To BLOG or Not to BLOG?

Created by

Jan North

Mansfield ISD(used by permission)

What do you know about Blogs?

Turn to a neighbor on your left side. Tell them one thing you know about Blogs.

What is a Blog? Short for weblog Online journals or

newsletters A Web site that contains

dated entries in reverse chronological order (most recent first) about a particular topic.

Quick way to publish news and happenings

A diary or history

A collaborative space either stand alone or within a website that visitors can post comments, link to, add to, or just read on a weekly, daily, hourly basis

A web-based publication of periodic articles (posts), usually presented in reverse chronological order. It is an online journal with one or many contributors.

What is a Blog?

Personal On the Web Published Part of communities

Interesting Facts:The State of Blogging

Launching a website or a blog takes less than 5 minutes

5% of all Internet users get news and other information from content-rich blogs and content-rich websites

3 in 5 teens have their own blog

Older school-age girls are most likely to keep up with a blog

Teens “wear their hearts” on their blog

Many schools are banning blogs

How 8th graders view

blogging

What do you think

about this?

What do you want to learn about Blogs?

Talk with the neighbor on your right. Tell them one thing you would like to learn about Blogs.

The evolution of a Blog

Then Online

publication of personal diaries

Now Respected

vehicle for editorials on specific topics

Anatomy of a Blog

Date header Title Time

stamp/permalink Post

Author nickname Category Comments Trackback

Work with a partner to find each part of a Blog

Click here to visit a Blog

What can Blogs be used for in Education?

Information/Communication Tools Online Filing Cabinets Collaborative Tools Literature Circles Online Discussions Professional Development Writing Tools

Other examples

The Daily Blog The Race Report Blog Away on a Paperless Journal Computer Art Blog Mrs. Wright’s Class Library Blog The FordLog

A few I’m playing with…

By the way… Once upon a Blog… K8 Campus Technologists Becoming an Educational Administrat

or

Benefits of Using Blogs in Education Offer potential for

collaboration Ability to publish

anywhere, anytime No need to learn html,

ftp, etc. Free tools available Different from a regular

webpage or discussion forum

Promotes reflection

Offer opportunity for feedback & scaffolding of new ideas

Promote interactivity, opportunities for active learning

Build student/teacher relationships

Space for students to publish their thoughts & understanding, reflect, revise

Benefits….

Helps students become subject-matter experts

Increases student interest and ownership in learning

Gives students legitimate chances to participate

Provides opportunities for diverse perspectives

Increase higher-order thinking skills

Students have full control and ownership of online content

Links can help support information/learning

Supports student knowledge acquisition

Encourages guided discovery and knowledge construction

What might the dangers or pitfalls be in using Blogs?

What would you imagine the dangers teens could be exposed to by using blogs?

What pitfalls might there be in using them in the classroom?Example Rubric

Keeping Students Safe

Selection Age Privacy Support Other services Costs

Blog Website Hide account/login

details Topics Password

Protection Email Avatars/Photos Profile/Private

Keeping Students Safe

When you Blog Personal info Correct info Be nice to people

Other Hide from Search

Engines Look at Blog stats

To Blog or Not to Blog?

Before you decide to start BloggingVisit different weblog sitesLook for features you likeIdentify management strategies for

pitfalls & problems Blogger’s Contract Model Blogging for your students

Your Content

What area in your content could benefit by the use of a Blog?

Choose a lesson in which you would like to use a blog. Identify the TEKS and learning objectives for this lesson.

Now we will create a blog to use with this lesson.

Creating a Blog

We will be using eBloggy to practice creating a Blog

There are many other sites you might want to use; this blog allows us to delete the blog if we should decide not to keep it.

We will finalize our learning with the questions at http://muchadoabout.ebloggy.com/

Blog Resources My FAVORITE right now…

http://classblogmeister.com/index.php http://boastology.com/pages/features.php Blogger.com http://www.haranbanjo.com/kidzlog/ Blogdrive Unbelievably GREAT resource! (found at

last minute) http://www.laptopinstitute.com/Presentations/Gail_Braddock-Blogging_Can_Enhance.rtf

What is a Blog?http://innovatelearning.org/workshops/blogs/

Resources 7 Things You Should Know About Blogs

http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666?ID=ELI7006

3 in 5 Teens Have Own Blogs http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1283897.cms

Teens Wear Their Hearts on Their Sleeveshttp://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2005-10-30-teen-blogs_x.htm

What is a Weblog? http://oldweblogscomblog.scripting.com/personalWebPublishingCommunities

What are Blogs? http://oldweblogscomblog.scripting.com/personalWebPublishingCommunities

Resources Blog on!

http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/ed1article.php?id=Art_1299&issue=jun_05

Alan November-How To Guide http://www.novemberlearning.com/Portals/0/Educators_Guide_to_blogs.pdf

Why Do We Have to Learn to Blog? http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/2005/11/01/why-do-we-have-to-learn-how-to-blog/

How to Blog Safely http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Anonymity/blog-anonymously.php

Blogging is Elementary My Dear Watson! http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech217.shtml

The Secret Life of Bees http://www.people.virginia.edu/%7Esbk8q/31232k.pdf

Resources Anatomy of a Blog

http://webdesign.about.com/cs/weblogs/a/aa063003a.htm Blog Idea File

http://www.weblogg-ed.com/stories/storyReader$100 A Webquest on Blogs

http://www.ettenborough.net/WOW2004/ Another favorite – CogDogBlog

GREAT! Blog Glossaryhttp://www.samizdata.net/blog/glossary.html

Keeping Children Safe While Using Blogshttp://www.netalert.net.au/02582-How-can-children-stay-safe-using-blogs.asp

How Eighth Graders View Blogging http://www.ottergroup.com/blog/BlogsandEducation/_archives/2005/6/10

Resources Blog – Wikipedia