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I'm curious about using Blogs in the course room. I understand a Blog is an online journal. Is a Blog something that multiple people can access and share information? Or, is a Blog something that only one person updates?
Thank you
Michele

Michele,

Blogs are when one person is in control and you can reply but not add to the original content. Wikis will allow multiple people to add to the primary content as well as provide comments.

Dr. Kelly Wilkinson

Another option is to create one class blog for the entire class, with the password something like ENGL1600 (the class name and number), so that everyone in the class has access to the blog. That way, everyone can post on the same blog. I have seen this used successfully in classes before, but they must be small classes (20 or fewer students). I have tried having students create individual blogs before, but with a class size of 35, students got very confused as to where the blogs were, how to find them, etc. (I did post the list of blogs several times and in several places: the course website and the LMS, a class list of links in Delicious.com, etc.) Students seem to need and want a LOT of extra hand-holding if you are going to venture out beyond the LMS.

Erin:
Thanks for sharing the comments about number of students. Definitely something to keep in mind when setting up a blog.

Erin,

Great post! You could put students in blog groups and rotate them around. This would be much more manageable. I agree with you, if you go outside your LMS, it can get tricky as students will struggle.

Dr. Kelly Wilkinson

Carla,

Think about blogs as groups and rotate students around. Most LMS will help you create groups with Blogs attached.

Dr. Kelly Wilkinson

Is there a particular site one can visit that explains how to create a blog, update a blog, and promote a blog?

John,

Look at this site and see if this helps http://www.buildyourownblog.net/?utmx=1-18&gclid=COik793iwL0CFSISMwodYngATA

Dr. Kelly Wilkinson

Blogs are an essential component of any media or teaching site. They are here to stay and to improve. I have just started one in my current class.

Brian,
How will you assess their work? I am curious regarding evaluating.

Dr. Kelly Wilkinson

Michele

Blogs are generally developed by a single person although there can be a group of people who are contributors to a blog. A blog, unlike a wiki, however, can not be updated by multiple individuals. Multiple individuals, nonetheless, can access a blog and post a comment.

Each of my students are required to develop their own blog from a website that I direct them to. From there, they are expected to post weekly reflections that are tied into each of their writing assignments. I also require students to post a comment to any of their classmates blog each week as well.

The objective obviously is to get students to think and write and respond. It works pretty well. I, too, post comments to all of my students' blogs.

Linda,

Thank you for sharing! This is a great strategy for using blogs. They need to be able to read information and to summarize or paraphrase it. I am thinking i may use this in my writing courses. . . . .

Dr. Kelly Wilkinson

I have used blogs in the past and they have been extremely useful.

Grace,

How do you use them? Research? Writing?

Dr. Kelly Wilkinson

Thanks for this excellent idea. I've started blogs in the past and haven't had a single post -- probably because I don't award any points for participation. The weekly reflection assignment would change all that.

This is exactly what I've done in the past with little success. (It's lonely writing a blog and never receiving any responses, which I assume happens because I don't award any points for posts.) Do you use the blog instead of discussion boards? Personally I've had much better success with discussion boards, where I require students to post an initial thread, then respond in a meaningful way to two other students' posts. This IS a graded assignment, which no doubt is the reason why participation is at virtually 100%.

Eileen,

I use a weekly reflection assignment through a tool similar to a blog. It is a professional development blog and they have to build their professional development tool kit and the blog is where they assess their needs then create a development plan. Others can be included in the plan.

Dr. Kelly Wilkinson

Eileen,

I do great blogs; I use a rubric. I have used it instead of discussion board with mixed results. I will push students to look at expert blogging and glean information and weigh in on its credibility.

Dr. Kelly Wilkinson

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