Blogging 101: Steps for Success

ARTICLE HERE

These suggestions from Heather Wolpert-Gawron are great food for thought for teachers of middle school or high school students to consider before you start a blog project. The importance of students learning about "netiquette" and blogging "offline" are keys to success as well.

She mentions using Kidblog... and another site good for school blogging, especially at the elementary and even middle school age is Class Blogmeister. High School students may want to try using other more mainstream blog sites such as Google's Blogger (which this blog uses), WordPress, or another you are comfortable with using and managing FIRST.

Then there's the issue of access at school... talk to your Tech Director first... That should really be Step #1 on Heather's list! ;-)

Shelley & Brittany's ISTE Adventure Blog

If you have a couple minutes, check out Shelley Bertsch's and Brittany Fenderson's (aka - Shel & Brit) blog about their adventures at the ISTE educational technology conference in Denver. Notice that they made their blog with Wordpress, while this one is done with Blogger (a Google tool).

http://isteadventure2010.wordpress.com/


For more information about ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), visit the ISTE website... LOTS of great resources, including the NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) for students, teachers, and administrators.

 

Blogging in Education (Student & Teacher Uses)

Here are some screen shots of the information below about blogs and blogging in education:

What are Blogs?

• Web pages (easy, quick) - “web log” (meaning... web-based/ chronological)
• Usually (but not necessarily) for an individual (but pair, group, classroom, teacher or admin team blogs work well too!)
  
• Mostly text, but can have pictures, audio, and video
• Automatic notification of changes (RSS)
• Public or “private”
  
• Started as personal journal/diary
• But now: business updates, editorials, current event documentation, community groups, government, educational communications & more…
• Community-based; links; comments; trackbacks
• # of Blogs = 133+ million blogs (as of 12/08); 71 million (4/07); 60 million (12/06); 28.6 million (2/06);     23.4 million (12/05); 21.6 million (11/05)

Educational Uses for Blogs:

•  weekly journals
•  reading notes &/or reflections
•  images of works or observations
•  audio (spoken) reflections or presentations
•  Any of the above…with links to other websites or blogs, images, etc.
  

Student Uses - all focused on discussion/responses

• Reflections (journal, pre/post readings, class activities or projects)
• Project or learning log
• Question & Response (student-lead)
• Peer Editing (brief!) or Feedback space
• Extension/application postings
• Audio blog (podcast), photo blog, or video blog (& explanations)
• Individual/pair/group/team/class blogs
• Portfolio - Personal blog on learning experiences/extensions

Teacher Uses - all focused on discussion/responses

• Reflections or extensions on the lesson/current topic
• Current Events
• Homework/project updates
• Question & Response (teacher-lead)
• Expert in field/college postings
• Feedback space (general/no names)
• Audio blog (podcast), photo blog, or video blog (& explanations)
• Pre-class question/image/video (Anticipatory Set or Engagement)
• Post-class question/image/video (Practice or Extension)
• Department or professional reflections, updates, information