1. What On Earth Is A Blog??

2. Well, … A blog (a contraction of the term "Web log") is a website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse- chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

3. How can they be used? Personal Journal or Diary Response to Literature Class Project Page Science Project Documentation Reflection for Teachers & Students Student Portfolios

4. Real Examples Sarah, Plain, and Tall Summer Reading Camp Blogical Minds Mr. C’s Class Blog

5. Blogs v. Wikis Blogs are a way for owners to express their ideas. Creation & controlled by the owner. Wikis are a way of sharing and editing data for collaboration. Created & controlled by audience.

6. Setting Up Your Blog Google’s Free Blog Hosting Site http://www.blogger.com

7. Homework! Create a blog for your class. Give your students a blog assignment. Send the blog link to me, so I can see!

8. Example Divide your students into “blog groups" according to their interests (national politics, entertainment, sports, technology, etc.) Assignment: Write a weekly journal that relates to the blog group’s topic. Let your students create their own rubrics. –The groups collectively decide guidelines for each post's content, style, and length. –This promotes student ownership and stronger engagement.

9. Other Ideas Investigate topics online and then report their research findings. Pose thought provoking questions for students to respond to. New age KWL chart