Some ITSers have commented that they are not able to see their post upfront on their blog or that their comments are not viewed in the same way as in other blogs. Dave G. from Loudoun discovered that this is a layout issue and suggests that you revisit the templates and look at them closely in terms of how each presents the main blog posts and how comments are handled.
A feature that has been used in some of the blogs is one that allows the Blogger to approve comments before they are published. For those of you using this feature, what do you think about your choice to enable this feature?
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
First Week of Blog activity
Our 0709ITS blog adventure is well underway! I'm pleased to announce that everyone has initiated a blog and most are actively posting and commenting. One sentiment that has been shared among many when describing past blog reading experiences is that blogs can be very boring to read. Others have commented on the use of blogs as boring online journals. What is missing from these blogs? To me it is clear that a major consideration for blog writing is The Audience.
So one instructional benefit for using blogs is that blogs promote skills associated with writing for an audience. Be sure to check out all the pedagogical implications in Richardson's blog chapters. There are plenty more.
As you write your own blogs, be conscious of those techniques you've learned and hope to share with your students about how to write for an audience. Are you captivating your audiences? Check to see the quantity and quality of the comments you are receiving :)
So one instructional benefit for using blogs is that blogs promote skills associated with writing for an audience. Be sure to check out all the pedagogical implications in Richardson's blog chapters. There are plenty more.
As you write your own blogs, be conscious of those techniques you've learned and hope to share with your students about how to write for an audience. Are you captivating your audiences? Check to see the quantity and quality of the comments you are receiving :)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Where has the time gone?
It has been two years since I've updated this blog! My initial intention was to journal my way through my quest to understand Web 2.0 tools. It's not like I haven't been learning about them. I read about them, used them, helped design a course about them, taught the course, and then studied the experience. The result? A fantastic article co-written with Priscilla and published in Computers in the Schools.
After experimenting with Wikis, Blogs, and Podcasts, I am now investigating Facebook and social networking. I recently came across an article that outlined the trends in Higher Education. One of those trends indicated an increase in student use of Facebook for classroom collaborations, creating a situation where the traditional Blackboard discussion boards are used less and less by students for discussing course issues.
When I created my Facebook account, I was given the option to connect to my school Blackboard site for the purpose of receiving course announcements in my Facebook account. Since I was creating the announcements in my Blackboard courses, I didn't see the value of it. But what about for students? How much time and energy do our graduate students spend on Facebook?
I could just ask them, but I think I'm going to 'friend' as many as I can. So far what I've learned is that I know a lot about my students that I never would have known before. I'm still exploring the notion that this information actually helps build my relationships with the students and has educational value.
In the 2nd Edition of Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, and Podcast, the is an addition to the chapter on Social networking that focuses on Twitter. I will add that tool on my list to learn about and better understand in terms of educational value.
After experimenting with Wikis, Blogs, and Podcasts, I am now investigating Facebook and social networking. I recently came across an article that outlined the trends in Higher Education. One of those trends indicated an increase in student use of Facebook for classroom collaborations, creating a situation where the traditional Blackboard discussion boards are used less and less by students for discussing course issues.
When I created my Facebook account, I was given the option to connect to my school Blackboard site for the purpose of receiving course announcements in my Facebook account. Since I was creating the announcements in my Blackboard courses, I didn't see the value of it. But what about for students? How much time and energy do our graduate students spend on Facebook?
I could just ask them, but I think I'm going to 'friend' as many as I can. So far what I've learned is that I know a lot about my students that I never would have known before. I'm still exploring the notion that this information actually helps build my relationships with the students and has educational value.
In the 2nd Edition of Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, and Podcast, the is an addition to the chapter on Social networking that focuses on Twitter. I will add that tool on my list to learn about and better understand in terms of educational value.
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