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

2. 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

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

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

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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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”.

10. Mabry Middle School Blogs (GA school)

11. 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

12. What are Blogs Called in Educational Circles?
EduBlogs
Schoolblogs

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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)

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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…