We need to know about … Blogs

1. We need to know about …Blogs Dr Andrew Oliver LTDU & BLU University of Hertfordshire

2. Before we start • Copies of these slides are available from a.oliver@herts.ac.uk • The slide notes include more details • Also documents ‘How can I use blogs & wikis in my teaching?’

3. Blogs: what are they? Blog = web and log = a webpage with diary elements

4. Typically… • Items posted on regular basis • Read in reverse order (dated) • Unedited / conversational tone (uncensored) • Readers can leave comments - extend topic • Link to other blogs (blogosphere – the more popular the more links, (similar to Google, Amazon) • Readers can: • search (keyword) • subscribe (RSS) to receive updates

5. Some examples • Reflection & commentary • Blog of proximal development (secondary school) • ICT in my Classroom(primary school) • Storytelling • Blade376 (YouTube vlog) • News with commentary (social bookmarking): • Stephen’s Web (Stephen Downes) • Educational Technology

6. UH examples • School of Education • Sally Graham (tutor blog) • Lynn Bhania (tutor blog) • Joanna Teague (research journal) • Susan Richmond (‘how to’) • Amy Clark (student reflection) • E-learning Now (StudyNet) & external (journal & info dissemination) • Ashley Pinn (BBC & commentary) • Angela Dimond & Monica Rivers-Latham (info dissemination) • Tim Wilson (CEO blog) • UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL

7. Before we begin • Personal blog = portal blog • Class blog = module website blog • Group blog = group based blog in the module website* • Tags = categories = keywords * set up using the group work facility

8. Personal blogs Students use their own blogs and create posts REFLECTING on: • A specific topic (e.g. in-class lecture, assigned topic) • Current news & topical events • Research & learning progress (journalising) Encourage each student to read and comment on other members’ blog and.. …the tutor does the same!

9. Personal blogging – Some Ideas Ask students to post: • ideas/questions for future in-class discussion • about placement experiences (e.g. using specific strategies for student teaching) • reflections on assigned reading / research (journalising) and with tutor posting news, reflections on current events (daily, weekly)

10. Other ideas… • Diary of research progress • Idea sharing with experts from outside the classroom, e.g. visiting lecturers • Orientation of new students (and even staff) • Placement diary to share insights and get feedback • Incremental publishing (chapter, paper section a day) • Video blogs (YouTube) • Book & paper reviews • Photo blog (Flickr)

11. The Growing Post • student creates & maintains one post • keep editing as new insights occur • each student reads each others growing post & leave comments • Example:   • student answers a different question everyday with a separate growing post • or an assignment over a period of days/week 

12. Growing post cont. Assessment: • Ask student to do a self evaluation & leave it as a comment on their growing post • Asks the student to evaluate 2 other students & leave comments • Finally tutor adds own evaluation to each growing post (as a comment).

13. Growing Post: examples • View growing post examples here(sp8mathzone.pbwiki.com/) •  View Harbeck presentation here with audio, (www.slideshare.net/charbeck1/growing/).

14. Blog + Blog = Blogosphere (Community = Social Network) • Encourage students to link blogs together: • Creates a community of like-minded individuals. • Share and disseminates ideas • Builds knowledge collaboratively • Foster development of critiquing skill (given & receiving) • Generates a positive community based support • Again the tutor does the same! • NB - primary school blogs often link to each other

15. Class Blogs All students (and staff) contribute to a central blog • They can comment on each others blog posts • Typically each student has their own category / tag • Everything in one place, rapid development of content • More collaborative but does sacrifice autonomy

16. Class Blogs - Ideas • As per individual blogs • Use designated individual bloggers (weekly rota) • Combine with designated bloggers for other classes • Use as an info repository for students to use in their own blog

17. Scribe Posting • Single student summarises class activity on class blog • Different student every session • Outcome : course text by students for students

18. Scribe Posts: examples • Mr. Armstrong's U.S. History Wiki • armstrong-history.wikispaces.com • Class Scribe Prompt & Example scribe post • View scribe examples here (thescribepost.pbwiki.com) •  View Harbeck presentation here with audio, (www.slideshare.net/charbeck1/scribepost-119097).

19. Personal Blog + Class Blogs (+ Wiki) • Students post entries in their own blog and then post a summary to the class blog for feedback (comments). OR • Students post information to the class blog and then use their own blog to reflect on selected class blog posts. • Collaborate on a class wiki to produce final version / topic view

20. Group Blogs + Class Blogs • Set up group blogs based on projects • Group members communicate with each other • Allow other groups to view each group blog (or not…) • Use the class blog for students to post summaries NB the tutor posts regularly to the class blog

21. Group blogs & communities Pre HE students are already engaged in this activity… • Priestsic6 - Primary school (year 6). • Photo blog and wiki • The 6E Bunch – Grade 6. • Write about ‘War of the Worlds’. • Create videos & embed ( youTube). • Student artwork showcased for comment. • Hope CE Primary School • A great student post here with feedback from peers (some international).

