Blogs

A blog is a Web publishing tool that allows authors to quickly and easily self-publish text, artwork, or links to other Web applications. Blogs are set-up like traditional sites, with navigation links, and other standard Web site features. Blogs have one differentiating characteristic, however: the posting. Blog postings are text entries, similar to a diary or journal, which include a posting date and may include comments by people other than the author, photos, links, or other digital media. Postings are often short and frequently updated. They appear in reverse chronological order and can include archived entries.

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**__Educational Benefits of Blogs__**

**Blogs are: 1. Highly motivating to students, especially those who otherwise might not become participants in classrooms. 2. Excellent opportunities for students to read and write. 3. Effective forums for collaboration and discussion. 4. Powerful tools to enable scaffolded learning or mentoring to occur.**

Start Blogging (link to blogger.com)
** [|Blogger_Tutorial.doc] (how to set up a blogger.com account) **

** Adding a Gadget to Your Blog (video tutorial) **

__IDEAS FOR THE CLASSROOM__

 * Book Talks
 * Students sharing their writing
 * Students reflecting on a lesson, text, or other experience to demonstrate learning or serve as an assessment
 * Students creating audio files to be used with movie making software, such as PhotoStory or MovieMaker
 * Students discussing problems of the world
 * Speeches for classroom elections
 * Families could compile and share experiences or stories for posterity
 * Homebound students or students with disabilities could read their work into the phone
 * Teachers could set up a homework channel and have updates sent directly to their blog, either directly from the teacher or via a student who is responsible for this task
 * Classroom newscasts
 * Audio blogging
 * Students record educational topics they are learning about
 * Parent newsletter
 * Teachers can record lectures or other verbal directions to be posted on their site or used to create a multimedia presentation
 * Can be posted to student electronic portfolio
 * A connection between classrooms
 * Electronic penpals

**Blog Examples** **Ms. Naugles' Classroom Blog** (classroom) **Ms. Poulin's Blog** (classroom) **Computer Class Connections** (classroom) **Look What's Happening in Room 102** (classroom) **Mrs. Jefferson's Classroom** (classroom)

**Free Technology for Teachers** (professional) **Tech 4 Teachers **(professional) **Ed Tech Blogs** (links to professional blogs) **A Principal's Reflection** (professional) **Burlington High School Principal's Blog** (professional) **Learning to Teach** (professional) = =