BLOGGING TO LEARN

What does this cartoon tell us about reading and writing in

the 21st century?

Daryl Cagle, "Joe Heller," Daryl Cagle's Political Cartoon Index, msnbc. Reprinted from Green Bay Press Gazette on 25 August 2009. Used with permission.

What’s different about blogging?

Shorter, more focused writing Part of a process rather than the end

product Incorporates media Interactive nature changes relationship to

audience Extended conversation over time

What do you want your blog (or your students’

blogs) to do? Share Express Document/record Evaluate Collaborate Question Interact

TEACH!

Getting started… Open an account at blogger. Try

edublogger! Branding: Naming your blog and

choosing a url Posting Adding tags, links, video, pictures,

widgets Inviting comments from readers

10 Ways to Start a Blog Post…

1. Make a list2. Tell a story3. Ask a question4. Respond to something you’ve read or seen5. Insert a picture or embed a video and respond

to it6. Notice a trend7. Invite a friend to guest blog8. Observe and reflect9. Share a passion10. Connect to other blogs

Authentic Learning: Readers Everywhere

EduBlogs….http://edublogs.org/10-ways-to-use-your-edublog-to-teach/

Samples of Student/Classroom Blogs

Christian Long, The Alice Project: A 10th-Grade Honors English Tour of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, http://aliceproject.wordpress.com/

Gende, Dolores, “Physics Honors,” https://sites.google.com/a/parishepiscopal.org/physics-honors/blogging/hp-blogs

Norwalk City Schools. “AP Calculus AB Blog,” http://www2.norwalk-city.k12.oh.us/wordpress/apcalc0910/

Blogging Etiquette, or Good Citizenship in the

Blogosphere“5 Blogging Tips for Beginning

Bloggers,” http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2009/08/1639/

“Blogging Etiquette for Bloggers and Readers,” http://www.suite101.com/content/blogging-etiquette-a22222

“Blogging Etiquette – The Unwritten Rules,”http://bloggingwithoutablog.com/blogging-etiquette-the-unwritten-rules/

Assessing Blogs To grade or not to grade? Rubric “Holistic” grading (what the blog does

well, what the comment adds to the discussion)

Completion grade Contribution over time Resource: “How Do I Know if It Works?”,

ELI Discovery Tool: Guide to Blogging, http://www.educause.edu/eli/GuideToBlogging

Sample Rubric (ELI)

More Resources Blake-Plock, Shelly, “Why I Want

Students to Blog,” TeachPaperless, 14 June 2010, http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-i-want-students-to-blog.html

Utrecht, Jeff, “Blogs as Web-Based Portfolios,” The Thinking Stick, 4 June 2010, http://www.thethinkingstick.com/blogs-as-web-based-portfolios-pdf

Chamberlain, William, Comments4Kids, http://comments4kids.blogspot.com/

More Resources McCulloch, Jess. “20 Reasons

Why Students Should Blog,” On an E-journey with Generation Y, http://murcha.wordpress.com/2008/03/14/20-reasons-why-students-should-blog/

Edublogger.com. “Join the Student Blogging Challenge.” http://theedublogger.com/2010/08/30/join-the-student-blogging-challenge-now-starts-mid-september/

Wetzel, David R. “Science Blogs is Middle and High School Classes.” Suite 101.com, http://www.suite101.com/content/science-blogs-in-high-and-middle-school-classes-a66647