22. Podcasts + Blogs + Wikis • Pre record lecture for preparation (precasting) • Use the in-class time for social discussion on audio • Extend discussion through group blogs • Each group places a summary in a central wiki • All class members add their thoughts to the wiki

23. Sustaining blogging • Blogs are ‘conversations’ • What starts in the blog should continue into the class (and vice versa) • Example: Fisher’s ‘Starbucks’ class (here) • The ‘Youbric’ – involve students in deciding assessment, Jeff Utecht

24. Case Study: School of Education • 140 first year students (Professional Studies: Learning & Teaching). • pre lecture & follow up tasks that invited them to post entries onto their personal blogs • Emphasis on building communities • Sally Graham, Joy Jarvis • Plus Lynn Bhania: blogs for teaching assistants (Foundation Degree students)

25. Personal Benefits As a poster: • Creative outlet - user can express & ‘find their independent learning voice’ • Writing for an audience - Iterative: improves writing & self critiquing skills (incr. confidence) • Focus research: helps refine & develop ideas • Enhance & establish reputation (edublogs) • Reflection, reflection, reflection

26. Personal Benefits As a reader • Research • Tagged entries : categorised knowledge pool • Easy to access than obscure journal • Keep up to date & spot emergent trends And for both author & reader • Blog encourages feedback – conversation between author & reader

27. Group & Community Benefits • Comments & linking: foster a growth of community (e.g. School of Education). • Peer to peer learning (knowledge building thru sharing, debate, challenges) • Collaborative filtering : good ideas spread, bad ones DON’T .e.g. E-Learning Now (on StudyNet) • Self correcting through peer review

28. Challenges Nature of blogs… • Web diary = private, i.e. autonomy is with the blogger • Volatile: content can change or disappear • Not moderated / uncensored • Intellectual property can be misused or exploited • Open to public (but UH can be private) • Good ideas spread but …repetition leads to ‘echo chamber effect’

29. Challenges II • "We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.“ Robert Wilensky • Content can be: • Biased • Uninformed • Inaccurate • NO vetting, no review • But MAY be seen as authoritative and factual • Likened to an online soapbox • Student require an AWARENESS • (e.g. they should use multiple sources for their info)

30. External Examples • Old Daily: Stephen Downes • Tama’s eLearning Blog: Tama Leaver • EdTechTalk (podcasting blog) • My life with bad English (video blog -reflective) • Allegheny College (has a MySpace page) • Blade376 (UH student) (YouTube video blog ‘vlog’)

31. More school blogging • 5/6P ALLSTARS – (year 4 to 6) • Check out this entry. The comments show how engaged the students are, (includes other schools as well). • Primary 7v Class Blog (year 7) • Also make & embed videos. • A.R.C. Tell the World • Tag for ‘moving on’ (which students discuss induction for secondary school) • Primary 7 – (year 6 and 7) • Tags for assignments and stories, (check out the Loch Ness Monster category).

32. And yet more… • Dingwall4 Primary school (year 4) • Room Twelve • Clunbury CE School Pupil Blog • Sandaig Otters Weblog • Belmore South Primary School.

33. And yet more… • Dingwall4 Primary school (year 4) • Room Twelve • Clunbury CE School Pupil Blog • Sandaig Otters Weblog • Belmore South Primary School.

34. And the teachers… • Classroom Displays • about classroom display ideas and bulletin boards.

35. Where can I find them? • Blogger www.blogger.com • edublogs.org www.edublogs.org (17,900 academic users, Aug 2006) • warwickblogs blogs.warwick.ac.uk (for Warwick only!, 4000 blogs) • myspace www.myspace.com (100 mill users, 70% actively socialising) • youTube (www.youTube.com) Look for Blade376 • And on STUDYNET: go to Social > Blog Central and search

36. Where can I get one? • For yourself: • You already have one – it’s in StudyNet (portal left side) • It can be private or public (rest of UH) • For group blogs: • Module website • ‘StudyNet Groups’ (top menu) • For the outside world: www.edublogs.org • But UH is better – build a network of research & knowledge

37. And finally • Don’t take my world for it • 6 & 7 year olds from Nelson Central School (New Zealand) talk about blogs: what they are, what they like about them. • Click here

38. References • Hubbell, E.R., 2006. And yet another favor to ask.... [online]. Comment to Nancy McKeand. Sent Saturday 18 March 2006, 09:29. Available from: http://namckeand.blogspot.com/2006/03/and-yet-another-favor-to-ask.html [cited 29 August 2007]. • Kakos, 2006. And yet another favor to ask.... [online]. Comment to Nancy McKeand. Sent Friday 17 March 2006, 16:28. Available from: http://namckeand.blogspot.com/2006/03/and-yet-another-favor-to-ask.html [cited 29 August 2007]. • Johnston, J., 2007. Classroom Organisation. classroomblogging. [online]. Available from: http://classroomblogging.wikispaces.com/Classroom+organisation [cited 29 August 2007]. • Mejias, U., 2006. Teaching social software with social software. Innovate. [online]. 2 (5). Available from: http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=260 [cited 29 August 2007]. • Stevens, A., 2006. Using BLOGS in the classroom… some ideas. Musings From The Academy. [online]. Available from: http://musingsfromtheacademy.wordpress.com/2006/02/14/using-blogs-in-the-classroom-some-ideas [cited 29 August 2007].

39. ‘How to’ series • How to Blog in 5 minutes (Word) • How to Wiki in 5 minutes (Word) • How to create a Podcast in 5 minutes (Word) • How to convert audio files to MP3 in 5 minutes (Word) • How to use RSS in 5 minutes (Word)

40. ‘You need to know…’ series • You need to know about Podcasting (Slides) • You need to know about Podcasting: a teaching and learning guide (Word) • You need to know about Online Discussions: a teaching and learning guide (Word) • You need to know about Blogs (Slides) • You need to know about Wikis (Slides) • You need to know about RSS (Slides) • You need to know about Web 2.0 (Slides) • You need to know about Computer Assessment (Slides) • You need to know about Effective Question Design (Slides) • You need to know about Electronic Voting Systems (Slides)

41. Also available: • Podcasting: audio talk on the benefits of podcasting (hi quality) • Computer Assessment: using statistic analysis to design effective questions For copies please contact: Dr Andrew Oliver. LTDU, College Lane LRC (a.oliver@herts.ac.uk, ext. 4754).