How blogging, vlogging, and podcasting are effective ways to become a public academic.

Because of their positions, academics have many opportunities to be invited to share their ideas online (*Photo* *by George Milton on Pexels)*

In 2018, I had the idea to create a platform for academics to find public speaking opportunities on college campuses. It was called Public Academic. I was in the midst of creating the platform and actually worked with a programming team to get something up in time at the end of 2019 when the pandemic hit just a couple of months later.

As you remember, we all went into survival mode. Schools closed down and then reemerged in an online format. We stayed away from one another. We spent most of our time inside and had our groceries delivered. We delayed medical procedures and did our best to homeschool our children. It was a rough time.

College campuses were also affected. With the social contraction budgets shrank, and any extra money disappeared. Being in post-secondary education for over 20 years, I knew that this contraction would not last. Unfortunately, my vision for Public Academic had to wait and so I let it sit.

I did not want to completely give up on the idea of the public academic. To me, a public academic is someone who embodies the concept of praxis: transforming abstract theory into practical application. It is important to bring education to life for the benefit of society in this way.

As time passed, I noticed that others were starting to write about the idea of the public academic. Here are some examples of the articles that were trending:

It was clear that there was a new concept emerging from the pandemic that spoke directly to the importance of education and its application to everyday life.

Consequently, the idea of helping students bring to life their classroom learning was also receiving renewed attention in the media. The pandemic forced us to think about what it means to be educated today. This then leads to the next question: “How can we put that education to good use, both on a personal basis and in society?”

When I was working in a student affairs role, I was in charge of the out-of-class learning of students. My job was to help them bring to life the essential skills to thrive in the world. In a way, all of us who do that type of work are public academics. Once I became faculty, though, my responsibilities changed.

For faculty, it can be more difficult to translate research and theory into its real-world application and relevance. Just because it is difficult doesn’t mean it can’t be done, though, and this is where I have found some solutions. It just requires some out-of-the-ivory-tower (outside-the-box) thinking.

One way I am bringing to life my academic expertise is by blogging, such as on my own websites and on Medium, a long-form blogging platform that I am really enjoying. Blogging, as well as Vlogging (video blogging) and podcasting, are all effective ways that academics who are typically working within the walls of an institution can become public academics outside those walls.

My own blogging allows me to consider how academic theories and ideas can serve the public good. For example, I have written about the cognitive benefits of handwriting, the insidious nature of some award ceremonies, the way that standardized tests can be a detriment, and the importance of multilingualism on educational achievement. All of these topics have theoretical and scientific foundations in academia, but it is my job to relate this to everyday needs.

Being a public academic is something that I see as an important component of one’s academic identity. Of course, I love to read and do my research as well. At some point, however, I must consider the service my work can provide to others. We are all interconnected, and service to others reinforces the essential human bonds that connect us.

Revisiting the Idea of the Public Academic