Blogs

  = =   **__What are Blogs?__** The term blog is a shortened form of web log. It is a website that consists of a set of personal commentaries on a variety of issues or topics. These issues or topics are determined by what the author thinks is important or relevant. The individual that maintains the blog can post their thoughts on their site and invite readers to participate.These posts are referred to as entries. Wikipedia notes that "entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order." (2009) Blogs can contain text, images, links, video, and other related media. When someone is adding content to their blog, they are said to be "blogging ." "Blogs are the first widely adopted easy publishing tool of the Read/Write Web, which people can use to create personal journals of their lives, build resource sites with colleagues, or filter the news of the day for audiences large and small with no need to know how to code pages or transfer files." (Richardson, 2006, p. 8) **__How does this emerging technology work? __ ** The 1990s brought about a great change in the way individuals documented their thoughts, feelings, and daily events in their lives. People began" blogging " these things. Below is a short video explaining blogs -courtesy of []

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There are many weblog applications available to begin blogging. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">__Blogger__ ,which was released in August 1999, was an immediate success. This application allows users to create any kind of weblog they want. David Warlick's [] is a great, completely free application and includes hosting. For teachers,this is an excellent way to get your class started on blogging. Some other Web-based toolsets and/or software that can help manage your blog are: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">__Xanga__, <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">__TypePad__ , <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">__WordPress__ , and <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">__LiveJournal__.

Blogs can be completely free-form or can have a focus. A blog is a lot like an <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">online journal or <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">diary. They are often full of interesting links that the author has found or a reader of the blog has posted. Since a blog can be anything the author wants it to be, the commonality that exists between all blogs is the <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">"reverse-chronological" ordering of the entries mentioned earlier.
 * <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">To create a blog using __Blogger__: **
 * **Go to** [|****www.blogger.com****]
 * **Click on "Create a new blog"**
 * **Enter your email address**
 * **Create a password**
 * **Enter the "Display Name" you want to use to sign your blog posts**
 * **Agree to the terms of service**
 * **Select the look of your blog from a set of templates**
 * **Begin Blogging!**

existing on the Blogger.com blog site called Blogspot.com, or you can create a custom URL for your blog. ** <span style="font-size: 140%; color: rgb(0,128,0); font-family: Trebuchet MS;">**<span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">__Types of Blogs__: ** <span style="font-size: 140%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Personal **(ongoing commentary)** <span style="font-size: 140%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">By Media type **(comprised of videos, photos, etc.)** <span style="font-size: 140%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Corporate **(business purposes- marketing)** <span style="font-size: 140%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">By Device **(written by mobile device- mobile phone or PDA)** <span style="font-size: 140%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Question **(submission of questions)** <span style="font-size: 140%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">By Genre **(political, travel, educational, fashion etc.)** <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Micro-Blog <span style="font-size: 90%; color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 80%; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">**<span style="font-size: 90%; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> (condensed form of blogging-e.g. Twitter, 2006 ) ** **<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">__<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">What unique attributes do Blogs offer informational and/or educational technology? __ **
 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">With Blogger you have the option of your blog

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**The website, []****, says that the incredible <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">simplicity of blogging is one of the things that makes blogging so popular. In early 2008, [|http://Technorati.com], a blog tracking service, listed over 110 million blogs.**

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Blogs are unique for a variety of reasons. Blogs offer a form of <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">collaboration that wasn't possible before. Through blogs, people can share ideas and communicate even when separated geographically. Students are able to take an assignment from their classroom and continue to work on it from the comfort of their own home or somewhere on the go- as long as they have internet access. Instead of the classroom being the only place where students share a "common ground and/or simply a common location," the blog (website) supports that relationship.** to<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;"> evolve. While the actual framework of the website in which the blog exists may still appear the same, the body of the site- the author's comments and input from readers, is constantly changing. The collective community of all blogs is known as the <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">blogosphere. Wikipedia states that since all blogs are on the internet by definition, they may be seen as interconnected and socially networked, through blogrolls, comments, linkbacks, and backlinks. (2009) This allows readers and the blog author an opportunity to extend their thinking and knowledge to a whole new dimension.** <span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-size: 90%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">__Describe an example, in depth, of how Blogs solved a problem/ realized a goal/offered a unique approach for a business or school.__ ** For the purposes of my Wiki I will focus mainly on the benefits blogs have brought to the educational community.
 * Another reason why blogs are unique is because they continue
 * Blogs offer a unique approach for both businesses and schools.

