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What is a Blog? A Brief History, Background and Examples. Cynthia Sistek-Chandler, Ed D School of Media and Communication, EDT 600A Originally created by M. Ribble College of Education, Kansas State University Office of Mediated Education. What are Blogs.
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What is a Blog? A Brief History, Background and Examples Cynthia Sistek-Chandler, Ed D School of Media and Communication, EDT 600A Originally created by M. Ribble College of Education, Kansas State University Office of Mediated Education
What are Blogs • Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines a blog as a “website that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks provided by the writer. • Wikipedia goes on to talk about the range of blogs from “individual diaries to arms of political campaigns, media programs, and corporations”.
Where Did It Begin? • Term “weblog” coined in 1997 by Jorn Barger then shortened to “blog” by Peter Merholz in 1999. • Its precursors were AP Wire, Ham radio “glogs”, Usenet, e-mail lists and bulletin boards. Source - Wikipedia.com, accessed: 8/26/2005
How Did It Become So Popular? • Political Influence - 2001-2002, fall of Trent Lott, rise of Howard Dean and Wesley Clark • 2003, Iraq War - “Baghdad Blogger” • 2004, “Rathergate” - bloggers exposed documents as forgeries Source: Wikipedia.com, Accessed 8/26/2005
Blogs Today • 27% of American Internet Users visited a blog in 2005, up 58% from 2004 • Blog readers tend to be young, male, well-educated, internet veterans • 12% of American internet users have posted comments on others blogs up from 4% in 2003. • See additional research in PDF in course resources. Source: pewinternet.org, The State of Blogging Report (January 2005)
So How Can They Be Used In Education? • Instructors - posting content related information, networking or knowledge sharing, instructional tips, announcements, annotated links • Students - reflective journals, assignment submission, dialog for groups, share resources
Issues/Problems in Blogging • Students/people can write just about anything - and sometimes do • Things written today may be held against you in the future • Where is the boundary between freedom of speech and my rights?