Blogging

Blogging has become a popular tool used for communication, and in a classroom setting, blogging creates numerous possibilities. Blogging is where one makes posts to the Internet; posts can range from just text to visuals. Blogs have private and public settings, which allows one to choose who has access to his or her blog. Some people use blogs as a way to journal via the Internet, and others use them to provide information for others. Some popular blogging sites include WordPress ([|www.wordpress.com]), blogger ([|www.blogger.com]), or EduBlogs ([|www.edublogs.org]). Other types of Internet communication, such as Twitter or e-mail, are good, but blogging is so unique because it combines many types of websites and tools into one. According to the EduBlogs website, blogs are a “perfect balance” between providing information, social networking, and openly sharing thoughts.

Blogging is so useful in a classroom because the entire class is able to view it. E-mail is definitely a good way for students and teachers to communicate, but blogging allows students to develop a more __casual relationship__ with teachers. When one blogs, they do not need to formally address someone, so they have more flexibility in how they create their posts. Setting up a class blog allows students to have access to all assignments and classroom material from any location with Internet access. Blogging also provides a simple way for teachers to connect with parents. Since the website EduBlogs is specifically designed for the purpose of education, it contains many features that could be useful in a classroom setting. For example, it is user-friendly and easy to navigate, contains discussion tools and calendars, and allows students to engage with learning by creating portfolios and collaborating with peers.

Classes with a strong emphasis on writing will especially be able to utilize blogging websites. In three of my classes at Miami University so far, the site WordPress has been used. In two of those classes, all the content was based off of WordPress with nothing on Niihka. WordPress has been nice in these classes, because it allows me to see all of the __work__ I have completed in one place without having to click back and forth between documents or programs.



- Sarah Wolfe


 * Tumblr **

Tumblr is a microblogging platform and social networking site that allows users to "effortlessly share anything." You can post texts, photos, music, links, videos, and quotes from your desktop, phone, or email. The mission of Tumblr is to "create the perfect platform for self-expression." Tumblr is one of the most well-known blogging sites today that has gained immense popularity in the past year. It is a site where people can share the things they do, find, love, think, or create. Throughout Tumblr, you can find blogs on just about every topic you can think of from fashion to food, from animals to poetry.

In order to explore Tumblr, you do not have to have your own blog set up or even sign in with a username. You can simply click "Explore" and see what Tumblr has to offer. Many of these blogs are personal stories of people's lives filled with opinion, but some blogs offer a strong political viewpoint on many issues. Tumblr would be a great social networking site to use inside and outside the classroom in many different ways. When clicking "Explore" on the site, you can find a tab simply labeled "Education." After clicking the tab, viewers are shown a wide array of different blogs that have been shared that deal with different issues in education. One of the first blogs I noticed was titled, "Should teachers and students be Facebook friends?" This would be a very interesting article for teachers to read because it shows them the debate that occurs over this issue. There is another blog labeled "Teaching with Graphic Novels." This is a blog where a teacher shares her personal stories and experiences of teaching with graphic novels in the classroom. This might spark the interest of many teachers, encouraging them to read the blog. Through this "Education" tab teachers can get ideas and opinions from other teachers and possibly implement some of those ideas and thoughts into their own classroom.

Teachers can utilize Tumblr in the classroom, but students could find this site handy as well in many different ways. First off, teachers should make sure that utilizing Tumblr for class assignments is developmentally and age appropriate. Teachers should not ask a classroom of third graders to get online and read blogs off a website. However, in high school and definitely in college, Tumblr can be a very useful tool. In my American Studies class that I am currently taking, we were asked to do a blogging project in which we explored and kept tabs on three different blogs dealing with a controversial issue in today's society. There were many different issues chosen, but I chose to look for gay marriage blogs. Right away, I knew Tumblr would be where I would go first to find blogs on gay marriage. As I suspected, I was able to find many blogs posted about gay marriage and LGBTQ rights. After keeping up with these different blogs, I was able to get a personal as well as informative view on the debate over gay marriage. The great thing about blogs is that there is no limit to what people choose to post and share on the internet. Anyone can find just about anything on Tumblr. Tumblr was created only 5 years ago, in 2007, and is being updated constantly so the information in the blogs is always relevant and up-to-date, making for a more realistic and helpful search. Students could also use Tumblr to blog about a class they are currently taking to share their opinions of the class with fellow students and perhaps even the instructor. There are no limits to Tumblr, which allows students and teachers to gather as much information as possible on any given topic.

