Writing in Blogs:

Developing Your Students’ Digital Developing Your Students’ Digital Fluency while strengthening Fluency while strengthening

traditional literacy skillstraditional literacy skills

What’s a blog?

Part web sitePart web site Part journalPart journal Part free-form writing spaces that have the Part free-form writing spaces that have the

potential to enhance writing and literary skills potential to enhance writing and literary skills while offering a uniquely stylized form of while offering a uniquely stylized form of expressionexpression

An effective medium for many educators who lack An effective medium for many educators who lack strong computer skillsstrong computer skills

A blog is about creating a conversationA blog is about creating a conversation

What’s a blog?

A Blog is a web site that often provides A Blog is a web site that often provides commentary or news on a particular subject, such commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries.more personal online diaries.

A Blog is a web site that allows an author to A Blog is a web site that allows an author to publish instantly from any Internet connection. A publish instantly from any Internet connection. A blog can be interactive, allowing teachers and blog can be interactive, allowing teachers and students to begin conversations or add information students to begin conversations or add information published there.published there.

Distinct Attributes:

Only the creator of a blog (or those the Only the creator of a blog (or those the creator allows) can create a new topic called creator allows) can create a new topic called making a post, for a discussion.making a post, for a discussion.

Unlike email, blogs are sites where authors Unlike email, blogs are sites where authors post in reverse chronological order.post in reverse chronological order.

Functions as an online newsletter, Functions as an online newsletter, commentary, and/or resources ~ links to commentary, and/or resources ~ links to other sites. other sites.

Terms:

The term blog comes from The term blog comes from the word weblog.the word weblog.

Post/posting~ individual Post/posting~ individual articles that make up a articles that make up a blog blog

Archives~ a collection of Archives~ a collection of all your posts on one pageall your posts on one page

Comments~ enabling Comments~ enabling readers to leave their readers to leave their remarks remarks

Blogging~ the act of Blogging~ the act of posting on blogs posting on blogs

Blogger~ a person Blogger~ a person who blogs who blogs

Blogosphere ~ all Blogosphere ~ all blogs, or the blogging blogs, or the blogging community. Also community. Also called blogistan or just called blogistan or just blogspace. blogspace.

What Blogs are Not

A place to just turn in papersA place to just turn in papers A replacement for a message boardA replacement for a message board Something that will sit there and run itselfSomething that will sit there and run itself Benign, boring document without Benign, boring document without

hyperlinks or referenceshyperlinks or references A place to write in 3A place to write in 3rdrd person person

What Blogs ARE

A place to share your A place to share your reflections about your reflections about your passionpassion

Part of a conversationPart of a conversation A tool to extend class A tool to extend class

conversation outside conversation outside the classroomthe classroom

A place to site your A place to site your opinionsopinions

A place where A place where decision makers are decision makers are looking to spot trends looking to spot trends and opinionsand opinions

A place to promote A place to promote yourself and your yourself and your opinionsopinions

A place to overcome A place to overcome geographic or geographic or professional isolationprofessional isolation

A place to ventA place to vent

Why Students Should Blog

Blogs are easy to createBlogs are easy to create Many blogs are freeMany blogs are free Students can publishStudents can publish Blogs can syndicate ~ make the blog Blogs can syndicate ~ make the blog

available to Internet users who subscribe to available to Internet users who subscribe to their blogtheir blog

Positive Influences in the Classroom~ Blogs are flexible, lots of uses.Blogs are flexible, lots of uses. Blogs encourage class participation and Blogs encourage class participation and

discussion.discussion. Easy way to practice writing and improve Easy way to practice writing and improve

writing skills.writing skills. Blogs give students a feeling of ownership.Blogs give students a feeling of ownership.

Why Students May Not Want to Blog in Your Class~ It takes time to keep a blog updated.It takes time to keep a blog updated. No confidentiality.No confidentiality. It is difficult to keep them blogging about It is difficult to keep them blogging about

class subjects.class subjects. Having other people read their words may Having other people read their words may

seem scary to some students.seem scary to some students.

Preparing our students to be users of technology…

While we continue to do a good job at While we continue to do a good job at teaching our students how to consume teaching our students how to consume

content (read), we must also be teaching content (read), we must also be teaching them how to produce valuable information them how to produce valuable information

products (write, draw, compose, make products (write, draw, compose, make movies, etc.) Blogging is a viable and movies, etc.) Blogging is a viable and

accessible opportunity for all of us.accessible opportunity for all of us.

Samples of Blogs

Reading & Writing in the ClassroomReading & Writing in the Classroom

http://www.weblogg-ed.com/http://www.weblogg-ed.com/ Communication in an alternative High School: Communication in an alternative High School:

http://budtheteacher.blogspot.comhttp://budtheteacher.blogspot.com

Educational blogs:Educational blogs: http://www.eduwonk.com/index.htmlhttp://www.eduwonk.com/index.html http://www.thisweekineducation.com/http://www.thisweekineducation.com/

Blog Search Engines~

Feedster ~ Feedster ~ www.feedster.comwww.feedster.com Blog Search ~ Blog Search ~ www.blogsearchengine/comwww.blogsearchengine/com Google Blog Search ~ Google Blog Search ~

http://blogsearch.google.com/http://blogsearch.google.com/ Bloogz ~ Bloogz ~ www.bloogz.comwww.bloogz.com Blogdigger ~ Blogdigger ~ www.blogdigger.comwww.blogdigger.com BlogPulse ~ BlogPulse ~ www.blogpulse.comwww.blogpulse.com Bloglines ~ Bloglines ~ www.bloglines.comwww.bloglines.com Technorati ~ Technorati ~ www.technorati.comwww.technorati.com

Guide for Educational Bloggers

Avoid using real names or whole names.Avoid using real names or whole names. Think before you type.Think before you type. Avoid violation of US Copyright lawAvoid violation of US Copyright law Avoid use of School or District IdentifiersAvoid use of School or District Identifiers Avoid posting students’ work without obtaining Avoid posting students’ work without obtaining

permissionpermission Avoid using your school email as your contact Avoid using your school email as your contact

email on your blogemail on your blog Read the Olympia Internet Use PolicyRead the Olympia Internet Use Policy

Blog Resources:

““Easy steps to creating a blog” ~ Easy steps to creating a blog” ~ http://webjunction.org/http://webjunction.org/

Wikipedia ~ blog article ~ Wikipedia ~ blog article ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

Technoriati.com Technoriati.com http://technorati.com/weblog/blogosphere/http://technorati.com/weblog/blogosphere/

Where can I start a free blog?

Blogger (http://www.blogger.com)Blogger (http://www.blogger.com) Blog-City (http://www.blog-city.com)Blog-City (http://www.blog-city.com) Pitas.com (http://www.pitas.com)Pitas.com (http://www.pitas.com)

Currently Blogger.com is the only one cleared Currently Blogger.com is the only one cleared through the tech department ~ not blocked.through the tech department ~ not blocked.

Questions?

Any questions before we proceed to Any questions before we proceed to the blog set-up stage of the the blog set-up stage of the

presentation?presentation?