blogs as an exploration

Blogging as an exploration

Barbara (Bee) DieuFebruary 26th 2009

3 questions

What

Why

How totechnical

pedagogical

Barbara Dieu

What is a blog?

a personal journal online

a powerful personal publishing tool

Barbara Dieu

What do they look like?

http://beespace.net

http://tawawa.org/miejournal/

http://6eme05.blogspot.com

http://lycee.wordpress.com

Barbara Dieu

What are the common features? a title and an aim

dated posts in reverse chronological order

permalink

automatic archiving of past posts

a comment and favourite link area

possibility to personalise layout

syndication of content

Barbara Dieu

RSS

Rich Site Summaryor

Real Simple Syndication

Courtesy Will Richardsonhttp://wwww.weblogg-ed.com

RSS

Brings content to the reader

Courtesy Will Richardsonhttp://wwww.weblogg-ed.com

RSS

Two Parts to RSS:

Feeds

Aggregator

Courtesy Will Richardsonhttp://wwww.weblogg-ed.com

RSS

Feed = URL

i.e.

http://summerschool.wordpress.com/feed/

Courtesy Will Richardsonhttp://wwww.weblogg-ed.com

RSS

An “Aggregator”collects the RSS feeds

you subscribe to.

Courtesy Will Richardsonhttp://wwww.weblogg-ed.com

RSS

10, 20, even 158 feeds or more

to 1 aggregated space

Courtesy Will Richardsonhttp://wwww.weblogg-ed.com

RSS

Web-based aggregator

Google ReaderNetvibes

Pageflakes

Courtesy Will Richardsonhttp://wwww.weblogg-ed.com

RSS

Click and copy address of feed

Paste in subscribe line

Courtesy Will Richardsonhttp://wwww.weblogg-ed.com

What makes blogs attractive?access and accessibilitycostpersonal publishing space immediacysimplicity interactivity

Barbara Dieu

Learning is essentially about change

It involves changes in attitudes, beliefs, capabilitiesknowledge structures, skills

What is learning?

Barbara Dieu

Still use the web as a book?

Barbara Dieu

The shift in paradigm

static x dynamic

passive x active

centralized x distributed

closed x open

Barbara Dieu

Why are blogs pedagogical tools? create a digital identity

help learners develop own voice

help learners reflect on learning process

develop autonomy /self-directed learning

allow for collaboration and sharing of ideas

create a portfolio to store workBarbara Dieu

Why use blogs in ESL/EFL? create extra opportunity for reading and writing

promote personal expression and interaction

encourage research and student autonomy

facilitate sharing and exchanging information

individualize language and content learning

motivate students

Barbara Dieu

Key concepts

ownership, opennesssyndication, aggregationsubscription, interaction

use the right tool for the trade

How to get one?

blogger.com

wordpress.com

edublogs.org

learnerblogs.orgBarbara Dieu

How to use blogs?

to evoke moments of your daily life

to comment on a trip, book, film, song, a piece of news

to share links, interesting material

to invite people to react to topical issues

to reflect on teaching/learning process

to create an academic/ professional portfolio

Barbara Dieu

How to use class blogs?

as a meeting place to interact with others after class

as an exchange plaza during interclass intercultural projects

for mystery guests/content-area experts to interact with the students

as an online community of practice with diverse teachers and students helping and learning from each other

Barbara Dieu

“The final lesson a writer learns is that everything can nourish the writer. The dictionary, a new word, a voyage, a book, a talk on the street, an encounter, a phrase learned” (Anais Nin)

Barbara Dieu

How to keep informed

Barbara (Bee) Dieubeeonline@gmail.com

http://dekita.org

http://tappedin.org

“It is an exploration.You start from nothing and learn as you go”

* Adapted from E.L. Doctorow

What is blogging?