Blogs+SP2012

Blogs

__**Defining Blogs**__
According to Richardson, "[b]logs engage readers with ideas and questions and links. They ask readers to think and respond. They demand interaction" (18). In this way, a blog is the perfect technological platform to see new digital literacy skills combining with traditional pedagogy.

Blogging in the classroom is a unique opportunity to foster collaboration and critical thought outside of the walls of a classroom. At its very best, blogging provides students with a forum to express their own opinions freely, or fully research a multitude of others. When considering incorporating blogs into the classroom though, there a number of issues to keep in mind in order to ensure that your class is able to fully benefit from this practice. First and foremost, safety, as well as Internet accessibility at home, ought to be at the forefront of any teacher's mind considering incorporating web technology into the classroom. In order to ensure a fair and safe practice, teachers need to provide permission slips, as well as multiple onsite opportunities to benefit from monitored internet access. If both of those elements are considered and taken care of, teachers should be ready to provide students with an experience unique to the evolving information age, that not only allows, but calls for the participation of young people in literacy in a way different from most other forums for learning.

Some interesting points

 * Weblogs are a constructivist tool for learning
 * Weblogs expand the walls of the classroom
 * They archive the learning that teachers and students do
 * They support different learning styles
 * Using Weblogs enhances the development of expertise in a particular subject
 * Blogs can teach students new literacies they will need to function in an expanding information society.

**"Connective Writing"**

 * Those who blog constantly practice their critical reading and writing skills. Much like writing an essay, writing a blog post is only as effective as one's organizational skills and ability to draw connections. Since more people can read a blog, a blogger may be more likely to carefully edit their posts and verify their sources. (Richardson, 31)
 * "Writing is thesis; blogging is synthesis... writing stops; blogging continues" (31)
 * A blog post should not be viewed as a final answer, a static source of information. Instead, after it is posted, its content is constantly shaped and reevaluated based on reader's interactions with each other and the material.
 * Social aspect of digital literacy- can be seen in blogging- one writes for an audience, interacts with an audience and is thus shaped by an audience in many ways

**Classroom Uses of Webblogs (Richardson 40-41)**

 * Post class related information (calendars, events, homework, etc)
 * Post prompts for writing
 * Communicate with parents
 * Provide links to online readings
 * Post photos and comment on activities done in class
 * Create an online book club
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Link your class to another class somewhere else in the world
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Encourage student interaction
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Allows students to become familiar with the technology (if they aren't already)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Builds upon a healthy classroom community outside of class

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em;">**Positive Aspects of Blogging**

 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Interesting & Enthusiastic Job.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Educational & Regular Learning.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Forms an Online Community.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A Private Business.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Raise various beautiful opportunities.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Make you feel special, Your Blog Represents You.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Learn from other fellow bloggers.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For school use, it's a great tool for having all assignments in one location (Chris-and the 6 below)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is User freedom/creativity
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Easy to add pictures/graphics
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Can bring attention to important topics/causes
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Can help strengthen one's writing/writing style. Additionally, positive feedback can make one feel more confident about their writing
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A good blog can have an impact on a certain community (think education blogs, types of support blogs, etc.)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It can be the perfect medium for the sharing of opinions

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em;">**Negative Aspects of Blogging**

 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Makes you addicted.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Worries about visitors, rankings, relations.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A bit insecure (Talking to strange people online).
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Negative Comment = Negative Thinking.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Money consciousness.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A small technical problem can lead to big problem.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dynamicity of Blog Reader Requirements
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Information posted on blog may be re-posted elsewhere on the internet (without permission)

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Weblogs in schools (p 20-27):

 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">class portal
 * ex http://digitalanthology.blogspot.com/
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">online filing cabinet
 * ex http://marshallhighschoollitmag.com/about/ (This is an online journal/magazine a friend of mine set up with her creative writing class. I chose to list it here because you can go back and see the progress students have made with their writing throughout the year (some up to 2 years))
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">e-portfolio
 * ex http://abduzeedo.com/10-impresive-portfolioblog-websites (This is a list of some interesting blog portfolios.)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">collaborative space
 * ex http://central.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/bees/
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">knowledge management and articulation
 * ex http://hickstro.org/ (This is a "best teaching practices" blog)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">school website
 * ex http://www.marshallmetrohighschool.org/
 * Additional ideas for weblogs in classrooms
 * Students write about personal reactions to topics covered in class (post links, write reflectively)
 * Students post summaries of assigned readings
 * Use blogs as journals or places to publish creative writing

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Top Blog Sites**

 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|WordPress]
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Google Blogger]
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Type Pad]
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Movable Type]
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Live Journal]
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Drupal]
 * 7) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Xanga]
 * 8) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Textpattern]
 * 9) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Tripod]
 * 10) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Squarespace]
 * 11) [|Google Reader]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">More Great Blogs
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[]- A resource website that lists the best educational blogs of the year. This collection of blogs can be helpful for teachers looking to start their own classroom blog. By looking at the format or organization of and reading the blogs of other educators, starting one's own classroom blog can seem less daunting.

[] This is a list of blogs that can help teachers in the classroom. It is important to note that blogs can be equally beneficial to both teachers and students. Some blogs may be more useful than others, but even through the process of looking at "bad" blogs there is the chance to learn how to make a better blog based on what NOT to do. A really good blog is going to take time as well as some trial and error.

<span style="background-color: initial; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">William Richardson Talks about Blogs <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">An interesting discussion of blog use in schools from the man himself, William Richardson. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">TED

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Top 20 Teacher Blogs] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is a collection of blogs put together by Scholastic. The list includes teachers from a variety of content areas and age groups and demonstrates the multitudes of successful ways teachers have put blogs to use in their classrooms, varying in everything from format to purpose.

[|Insight Faronics] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Insight Faronics is a computer program that allows a teacher to have intensive remote usage capabilities inside of a computer lab setting which not only makes management easier, but also creates real potential to cut down on security concerns as well.