Getting Started

What better way to explore blogging than to use a blog for exploring?? We have seen blogs commonly used in university classrooms for reflective writing and journaling activities. However,there are many other ways that blogs can be used to engage students 24/7!

Explore the following types of blogs that can be created by the instructor for students OR as products the students create as course artifacts.

Your task is to identify the blogging activities that could be useful in your own instruction and explain how you would adapt the activity by commenting on the blog post. Find at least two activities and post comments.

What is a blog?

A blog is simply a webpage that is created/edited by writing messages, or posts, in an online tool. Upon submitting the post or message, the online tool immediately shares the text with the world on the blog page. The posts appear in chronological order with the newest post displaying first. Blogging has been described as online journaling because users often record their personal opinions or reflections much as they would on pen and paper. The difference is that, in an online environment, your readers can comment on your reflections and a conversation is begun!

Commoncraft explains a blog “in plain English”:


Leefever, Lee. (Blogs in Plain English [video]. Available from  http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=12423

OR check out the video What is Blogging?



UEA. (2012). What is Blogging?[video]. Available from http://youtu.be/WwcW5AKcfl4

The Linklist

A linklist is simply a list of links, and a blog is an excellent tool for providing links of resources to students easily. Explore the example here and describe ways that this type of activity could be implemented in instruction.

Treasure Hunt

A treasure hunt is an online activity that requires the 'hunter' to answer a set of questions by accessing the URL links provided to the web pages that hold the answers! This guided Internet research/search is an excellent in-class activity when time is limited.

A sample of such an activity is the StarWars Scavenger Hunt. How could such an activity be adapted for instruction?

Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is a specialized activity that requires the reader to use search engines to locate information to answer questions. A blog is an excellent tool for creating such an activity; however, in order for the questions to show up in order, they must be entered in the opposite order :)

Lostliners Scavenger Hunt is such an adventure!

How could this type of activity be adapted for instructional purposes?

Trip Journal or Photo Essay

Digital storytelling takes on a new life when the blog author shares photo essays or trip activities to document an event or moment in time. Differing view points can be presented; fictional characters can become part of the story; or artwork can be highlighted.

Explore the Flat Stanley visits Texas blog.

How can this type of activity be adapted for instructional purposes?

Teacher Resource Page

Engaging students after hours may prove challenging; however, many elementary teachers have used blogs to motivate their students to learn with their parents at home. The Teacher Resource page often ties curriculum expectation to games, simulations, or other resources relevant to topics being studied in the classroom - communicating ideas not only to students, but their parents.

Explore the two examples:

Mr. Cannon’s Blog: http://mrjcannon.blogspot.ca/ 
Miss Elliot’s Blog: http://helliott24.blogspot.ca/

How could this type of resource page activity be appropriate for university teaching? 

 

Historical Timeline

The historical timeline activity creates a journal to represent historical events that happen over time. There are many examples online where historical events are described and recorded in the order in which they happened; however, the use of the blog to present an individual's account of an event has been especially useful.

Take a look at Blogging the Past, One Letter at a Time for an example of the historical timeline. Then look at Soldier's Mail for a similar experience.

Suggestions for adapting this activity?? Think outside of the box!! :)

Read and Respond

A common activity in a university classroom is to present students with articles or research that must be read and to demonstrate their understanding, students are asked to create a written response to the article or reading.

An example of such an activity for a Science methods classroom is located at TPACK4Science Education. How could this activity be adapted for other content/discipline areas?

Character Blogging

Having students read and respond to a fictional character is an engaging activity that is easily constructed using a blog (or they could become the fictional character and create the messages themselves!)

Read about character blogs (be sure to explore the Master Yoga blog - with guest poster ObiWan Kenobi!)

What are the different ways this type of activity could be adapted for instructional purposes? Are there privacy issues or copyright issues that must be considered?

The Showcase

One of the instructional activities used in the classroom is the showcase, where works being highlighted for the learning objective are highlighted OR, more commonly, to showcase student-created artifacts.

Meeno Rami's Blog:
https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/author/mrami/

Read the following article "Going Public With Students’ Work" by Meenoo Rami which describes how to help our students create quality digital content.

What are ways that student work was showcased for the Internet public? Are there best practices that you see? Are there privacy issues that need to be considered?