Download
1 / 8
E N D
Blog • Blog (Web Log): An online journal. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and someone who keeps a blog is a “blogger. Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog. Postings on a blog are mostly arranged in chronological order with the most recent additions featured most prominently.
Blogs in Education • Students can use blogs to write stories, gather information, share data and negotiate differing opinions and disagreements. • Teachers and administrators can use blogs to share information with parents, make announcements, create a forum for discussion and network with colleagues.
Features of a Blog-Based Class • Below is a list of features which could make a successful blog-based class: • It must be possible for a teacher to create as many “class blogs” as necessary to organize class materials. For example, it must be possible for a teacher to create a blog for class notes and another for posting group feedback. • The class blogs must be viewable by all students. Only the teacher should have administrative privileges to modify these blogs. • All students must have their own individual blog for posting assignments. Only two people, the teacher and the student, can view the student’s individual blog. Students can edit their own writing and the teacher can add comments to the student’s submissions. However, students cannot edit the teacher’s comments • It must be simple for the teacher to change between students’ blogs. • The blogging service must provide server space on the Internet to store class and student blogs. • The blogging service must be free.
Blogger.com • An Account Can be Made in Three Steps: • For those without an account, a username and password must be created in the first step. • The next step is to enter a title and URL for the new blog. • The last step is to choose a template to determine font, color and layout of the blog when viewed as a webpage. You can easily change the template later or have your own customized template, once your blog is set up.
Creating a Student Blog on Blogger • From the teacher’s account, begin the process to create a new blog as previously described • Enter the student’s name as the blog title and have the student enter a name for their URL address. To keep the student blog private, this URL address should not be shared with anyone. • Quickly have the student choose a template for the layout of their blog • After a few moments to process and create the blog, one is ready to start adding to it. However, since the blog was created on the teacher’s account, students do not have access to it as yet. • Adding the students as members to the blogs is the final, most important step. In the settings menu, there is a “permissions” tab. Where group members can be added to the blogs via the add author button.
Creating a Student Blog on Blogger continued… • Have students type their email address in one of the new user fields and click the save settings button. *Note that they must have Google Accounts, and if they don't already, they'll be prompted to create one. • After all the students have completed this process, instruct them to check their email. They should all find an invitation from Blogger with a link to follow to join the student-teacher blog. After the students accept the invitations to join their blogs, the initial setup is complete.
Viewing the Blogs • After logging in from the main page, www.blogger.com, users are taken to what Blogger refers to as the “dashboard”. In the case of the teacher, all the class blogs and all of the student-teacher group blogs are shown. In the student’s case, just the student-teacher group blog is shown. • Note: It is important to tell students that when adding or editing a post, it will not be saved until the “publish post” button is clicked. Students must be taught the importance of this step or they will lose their work.
Blog Examples • Ms. Mason’s Blog • This is a blog by a teacher about teaching • Kathy Schrock’s Educational Technology Blog Picks • This is list of blogs about technology education
