Ticking all the boxes, but...

What is it?

My first post evaluates the blog created by Larry Ferlazzo -  a successful contemporary educator from the USA.  

 

How good is the blog?

First impressions set the tone and are influential. It is clear that Larry Ferlazzo used this knowledge when he created his blog. To be more precise, he probably used that knowledge and delegated this task to professionals. The blog’s visual appeal is simple and comprehensive. The content is well organised with no clutter and is easy to scan through. The information sections are spaced out and there are no pop-up adverts. The headlines and subheadings use different fonts and followed by short key statement about the topic. However, this refers mostly to the front page. 

 

Any concerns?

As soon as you want to check one of the topics, there comes a race through the numerous links and you realise how much information is there. (The author is incredibly productive!)  At this point navigation becomes an issue. The seemingly simple layout on the first page turns into a continuous chase to find actual content because of countless number of the links that follow each other.

Also, there is a limited number of images which relate to education generally. They are not particularly inspiring, nor do they illustrate the topics but only help to separate blocks of text for easy reading. The blog design is centred on the content because the major purpose of the blog is commercial and not very personal. Its main purpose is definitely not spreading the word but promoting books. That is why it is presented as a collection of short introductions of topical questions that hook you up and lead to the links to the bookshops. So, positive first impression can turn into disappointment about finding useful practical advice on the website in relatively short time.

 

Any more useful info?

 

The blog does contain links to the articles and the access is free. The audience is clearly teachers and there’s a special link for new visitors. However, seeing no comments or discussions make you wonder if the website is visited at all and it doesn’t help Larry Ferlazzo’s blog to look very community-minded. Although many bloggers decide to switch off the commenting feature that has potential to attracts spammers. On the other hand, there are ways to contact the author, but obviously it is less convenient as it is a several steps process.  

 

Overall, the blog doesn’t shout out originality and is hardly different from many other professional quality educators’ blogs, but it communicates experience and expertise. Using conventional design helps to reinforce this message comparing to original ideas that could be off-putting. Ultimately, the blog seems like a regularly updated advertisement for his books.