-+BLOGS

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=What is a blog?= (From Wikipedia and S. Huette's //[|Blogs in education]//)

A blog (or weblog) is a website in which items are posted and displayed with the newest at the top. Like other media, blogs often focus on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news. Some blogs function as online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. Since its appearance in 1995, blogging has emerged as a popular means of communication, a ffecting public opinion and mass media around the world. Authoring a blog, maintaining a blog or adding an article to an existing blog is called blogging. Individual articles on a blog are called “blog posts,” “posts” or “entries”. A person who posts these entries is called a blogger. A blog entry typically consists of the following: • Title - main title, or headline, of the post. • Body - main content of the post. • Comments - comments added by readers • Permalink - the URL of the full, individual article. • Post Date - date and time the post was published.

//**Blogs in Plain English** -// Nice YouTube video to grasp the basics of blogging

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= **Some free tools for creating blogs** = ​ Blogger WordPress TypePad

There is a wealth of blog tools on the Web -all you need is browse through!

= Using blogs in your classroom = ** If you've never blogged and/or used blogging as a teaching tool, you can follow these simple tips:  ** 1. Start your own blog on any subject of your choice and update it regularly. 2. Start a class blog with simple announcements, homework assignments, and external links. 3. Have students to read other blogs. 4. Ask students to respond to posts on your own blog. 5. Ask students create and maintain a group blog. 6. Ask each student to start and maintain their own blog on a subject of their interest that related to the syllabus. a) post class -related information such as calendars, events, homework assignments and other pertinent class information. b) post class assignments and have students respond on their own weblogs, creating a kind of portfolio of their work. c) communicate with parents if you are teaching elementary school students. d) post prompts for writing. e) provide examples of classwork, vocabulary activities, or grammar games. f) provide online readings for your students to read and comment on. g) gather and organize Internet resources for a speci fic course, providing links to appropriate sites. h) post photos and comment on class activities. i) publish examples of good student writing done in class. j) create an online book club. k) make use of the commenting feature to have students publish messages on topics being used to develop language skills. l) post tasks to carry out project -based learning tasks with students. m) build a class newsletter, using student -written articles and photos they take. n) link your class with another class somewhere else in the world
 * How to use blogs in the classroom** (adapted from Anne Davis’ //EduBlog Insights//.)
 * You can start a class blog to…**

• their reactions to questions posted by you. • their reactions to photos you have posted. • journal entries. • results of surveys they carry out as part of a class unit. • their ideas and opinions about topics discussed in class.
 * You can encourage your students (either on your weblog using the comments feature or on their own weblogs ) to blog… **

• complete project work in small groups, assigning each group a di fferent task. • showcase products of project -based learning. • complete a WebQuest. =** Examples of class blogs **= Splash In! Bogdan Bosoanca’s English Class Georgetown Elementary School blog Room 9 Nelson Central Room 9's Writing Spot
 * You can also ask your class to create a shared weblog to…**