative Thinking: The ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’ of Evaluation Capacity Building and Evaluation Practice

This post on the “metacognition” of evaluation mentions three of my evaluation rock stars: Michael Quinn Patton, Jean King, and Hallie Preskill, and led me to Archibald & Buckley’s coffee break webinar.

• John LaVelle on Personal Statements About Evaluation

Since reading this, an Evaluation Personal Statement has been a required assignment in my graduate evaluation course.

• DVR Week: Veronica Smith and Chris Metzner on Creating a Fuzzy Logic Model on a Budget

Talk about creative! I like to revisit this interactive logic model for fresh ideas. The Oregon Paint Stewardship Pilot Program couldn’t be further from my work as an educator, but again, proves the importance of being open to learning from everyone.

•  Stephanie Evergreen on the Potent Presentations Initiative Website

I did an Ignite Presentation at AEA2012, and found the Presentation Preparation Checklist and Slide Design Guidelines invaluable resources.

• Stephanie Evergreen on the Dynamic Dozen

These three reports give me an inside track to outstanding presenters’ insights as I hone my own skills.

• Susan Kistler on the Top 10 aea365 Posts of 2011

This meta-post reminds me to revisit others’ favorites!

I’ve also authored or co-authored** the following posts:

• Sheila Kohn on Using the AEA365 Blog as a Teaching Tool
• EdEval Week: Sheila Kohn and Chad Green on Cognitive Coaching
• Sheila Robinson Kohn and Kankana Mukhopadhyay on Student Perspectives on Reading AEA365
• EDEval Week: Sheila Robinson Kohn on IES – Institute of Education Sciences
• PD CoP Week: Marguerite Dimgba and Sheila Robinson Kohn on Evaluating Professional Development: Guskey Level 4 – Participant’s Use Of New Knowledge And Skills
• Sheila Robinson Kohn on Igniting the Morning!
• Bloggers Series: Sheila B. Robinson on Evaluspheric Perceptions

So, take some time to explore my favorite evaluation blog and please let me know some of your favorite posts!

*BONUS question: When was the first aea365 post?

**So, I went through a little name change over the years…it’s all me, though. 🙂