1. Blogs in Education Giti Javidi Spring 2011

2. What is a Blog? A blog (sometimes referred to as a weblog) is a Web publishing tool that allows authors to quickly and easily self-publish text, artwork, links to other blogs or Web sites, and a whole array of other content. Blogs are set-up like conventional Web sites, with navigation links, and other standard Web site features. Blogs have one standard characteristic, however: the posting. Blog postings are text entries, similar to a diary or journal, which include a posting date and may include comments by people other than the author, photos, links, or other digital media.

3. Why Blog? Blogs work well for students because they can be worked on at virtually any time, in any place with an Internet- enabled computer. Hence, they can be used by computer savvy teachers to create a classroom that extends beyond the boundaries of the school yard.

4. Blog are User Friendly… Fortunately for teachers, blogs are surprisingly easy to use. They require minimum technical knowledge and are quickly and easily created and maintained. Unlike many traditional Web sites, they are flexible in design and can be changed relatively easily. Best of all, students will find them convenient and accessible via home or library computers.

5. Educational Benefits In addition to providing teachers with an excellent tool for communicating with students, there are numerous educational benefits of blogs. Blogs are: ◦ Highly motivating to students, especially those who otherwise might not become participants in classrooms. ◦ Excellent opportunities for students to read and write. ◦ Effective forums for collaboration and discussion. ◦ Powerful tools to enable scaffold learning or mentoring to occur.

6. How to use Blogs in Education? Options for instructors using blogs: ◦ Content-related blog as professional practice ◦ Networking and personal knowledge sharing ◦ Instructional tips for students ◦ Course announcements and readings ◦ Annotated links ◦ Knowledge management Options for students using blogs in your courses include: ◦ Reflective or writing journals ◦ Knowledge management ◦ Assignment submission and review ◦ Dialogue for groupwork ◦ E-portfolios ◦ Share course-related resources

7. Some Resources Why blog? http://supportblogging.com/Links+to+School+Bloggers http://supportblogging.com/Links+to+School+Bloggers Goals and Benefits of Student Blogging http://www.thereadingworkshop.com/2009/10/goals-and- benefits-of-student-blogging.html http://www.thereadingworkshop.com/2009/10/goals-and- benefits-of-student-blogging.html Introducing Blogging to Students: http://langwitches.org/blog/2008/12/30/blogging-unit-for- download/ http://langwitches.org/blog/2008/12/30/blogging-unit-for- download/ Using Blogs as Web Based Portfolios http://www.thethinkingstick.com/wp- content/uploads/2010/06/Blogs-as-Web-Based-Portfolios.pdf http://www.thethinkingstick.com/wp- content/uploads/2010/06/Blogs-as-Web-Based-Portfolios.pdf

8. More Resources Student Blog Rubric http://thereadingworkshop.wikispaces.com/Student+Blog+Rubric Blog Score Sheet http://thereadingworkshop.wikispaces.com/Blog+Score+Sheet http://thereadingworkshop.wikispaces.com/Student+Blog+Rubric http://thereadingworkshop.wikispaces.com/Blog+Score+Sheet Encouraging Thoughtful Comments Before beginning a blog or wiki project with students, take some time to teach them HOW to write appropriate comments that will lead to meaningful discussions. Some good sentence starters are... ◦ This reminds me of… ◦ This is similar to … ◦ I wonder… ◦ I realized … ◦ I noticed… ◦ I would like to know… ◦ I am surprised that… ◦ If I were _, I would… ◦ Although it seems … ◦ I am not sure that …

9. Examples of Students Blogs Kindergarten http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=51141 http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=51141 Blogging with Students http://www.trailsoptional.com/2010/06/blogging-basics-with- students-2/# http://www.trailsoptional.com/2010/06/blogging-basics-with- students-2/# 1st Grade http://kidblog.org/missdunsigersclass/ 5th Grade http://kidblog.org/mslundts5thgraders/

10. Questions??