Michelle C. Obert Instructional Technology Specialist Blogging 101 Michelle C. Obert Instructional Technology Specialist

What is a blog? Blog is a shortened form of weblog or web log Website where journal entries are posted Displayed in reverse chronological order Includes text, images and hyperlinks Hyperlinks link to websites, video, audio, other files Usually focus on a particular area of interest Usually a conversational style of documentation Similar to a traditional journal or diary entry Place to share your thoughts, opinions and links

What is blogging? Authoring a blog Maintaining a blog Adding a post to a blog

What are individual articles on a blog called? Blog posts Posts Entries

What is a blogger? Person who posts entries on a blog

Why are blogs useful in the classroom? Encourage discussion Encourage interaction Engages many participants, not just a select few Provide writing practice Provides writing for a purpose/audience Fosters communication skills Prepares students for life after high school Fun so it motivates students Research shows that students who are normally quiet in class flourish through electronic writing

Why are Blogs Useful in the Classroom? Research shows that blogging by students may have a positive influence on achievement and higher-order thinking skills Allow anytime learning, not confined to classroom Allow collaborative learning Provide opportunities for feedback and potential scaffolding of new ideas Publishing student writing in a blog furnishes them with an audience which often produces higher quality work

According to Rebecca Blood, author of Weblog Handbook, there are 4 benefits of students blogging: Use of blogs helps students become subject –matter experts Use of blogs increases student interest and ownership in learning Use of blogs gives students legitimate chances to participate Use of blogs provides opportunities for diverse perspectives, both within and outside of the classroom

Will Richardson, Blog Evangelist, says… “The range of uses for Weblogs among educators is wide. Hundreds of librarians have realized their power in communicating information about resources and in starting conversations about books and literacy. Students use Weblogs as digital portfolios or just digital filing cabinets, where they store their work. Teachers use blogs as classrooms portals, where they archive handouts, post homework assigments, and field questions virtually. Clubs and activities, sports teams, and parent groups use Weblogs to post scores, meeting minutes, and links to relevant issues and topics. In other words, a Weblog is a dynamic, flexible tool that’s easy to use whether you’re creating with it or simply viewing the result”.

Mabry Middle School Blogs (GA school) http://mabryonline.org/blogs/

How Can Teachers Use Blogs? Post assignments Share thoughts Stimulate classroom discussion Praise students Easy way to keep tabs on student journaling Allow teachers to link to web resources for student homework and classwork Parents can also visit these sites to reinforce Internet-based content at home Allow collaborative learning

What are Blogs Called in Educational Circles? EduBlogs Schoolblogs

How a Teacher Views Weblogs Written by Anne Davis I see Weblogs as a … Way to improve my own writing Just in time learning arena Place to share Easy way to create a website quickly Way to connect with others and make connections to learning Perfect spot for quick writes Writing room in which you can make it be what you want it to be Perfect place to think outside the box Place to go to each day that provides elements of surprise and anticipation Way to give students ownership of a personal space Website that encourages active engagement by the students and teacher Place to collaborate Up-close and personal way to include parents in the process

Before Students Blog: With all of the negative press My Space is receiving, blogging has been blocked in many school systems Blogging can be very educational if used in the right way Blogs are tools that can be used or misused Misuse occurs often when there is a lack of instruction Even with bad publicity, more and more teachers are realizing how cool blogs can be as a way to capture student interest and motivate them to learn

Guidelines to Follow: Get permission slips from parents before students blog Even with permission, do not use students last names Assume that whatever students post will be read by the whole wide world Never link to any site that is not safe for students to view Talk with students about the type of material that is and is not appropriate on a blog Setup guidelines for student behavior that promote learning Create a blogging policy for students and have them sign it Develop a policy regarding actions to be taken when a student is a victim of a harmful/hurtful communication Create a policy regarding consequences for inappropriate posting Create and post a Blogging Safety Rules poster on your classroom wall or a bulletin board devoted to Internet Safety

Features of a Blog Date Header Title Time Stamp Post (paragraph or short essay often with links) Author Name Category Comments (feedback to a post) Trackback (link back to another blog)

Activities for Teaching and Learning Blogs Analyze- Ask students to analyze a book, article or other posting Brainstorm- Pose problems and create a collection of ideas Collaborate- Work collaboratively with another class in another school Communicate- Interact with an expert and conduct an interview Compare- Make a comparison Discuss- Examine a problem, question, drawing, photograph, or diagram Explain- Ask students to learn and demonstrate their understanding Imagine- Ask students to imagine a situation or scenario Observe and Log- Observe human interactions, scientific experiments, or other activities and post a record Persuade- Ask students to make a persuasive argument Predict- Read or watch then predict what will happen next Problem Solve- Pose a problem and then discuss solutions Question- Get students involved in asking questions React, Think and Act- Connect in-class learning to blog entries and transfer learning to new situations Read and Jigsaw- Read or use online resources and discuss; then analyze, evaluate and create Remember and Reflect- Think about an activity and reflect on it Share Student Work- Share materials in a digital format including pictures, documents, PDF files, photos, charts, graphics, written work, audio, video and presentations

Commenting on Blogs A feature of a blog that provides visitors the ability to attach instant feedback to a blog post Talk to students about making comments to blog posts Stress that they may disagree with the entry Disagree respectfully Always give credit along with constructive criticism

Commenting Guidelines Be polite Make sure other people can understand your comments Be specific and clear about what you are saying If you are answering a question; copy and paste it into your comment so people will know what it is Do not repeat other people Stay on topic If you are giving an opinion; tell why you think that Ask questions that make people think Say things that make people think

Sentence Starters for Comments from Anne Davis an Instructor at GA State University This made me think about… I wonder why… Your writing made me form an opinion about… This post is relevant because… Your writing made me think that we should… I wish I understood why… This is important because… Another thing to consider is… I can relate to this… This makes me think of… I discovered… I don’t understand… I was reminded that… I found myself wondering…