[|Tumblr]

[|About Tumblr]

[|Explore Tumblr]

-- Tara Schermer

Blogging can be extremely beneficial to enhance student's writing skills, which is of utmost importance considering that 90% of my college classes have contained writing assignments. Aside from the writing practice, blogging also provides a forum for students to interact and discuss world issues, classroom topics, or whatever happens to be posted. Often, when people blog, they are more transparent with their beliefs and ideas than they would be sitting face to face with a classroom full of many students. With this in mind, it is easy to see how dialouge starts faster, especially when hot topics are presented. Of course, one can always become discouraged or offended by comments, but in general blogs provide a safe forum for discussion.

The following are a few links that provide examples of how blogging can be beneficial for teacher/student relationships and also for college students. Blogging []

Blogging []

Rebekah Neff

Blogging is a way for an individual person or a group of people to share their thoughts and ideas with other people. It takes time, commitment, and a witty writing sense. Some people choose to focus on specific topics. Many good blogs are interactive, making it possible for others to comment on topic being written about. By hearing other feedback, people are learning from one another because not everyone has the same opinion. In this way, blogging can be looked at as a social network because information is being shared between different people. Blogs can be set up as a sort of diary, or just contain information on certain subjects. When they are set up like this, blogs normally contain text, pictures, and links to other information or other blogs. Whether someone actually wants to learn something new about a topic, or just read something interesting, there are a variety of blogs to follow. One of my friends had a 365-day blog where each day she would post a new picture. Even though an entire page wasn’t filled, the picture ended up saying way more than a written blog ever could. I really liked this blogging style. Either way, everyone should at least try following a blog to see what kind of style he or she prefers.

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There are many different blog databases set up, but one to focus on is [|www.blogger.com]. I have used this specific blog in classes before, and it is very easy to use. Even though the appearance of the homepage and overall blog itself is a little plain, I think it is still beneficial as a blog. In fact, this simple appearance might make it better to use in the classroom. New blogs can be created for the classroom depending on topics. Then, students in groups can share ideas with one another concerning the topic by posting in the blog, or commenting on previous posts. I think even having a blog due at the end of the week can enable students to go post at whatever time is available to them if there are not enough computers for students to use at a particular school. Whether pictures or words are being used, I think a blog, especially [|www.blogger.com], can give students a chance to learn from one another and share differing ideas. And who knows, maybe students will be more willing to share their true opinions using this online tool, rather than in the classroom. Discussions can be had in class, but blogs are an interactive way for students and teachers to learn from one another.

For a popular education blogging tool, look at [].

-Heidi Britton

"Blog" is a slang term used to discribe "web logs" that people can create on the internet. These web logs are personal entries about varying topics. In the classroom, blogs can be used as a tool to connect peers to one another, as Sarah stated above and as Rebekah said, they can be used as a creative writing tool. Additionally, blogs can be used as a tool to assess students. Teachers can ask students to post reflections on a topic they have been studying. Also, it allows students to comment anonymously on their peers work in order to give constructive feedback, which can be very helpful. Also, students can peer edit and comment on others writing as well as turn in essays and papers via blog. Finally, teachers can use blogs to "bounce" ideas off of one another. Blogs can be a great way for teachers to share educational materials as well.
 * Blogging**

As an example of this, I discovered a teaching blog titled, [|Tales of a Teacherista]. This blog is created by a teacher who shares ideas and activities that she uses in her own classroom. For teachers who want to have new and exciting materials in their classrooms, resources such as these become very helpful. Additionally, there is a website known as "Pinterest" that is a blog. Pinterest is a social photo sharing website in which people can post ideas, activities, and fun photos for others to view. Specifically, there is an "Education" section on Pinterest, which holds a lot of valuable information and tips for teachers. One of the teachers that I discovered had a lot of great ideas was this teacher: [|Ms. Pollard]. She shares pins for writing stations, monthly ideas, science activities, etc.

A great thing about blogs is that they are paperless and accessible. Students don't need to worry about printing off assignments. They can simply post their assignments to a blog page. Additionally, blogs teach students how to further use technology while helping them to generate ideas and work with their peers. Also, blogs can be altered for nearly any age group. For example, in elementary school, blogs would have simple ideas such as sharing pictures with one another, whereas college uses blogs as a strong literacy tool to evaluate student progress. Blogs are a great way for teachers to communicate and share ideas and they are also great teaching tools.

-Kenzie Andrews

Nick Laroche EDP 279 Assignment #5.1

While our modern society experiences a paradigm shift, in an endless battle of public vs. private, popular culture has found interesting and interactive ways in which individuals can effectively communicate. Extremely popular and useful blogging sites such as Wordpress, Blogger, and EduBlog allow people to share personal information to an indirect, and unknown, audience, as an online journal in a sense of thinking. As it has become a useful tool for communication, especially in conveying assignments or instructions in the classroom, many have sought to find condensed versions. Twitter, as a widely utilized example, is one instance of a micro-blogging, internet communication source. You cannot flip on a TV without hearing about which celebrity is on their most current breakdown rampage, or how the comments in one athlete’s tweet earned him a five game suspension. We live in an era when instantaneous information is readily available. I found out that Dick Clark passed away only thirteen minutes after it happened!

