When we launched the Education World Community back in August, we were so excited to see what would happen -- who would become active members? What features would be best received? And when we saw users immediately take to the blogging feature, we were thrilled.

Blogs hold a special place in my heart. As a social media editor, I appreciate the crowd-sourcing aspect to them. But on a deeper level, blogging is what helped me move from a career as a newspaper reporter to where I am now. I love the freedom of blogging, and the release that comes with it.

Do you blog? Are you blogging on the Education World Community? If not, here's your chance.

10 Reasons You Should Blog on the Education World Community

10. It's a great place to share those education-thoughts you have. Whether it's a mini-rant about a challenging school day or a look at the bigger-picture, putting those thoughts to paper let's you share them with a greater Community of educators and education-enthusiasts.

9. The audience gets it. We know that you can blog anywhere. Heck, you may already have a blog or five out there. But blogging on the Education World Community means that your words are being read by people like you -- ones who have a passion for teaching and know what it's like to be in the classroom.

8. Freedom to say what you mean. Whether your opinion is popular or not, we want to hear it. Say it like it is.

7. You can help others. We all know how important professional development is. And online is the newest venue to get it -- often for free. By sharing your ideas, you're contributing to that. And who knows, you might just read something on the Education World Community that enhances your own professional life too.

6. You can make a difference in another classroom. Have you read SteveHaberlin's posts? We've heard from follows on Twitter and Facebook how much they appreciate his innovative approproaches to teaching. In fact, some have told us how well-received they were in their own classrooms. Share your own ideas, and you could influence others like this too.

5. Exercise your writing skills. Like any skill, writing is something that needs to be exercised and practiced. As an educator, you should be doing this -- it allows you to ensure that whenever you send a note, email, newsletter or congratulations, you're doing your best writing. Then everyone will remember that's why you are a teacher.

4. It's a good place to have a social presence. Employers today look online to learn about potential job candidates. What better place than to be seen than on a professional network just for educators like you? And your ideas, advice and dedication can set you apart from other candidates.

3. Your voice matters. That's right. While you might feel like one small voice in your district, here you matter. Your thoughts matter. And we're all listening.

2. We promote your work. Every week, we tweet about the best new content on the Community. We also post to Facebook, share in our newsletters and in the Community Trending box on Education World. We're hear to support you, and when you share a great idea, we love to spread the word.

1. Connect with others like you. One of the most powerful thing that blogging on the Education World Community can do is to connect with others who are like you. Those connections that bring people together with shared experiences and perspectives is just so powerful.