blog

What is Blogging?
Blogging is a sharing/publishing of ideas/news/information over the internet through posts. A Blog, or Web Log, is a collection of web pages that logs the ideas/news/information. The blog lists entries chronologically. It allows for others to comment about what they've read. The [|CommonCraft] video explains blogging in "plain English." media type="youtube" key="NN2I1pWXjXI&hl=en&fs=1" height="344" width="425"
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5 History of Blogging
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Why should we use it in the classroom?
Blogs should be used in a classroom because they allow for reciprocal communication via comments and postings. This can be a two-way form of communication similar to message boards. The blog can be used for peer to peer support in real time, rather than having to wait until the next class to solicit help from the teacher.

They also allow students to create a personal space where they can list comments, ideas, information or even diary entries for review by others. The students can interact in a pressure free environment that does not restrict their ideas but is still carefully logged. Rather than trying to be the first to answer, blogs allow students time to form and refine their ideas before sharing with a wider audience. For students who tend to be shy or intimidated, blogging allows them to express their ideas in a format that is not face to face and not nearly as personal. This can be a double-edged sword and should be monitored carefully. It would be advisable to ensure that students have been taught proper "[|netiquette"] before embarking on a blog project.

When students blog, they are producing for a real audience because their work is public. This allows them to receive comments on their work from people outside their classroom or teachers/students who are part of their classroom. Having an authentic audience can be a motivator for students to produce work that is of high quality in a way that is not possible when the audience is just the teacher. Blogging is also is an opportunity to receive feedback from experts in particular fields of study that are of interest to students.

Blogging with English Learners has positive benefits for students. [|Here's a story] about how blogging has helped English learners, using [|VoiceThread]. For anyone with difficulty speaking in front of others, English Learners or not, blogging offers a safe, non-threatening environment in which to express their ideas. The interaction with written and spoken language promotes the development of language. Lets not forget that students can blog in their primary language. In many schools, students may be one of a handful, or even the only speaker of their native language. Through blogging, students can create and communicate with other students and share experiences, as well as collaborate on schoolwork in their native language.

Students who are in GATE programs can also benefit from blogging. Since most GATE programs are centered around discovery or project based learning, students can use blogs to log their progress and learning during the course of a long and drawn out assignment. This can be used as a form of self-evaluation and evidence of learning. It could also be used to provide a measure of peer and teacher feedback through comments throughout the blogging process.

Blogging can also be a a great tool for younger elementary aged students and can be used in a wide variety of applications like weekly journaling, typing practice, and spelling word listing. Upper elementary and middle school students would also be capable of using blogs in numerous classes, assignments, and projects. Studies in Corona Norco Unified School District have shown that the use of technology and online writing tools greatly increases the motivation level of students to write. This alone motivates many teachers to use blogs in the classroom.

It's important for students to learn and practice the real-world skill of providing constructive feedback to peers, which blogging can allow them to do. Blogging also helps students learn how to accept feedback, both positive and negative, from others. A great way to get students and adults involved in blogging is to post inquiry questions or prompts that make the learners think. It creates a perfect model using best practices, for ensuring higher level thinking skills. Another way is to introduce a topic for future discussion in a blog. Placing an inquiry question on a blog a week or two in advance of your scheduled discussion will afford learners time to think about the issue and gain insight into the issue from others. When the time comes to discuss the issue, they will have many more ideas and a much richer discussion about the topic.

Blogging is also a useful tool for communicating with parents. A well maintained blog can replace a weekly newsletter reducing the use of paper and time. Students can contribute to the class "newsletter" by adding information to the blog. Parents can subscribe to the blog and read about the happenings in their child's classroom at their leisure. Class blogs can also be shared with family members across the country.

In addition, blogging is a great way to develop character education and a classroom community. By posting questions to students outside of your subject area content, you can use a blog as another means to get to know your students. Not only will you learn new things about your students, but they will learn new things about each other. You can have students comment on each other's posts and ask each other questions. A blog is also a great forum for shy students to be given an area where they can voice their opinions. 

