2.++Blogs

=**Lesson 2- Blogs**=

September 20-26
1. Explain what blogs are and how they work. 2. Explain how reading blogs can help a teacher build their own Personal Learning Network (PLN). 3. Create a teacher and/or student blog. 4. Explain how to use blogs in the classroom with students. Journal entry on wiki- 25 points Discussion participation- 25 points Product- Blog- 50 points
 * Upon completion of this module, the student will be able to:**
 * Grading for Module- 1 hour credit=100 points**

**Description:**
A blog is an on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences, hobbies or interests.

**Assignment:**

 * 1) Watch the slideshows and read the websites below in "Section 1- What is a blog?" to learn about blogs.
 * 2) On your Digital Dozen wiki, create a new page called "Blogs". On your "Blogs" page, write a definition of "blog" in your own words (imagine that a fellow teacher asks you, "What is a blog?" What would you say to explain blogs to him/her?)
 * 3) Explore some of the blogs listed in "Section 2- Read Some Blogs". Check out the Enrichment section at the bottom of this wiki page for instructions on using Google Reader to subscribe to blogs you like.
 * 4) Respond to discussion question #1 on the Discussion tab of this wiki page.
 * 5) Create a teacher blog using Schoolwires or student blogs using Kidblog.org or Edublogs. Refer to the handouts and tutorials in "Section 3- Create a Blog" for instructions. Write at least one post (article).
 * 6) Explore the websites and blog examples in "Section 4- Ideas for Using Blogs in the Classroom".
 * 7) Find several other good educational blog examples and list them on question #2 on the Discussion tab of this wiki page.
 * 8) On your "Blogs" page on your Wikispace, write your ideas for using blogs in your classroom (either teacher or student created). Add a link to the teacher or student blogs you created.
 * 9) Read the answers to the discussion questions posted by your fellow Digital Dozen classmates. Respond to any comments that you feel strongly about or feel you have something to add.

Section 1- What is a Blog?
What is a blog? http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/blog/blogbasics.cfm

media type="custom" key="6649455"
 * Blogs in Plain English**

Why should teachers blog? http://practicaltheory.org/serendipity/index.php?/archives/732-Why-Should-Teachers-Blog.html

Why should you teach your students to blog? media type="custom" key="6097691"

**Blogs by Area of Interest**
Finding Blogs on Topics That Interest You: __[]__

http://www.thethinkingstick.com/ http://www.thisweekinedtech.com/ http://ilearntechnology.com/ http://www.lucygray.org/weblog/ http://www.freetech4teachers.com/ http://blog.simplek12.com/ http://www.teach42.com/ http://www.whiteboardblog.co.uk/ http://edtechcentral.org/ http://cyber-kap.blogspot.com/ http://theedublogger.com/
 * Technology Integration**

http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/ http://practicaltheory.org/serendipity/ http://www.mguhlin.org/ http://1to1schools.net/ http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/
 * Administration**

http://www.thereadingworkshop.com/ http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/
 * Language Arts**

http://www.historyteachersattic.com/ http://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/blogdivided/
 * Social Studies**

http://www.oureverydayearth.com/
 * Science**

http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/ http://blog.mrmeyer.com/
 * Math**

http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/
 * Special Education**

http://www.theiphonemom.com/ http://www.tipb.com/ http://www.topiphoneresource.info/ http://www.whatsoniphone.com/ http://theikidsblog.com/blog/ http://justanotheriphoneblog.com/wordpress/ http://freeappalert.com/
 * iPhone**

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/ http://simplyrecipes.com/ http://blog.rachaelray.com/ http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/
 * Cooking**

http://www.burntorangenation.com/ http://www.40acressports.com/ http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/ http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/
 * Sports**

http://www.onlinedegrees.org/top-100-technology-blogs-for-teachers/
 * More...**

Section 3- Create a Blog
Schoolwires [|http://www.gcisd-k12.org] || || Kidblog (recommended K-5) [|http://www.kidblog.org] || http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KtWSaVdzkI || Edublogs (recommended 6-12) || ||
 * **Site** || **Tutorials** ||
 * Teacher Driven Blog
 * Student Driven Blogs
 * Student Driven Blogs

Section 4- Ideas for Using Blogs in the Classroom
Persuasive Writing http://east.mesa.k12.co.us/library/persuasivewritingblogs.htm

Using Blogs to Integrate Technology http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47

Using Blogs as Web Based Portfolios http://www.thethinkingstick.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Blogs-as-Web-Based-Portfolios.pdf

Goals and Benefits of Student Blogging http://www.thereadingworkshop.com/2009/10/goals-and-benefits-of-student-blogging.html

Introducing Blogging to Students: __[]__ __http://jdorman.wikispaces.com/blogworkshop__

**Samples of Student Driven Blogs**
Kindergarten-  __ http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=51141 __  Blogging with Students-  __ http://www.trailsoptional.com/2010/06/blogging-basics-with-students-2/# __  1st Grade-  __ http://kidblog.org/missdunsigersclass/ __  5th Grade-  __[]__

**Resources**
Student Blog Rubric  http://thereadingworkshop.wikispaces.com/Student+Blog+Rubric Blog Score Sheet  http://thereadingworkshop.wikispaces.com/Blog+Score+Sheet Encouraging Thoughtful Comments Before beginning a blog or wiki project with students, take some time to teach them HOW to write appropriate comments that will lead to meaningful discussions. Some good sentence starters are... This reminds me of…  This is similar to…   I wonder…   I realized…   I noticed…   I’d like to know…   I’m surprised that…   If I were _, I would   Although it seems…   I’m not sure that…

Enrichment
Subscribing to Blogs/ RSS Feeds: __http://karenogen.blogspot.com/2010/06/subscribing-to-blogs-and-sites-with.html__ __http://jdorman.wikispaces.com/RSS__

Using Google Reader to Subscribe to Blogs:

Google Reader in Plain English media type="custom" key="7094069"

Other Ways to Read Blogs: __[]__