Blogging

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Blogging

• Melissa McCrotty

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What in the heck is a blog, anyway?

• Blog is short for a web log.
• It is a hosted website, so you dont need to know
  any fancy computer code or html to create a blog.
• It is an online forum used for many different
  purposes such as
• Personal Blogs (like diary)
• Photo-blogs (family album)
• Business Blogs (promote business)
• Educational Blogs (blog for a specific purpose or
  specific topic)

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More about blogs

• Blogs can be public or private
• They encourage communication in the form of
  comments.
• They are a way to allow students to publish
  their writing or ideas.
• Blogs can be used as an alternative to written
  assignments and to encourage discussion,
  especially among students who are reluctant to
  verbalize.

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Sample Blogs

• Science Class
• http//churchillscience.edublogs.org
• 4th Grade Class
• http//georgetown1.21classes.com/
• Book Bytes
• http//lgeslibrary.edublogs.org/book-trailers
• PMG Book Talk
• https//pmgbooktalk.21classes.com/

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Three Main Uses for blogs in education

• Student Blogs allow student their own personal
  blog to customize. They will have the freedom to
  write and post school-appropriate posts.
• Community blogs allow students and teacher to
  post to the same blog, good for booktalks.
  Create categories mystery, biography, romance..
  Students are given some freedom, but blogs must
  pertain to category.
• Teacher blogs offer the most control, the least
  freedom for students. Can be used as a
  parent-involvement tool or for specific subjects
  like science, where you want all students to
  answer a specific question. This type of blog is
  the easiest to set up and maintain, as the
  teacher is the only blogger, and students are
  only allowed to comment.

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Security

• Public or Private (your choice)
• Every blog and comment can be held until your
  approval.
• This is time-consuming, with the PMG Book Talk
  blog, I tried to check at a certain time every
  day. Posts and comments will not be viewable
  until you approve.
• Side note We now use www.gaggle.net

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www.21classes.com

• Pros
• Free for up to 50 student accounts.
• Students dont need email.
• Allows a lot of security.
• Not blocked by the school website.
• Cons
• Not the easiest to use.
• Only filter is you!
• Alternative www.edublogs.com
• (More professional layout, not as user-friendly)

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Practice Account

• Go to www.21classes.com
• Set up a test account.