Examples of Blogging in the classroom
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 * Blogs can be used to have online class discussions or give information to students.
 * Blogs can be used to create a classroom or school newsletter/newspaper.
 * Audio blogs can be used to present book reports or stories using [|Voicethread].
 * Psychology and/or sociology classes can use them for taking surveys about personal beliefs systems and behaviors.
 * Teachers can "spitball" ideas about lesson plans, class field trips, or discussion topics with their students and quickly gage their reactions. (Note: teachers should **not** allow students to determine the entire content of the class structure. While this may make the teacher popular, the students are the one who are being shortchanged. Students should be a resource that influences the way things are taught, not the driving force behind the curriculum.)
 * Blogs can be used for students to share their reactions or knowledge of a topic of study or current event. For example, an instructor could create a blog for responses to a novel that the class is reading together ([|example]).
 * Teachers can use blogs as a method of home/school communication. For example, a daily calendar not only tells students what was accomplished in class and assigned as homework, it also allows parents to check on student progress.
 * Blogs can be used as an online journal to track student progress during a project-based learning unit..
 * Blogs are a great way for teachers and administrators to collaborate on topics that need to be discussed. Professional Learning Communities (PLC) can employ the use of blogs to share ideas for collaborative feedback.
 * Blogs can be used by teachers to share information with each other regarding the effectiveness of their teaching techniques and lesson implementations.
 * A class of older students can partner with a class of younger students. Audio podcasts, created by the older students reading their favorite children's stories, can be posted to share with the younger emerging readers. This is adapted from [|techlearning].
 * Check out [|EduBlog Awards] for a list of various blogs that have won awards. Look at the blogs to get ideas for your classroom!
 * Blogs can be used to help students share ideas with other students allowing students to take part in teaching others. It gives a purpose to their participation.

Dangers of Blogging in the classroom
There can be inherent dangers to the usage of blogs by students. This is a log or diary of personal thoughts and ideas that are open to review and potential criticism. Open blogs can be read and reviewed by many different people and as a result they could post a comment of any nature. There is the chance a negative or hurtful comment could result. Any time a student opens themselves up in this way, there is the potential for criticism and hurt feelings. To combat this, an instructor should stress the writers’ workshop model of positive feedback and constructive commentary on any student writing. Students should be acknowledged for providing helpful commentary when conducting peer reviews. It is also important for an instructor to carefully monitor the use of blogs and comments; teacher moderation of blog posts is recommended for a classroom blog where students will be posting. Additionally, some blogs such as Blogger allows jumps from one blog to the next, some of which may have inappropriate material.

EduBlogs enable the site administrator (usually the teacher) to turn the "approval" feature on a blog. This affords the teacher the opportunity to accept or decline a comment. The teachers then has the option of discussing the blog comment with the student who submitted the comment. There is also a feature that flags key words that the site administrator can enter in order for the blog to block entries using those words. Finally, because students can't remain anonymous on Edublogs, if anyone makes durogatory comment, then all other users will know which student is guilty. this is a strong deterant. (Where's spell check?)



Blogging resources for teachers
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 * [|http://edublogs.org]
 * [|www.gaggle.net]
 * [|http://www.epals.com]
 * __[|www.blogger.com] __
 * __Apple Learning Interchange:[| Blog: http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/search.php?text=blog] __
 * __[|http://www.wordpress.com] __
 * __http://www.voicethread.com



History of Blogging
The word blog is generally believed to be an abbreviation of the term "web log," an online diary where people could record their daily thoughts and behaviors. Now instead of only the famous diarists and journalists getting their commentary out in public for the general audience, anyone was capable of "publishing" anything and everything about their lives. The blog traces its history back to the 1980's and the Usenet, which was basically a BBS, or an early web forum. Unlike a blog, however, the Usenet didn't have a central focus; rather it contained post from a group of like-minded users. It was when someone began to take more personal control of what was being posted, such as Brian Redman did in 1984 with mod.ber, that the concept of the blog began its birth process.

There is an alternative theory, however, concerning where the term "blog" derived. One theory, rapidly gaining credence in the blogosphere, traces the term “blog” back to Professor Heinrich Glickstien (not to be confused with Professor Heinrich Glickstein, a too-common error). In 1999, Herr Glickstien, then a professor of Media Design at the prestigious Technische Hochschule Darmstadt in Germany, came up with a controversial theory he called the **BLOG Theory**. To oversimplify the rather tedious, heavy-handed writing style of so many Germans, the theory states that the further removed and/or more anonymous the presenter is in relationship to the audience (whether the intended audience is a mob focused on finding a scapegoat for their miseries or a gathering of scientists debating the scientific value of Intelligent Design), the more license the presenter has to pontificate to the point of imbecility and incoherence. Truth, importance, interest level, spelling: all go out the window if the presenter of the information is not strictly held accountable by the viewers of that information. He entitled this the **BLOG** **Theory** as an acronym for **BLOVIATING LESSONS ON GENERALITIES**. There is no explanation for this acronym as Glickstien doesn't speak English. The professor was never able to publish his masterwork, as shortly after he developed it, he lost his position at the Technische Hochschule Darmstadt.