Antonio's+Blogs+Wiki

A ** blog ** (shortened form of the term web log) is a website that allows an individual to make regular postings of his or her personal commentary. Blogs are usually interactive, containing space for readers to leave comments. Blogs are typically about a specific topic such as sports, education or politics, or contain personal posts, acting as an online journal. Blog postings are published in reverse chronological order, so that the most recent post will appear on the top of the webpage. **  Examples of blogs   ** **  Educational uses   ** Blogs allow for two way communication, and thusly have many uses in the classroom. The website [|Teaching Today] offers many such uses on its website. Among them: **  Enhanced learning   ** Blogs enhance learning in several ways. They can help students learn by providing information to suit different learning modalities. On his blog [|The Thinking Stick] (2010), Jeff Utecht suggests using a blog as a "container", or a place to store information. He states that a blog could be considered a "place that allows you to pull in information from other parts of the web." Video, audio, slide shows, and other media can be imbedded in the blog for use in the classroom. In doing this students with various learning styles will benefit. Blogs are also a way for a teacher to do an informal assessment, viewing a student's posts over time. Teachers can then make changes to their instruction. Blogs are an effective way to collaborate. Students can view each other's posts and make comments, edit information, etc. Denise Johnson (2010) cites cases where an author will participate with readers via a blog. Blogging allows authors to "create a stronger connection with their readers" (p. 172). Students can gain a deeper understanding of a particular book, and can be further clued into the authors intentions and experiences. Custin and Barkacs (2010) advocate for taking blogging in the classroom a step further. Blogs should not only be used in an individual classroom, but should be used by all students in a particular course. Instead of only gaining the perspective of one teacher, "a joint blog shared by all sections of a common course will provide significant benefits to instructors and students" (p. 3). Teachers and students can share resources, and the gap between veteran and novice teachers could be bridged. **  Additional Resources   ** **  References   ** Ackerman, J.D. (2006). // Motivation for Writing Through Blogs //. Retrieved from http://etd.ohiolink.edu/send-pdf.cgi/Ackerman%20Jay%20D.pdf?bgsu1151331882 Crie, M. (2006). // Using Blogs to Integrate Technology in the Classroom //. Retrieved from http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47 Custin, R., & Barkacs, L. (2010). Developing sustainable learning communities through blogging. // Journal of Instructional Pedagogies //, v. 4, 1-8. Johnson, D. (2010) Teaching With Author's Blogs: Connections, Collaboration, Creativity. // Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy //, 54(3), 172-180. doi: 10.1598/JAAL.54.3.2. Smith, K. (2010). Using Blogs in a History Classroom. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/teaching-guides/22261 Utecht, J. (2010, March 29). What's Your Container? [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.thethinkingstick.com/whats-your-container Yu, C. (2011, February 6). A 7-Step Plan for Using Blogs in English Classes. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.knewton.com/blog/edtech/education-edtech/2011/02/06/how-to-use-blogs-in-your-english-classes
 * Blogs  **
 * [|Blogger]
 * [|WordPress]
 * [|EduBlogs]
 * Blogs are an important classroom management tool-all work done on the blog is easy to find
 * Students can collaborate on a specific topic
 * A blog is an excellent forum for discussion on an educational topic
 * Blogs can be used as digital record of student work-a digital portfolio
 * [|A 7-Step Plan for Using Blogs in English Classes]
 * [|Motivation for Writing Through Blogs]
 * [|Using Blogs in a History Classroom]