Blogs


A blog is a user generated website where messages are posted in and displayed in a reverse chronological order.  Designed for quick publication of content and easy feedback from users. blogs often focus on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news or as online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic.

 

Here's a good "how to blog" pdf from the Media Education site. howtoblog.pdf

 

What is the difference between a blog and a wiki? Using a blog, visitors can comment on existing content but a wiki allows you to make changes to what already is there and to add to what already is there.  The best way to learn about blogs is to go and visit them to see what people are writing about.

 

Blogs vs Wikis - a fictitious debate

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Educational benefits
include sharing of opinions and ideas, and staying informed with the most current developments in education and other topics of interest.
In the classroom, blogs can be used to create collaborative learning spaces to share and gather ideas and information and discuss important topics. Students can make comments, start conversations and interact with others at no cost.

Using Blogs with Students - Issues to consider

Who is the intended audience?  Is it for a small group or for anyone using the internet.
Student Identification?  Use a pseudonym or assign number.  In many school boards the policy is for student names not to be used on the internet.
Comment Moderation?  Who has access?  Who has approval?  Is approval required before comments are posted? If so, then by whom?
Notification to parents? 

Some ideas - Science blog for posting experiment findings and discuss and compare observations

Math blog for creation and solving problems posted by the teacher and/or classmates

Assorted Stuff - Ideas:Using Blogs in the Classroom

International Edubloggers Directory

The Edublog Awards


Student Terms and Conditions
- personal information and identifiers that could enable someone to contact the student in person is disallowed
- agree to never login as another student
- agree to never share login or password with anyone other than the teacher or parent(s)
- blog space same as classroom space - use appropriate language
- remind students - that a blog is a web record of you!

 

Sites to take a look at:

An AMDSB teacher site - Mrs. Ritsma's History Channel Blog

Listowel Eastdale PS

SNSS Principal blog- Stratford Northwestern News and Musings

Blogging Basics:  Creating Student Journals on the Web

Edublogs  - blog hosting site for K-12 - free Edublogs have ads on them, limited upload space and restricted functionality

How to Edublog

blogsearch.google.com  - search for blogs on a specific topic
Blogger  - blog hosting site for general use
Wordpress  - blog hosting site forgeneral use
Class Blogmeister  - K-12 specific

Blogs on Educational Blogging

Writing a Good Blog  - For Dummies

 

Other Blog Must Reads - to do with tech ed in the classroom

http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/

http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/

http://www.kathyschrock.net/blog/

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/

http://www.fluency21.com/blog.cfm

 

Resources

Blogger Help

Support Blogging - Steve Hargadon