The website,** [|http://schoolcomputing.com]**, says that the collaborative feature of weblogs is what attracted many educators into the fold. The <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">community capabilities in many of the blogging software allow for easy peer review for students and teachers, making it a forum for interacting. (2009)**

reading assignments, exercises, writing prompts in all content areas, brainstorming sessions, class discussions regarding a specific topic, and open-ended questions.**
 * Blogs are used by teachers as <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">platforms for homework assignments,

they serve as an <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">extension to classroom discussions and activities. These exercises no longer have to end when "the bell rings." Students can continue sharing their thoughts and feelings by blogging. For students who are apprehensive about participating in class, blogs serve as a gateway to a newly found sense of confidence. In the <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">blogosphere everyone has an <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">equal voice .**
 * Blogs offer a unique approach to classroom instruction in that

in Geometry, a specific Science unit, or a novel that a literature class may be reading are also excellent examples of ways that blogs offer a unique approach to a school. It is in these situations that the teacher can serve as <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">facilitator and <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">invite experts from outside the classroom to get involved. In 2003, Will Richardson did exactly that.
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">Classroom blogs that focus on a particular topic such as themes

Richardson's class was reading <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">__<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Secret Life of Bees __ written by Sue Monk Kidd. He asked the author if she would be interested in joining his students' online discussion. Kidd agreed and interacted with the students as they made their journey through the novel.This was a truly unique and beneficial learning experience for the students. Subsequently, a weblog was also developed for parents of the students who were interested as well.**

administrators are two other groups of individuals within a school that use weblogs. Librarians use weblogs to <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">share information about resources and to hold conversations about books and literacy. (schoolcomputing.wikia.com, 2009) Solomon and Schrum (2007) cite the <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">twelve reasons for an administrator to blog ( p. 123-126) as:**
 * Besides teachers getting their students to "blog," librarians and
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Sharing news and events**
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Progress monitoring**
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Marketing**
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Public Relations**
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Community Building**
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Customer Relations**
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Branding**
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Creating "customer evangelists"**
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Thought leadership**
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Advocacy**
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,255); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Replacing the school Web site**

to get your class or school started on blogging. She shares some of the creative ways that teachers have not only incorporated student use of blogs, but have also started rewarding student achievement within the blog setting.
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sue Waters' website,[|EduBlogs.org] is another great resource

Waters cites a "Mr. Pepper" with encouraging student bloggers by using honorable mentions to reward students in the categories of "well written post," "good blog design," creativeness," and "excellent commenting skills." Blogs have not only <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">enhance d student writing/journaling, but have challenged the traditional way in which students used to perform this task. **

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">**It is important that teachers prepare their students for the "blogging" process. As with any assignment, students should have a clear understanding of what they are to do and what is expected of them. Since technology is being used it is important to review acceptable- use policies, blogging software and etiquette, and rubrics stating how the blog will be assessed. Many blogs set up by schools and/or teachers have settings that allow the teacher to monitor what students post before it is published. This is another way of practicing responsible blogging. As with any web 2.0 tool, it** of their <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">responsibility to act appropriately while on the internet.** <span style="font-size: 140%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 120%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 140%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">__**Links to actual blogs:**__ <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;"> [] (David Warlick) [] [] (Kern Kelley) [] (Will Richardson) [] (Dan Meyer- Math Teacher) [] (Sue Waters) [] [] [] [] [] (Recommended by Sylvia Martinez) [|www.blogged.com/directory/education/math]
 * is important especially for students, that they are made aware

<span style="font-size: 120%; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">**<span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please click below on the image below to see a larger version of my "Blog" Wordle courtesy of [|http://wordle.net] ** <span style="font-size: 130%; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;"> media type="custom" key="3655237"

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">**<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">__References:__ **
 * Blog. Wikipedia. (2009)
 * Brain, M. (2008) //How Blogs Work//. By Marshall Brain. Retrieved April 6, 2009 from [|http://computer.howstuffworks.com]
 * Downes, S. (2004, September). //Educational blogging//. Educause Review. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from []
 * Richardson, W. (2006). Weblogged-Ed- The read/write web in the classroom:FAQ. Retrieved from []
 * Richardson, W. (2006). //Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms//. California: Corwin Press.
 * Richardson, W. (2004, January). //Blogging and RSS- the “what’s it?” and “how to” of powerful new web tools for educators.// Information Today. Retrieved March 19, 2009 from []
 * Solomon, G. & Schrum, L. (2007). //Web 2.0 new tools, new schools//. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
 * Waters, S. (2009). //What do your students really think about blogging?// By Sue Waters. Retrieved April 8, 2009 from [|http://theedublogger.edublogs.org]

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