A new, trendy micro-blogging company named [|Yammer] hopes to capture many socially networking, tech-savvy youth and become the next hot app about which everyone will be talking. Although it started as a micro-blog, and it still offers the "tweets" of sorts, it now has features similar to social network sites like Facebook. According to its website, Yammer, the enterprise social network, is a “private social network for your company.” The term company, quite vague, includes DHL, Shell, SuperValu, 7Eleven, and more than 200,000 other companies worldwide. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Yammer was launched in September 2008 as a private company. While products like Twitter broadcast messages to the public, Yammer will use private communication for those within an organization or between organizational groups or people. Schools easily could capitalize on such a feature, to create a security-safe, networking and sharing environment, security knowing that students’ work will be remain secure inside a school or a district. Pricing, while Yammer offers a free service, for the premium services is only $5/user/month, easily added to a technology fee most schools already have.



<span style="font-family: Cambria,serif;"> Yammer offers a variety of [|features] which allow users to “stay connected with people, information and tools you need to get work done.” Also its lets members share ideas, discuss projects or explore questions they may have through instant conversations. Similar to GoogleDocs, the program allows for content collaboration, where multiple students could easily assimilate ideas and create files or projects. All the while, mobile access and integrations make transition from iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac, or PC simply seamless. External networks help to quickly relay information from group mates to class mates, teachers, or parents as one can navigate from one network to another in only seconds to keep all parties in the know. I truly believe that Yammer is could be a productive and meaningful instrument for communication in tomorrow’s classrooms.

Caitlin Thompson Assignment 5.1

As stated previously, blogging is rising in popularity because it can be made very personal or simply an informal sharing of information to no one in particular. Blogs can be made into exactly what the author wants and needs from it, making it possible to share thoughts, opinions, stories, skills, and more instantly via the internet. I would like to focus on wordpress.com. Wordpress allows you to join blogs, create multiple blogs under one username, follow others’ blogs, and more. The dashboard which helps you navigate your blogs and posts is easy and simple to understand, making blogging that much more convenient and accessible.

This is a great tool to use in the classroom for many reasons, one being the ease of being able to set measures so your students’ blogs can be seen by no one else but yourself and other students if you wish. This way no parents or you will have to worry about any information the student may be sharing being able to be viewed by others. This could also be used to collaborate with other classrooms and students across the globe. An interesting tool available on wordpress is the “My Stats” tool. This shows how many times your blog has been viewed total, on a particular day, and what country it was viewed in. This would be a neat way to show students just how far spread and accessible the internet is.

Maurica Peoples 5.1- Blogging



As mentioned in previous posts, blogging is a form of online communication. I like to think of blogging as a type of online journal or diary. I say this because an individual can post their thoughts, feelings, ideas, disagreements, etc. in their blog. Unlike wikis, people can go into someone else's blog and edit or add anything to it, they are only able to comment in the comment section. If you create a blog it doesn't necessarily have to be interactive, that is a choice that the owner can decide for themselves. I have a friend that blogs often and she uses her blog as a testimony. She's a Christian woman and she shares things that God has brought her through, she shares her poetry, and many other things that relate to her life story. If you're interested, here is the link to her blog! http://handcraftednuniquelymolded.blogspot.com/ So, a blog can discuss anything you desire to share at that given moment, ranging from your thoughts to videos or articles that you would like to share! There are many blogs about natural hair, recycling, political issues, and even music.

Here is a link to a website and video about blogging for beginners. http://www.commoncraft.com/video/blogs

I think blogging is a great tool to use in the classroom. As an English Education major, I think this is a great idea to incorporate in the classroom! I believe in expression through writing, and this is a great way to get students to advance in their writing, but also to advance their technological skills. I am aware that many students, especially in high school, don't enjoy writing that much. This could be an approach to help students obtain a love for writing! Students could use blogging to express themselves, create poetry, and it can potentially be used to create drafts or pieces of writing for a major project. There could also be a class blog where students post things in relation to the text the class may be reading, writing ideas, class projects, or anything that is in relation to the class. I believe this is a great way for students to communicate with their peers as well as with the teacher.
 * Blogging in the Classroom**

Let's incorporate technology into our classrooms and give students more opportunities in the classroom! Blogging is a great start!