Blogger Help

For those of you using blogger for the first time, here is a help link you may find useful. http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=104226

I want to thank all of the class participants for their willingness to try blogging. One question a couple people asked was about the value of maintaining a blog. (I loved the Talking Heads quote by the way). Essentially, maintaining a blog is just another form of conversation, perhaps most like an open letter. When we write, we usually have an audience in mind, but with a blog the possibility of a chance encounter and a spontanious conversation exists. Blogs are a written form of conversation, something that was ephemeral, now in a retrievable format. Yes, it can be just more bother about nonsense, but then again that is the question about most forms of communication. What is it good for?

Flexible Blogging Class Agenda

Agenda:

Check in. How are we? What would we like to accomplish today?

Example blog overview, with a short tour of linked sites.

Assignment one: tour linked blogs individually, note strengths weaknesses and possible topics for further discussion. (hint there are some great models to borrow ideas from and some provocative articles/blog entries to read)

Assignment two: Create your own blog. Choose: Blogger, Wordpress, LiveJournal or another blogging site. Create a blog with a name and at least one post. Ask peers for help as needed.

Discussion and debrief: We will share links to our new blogs and discuss potential uses of blogging in a classroom. Discussion regarding content of various blogs is welcome.

Welcome Peers

Greetings secondary technology folk. Welcome to my blog. Please take a few moments to look around, and leave a comment or two. Follow the blog roll links on the side to view various educational blogs. These examples offer good models for educational uses of blogging. My goals for the day are:

1. To explore uses of blogging as an educational tool.
2. To create our own blog ring, by starting individual blogs and linking them together.
3. To find an interesting article or blog entry to discuss. Many of the sites linked here contain advice for new teachers and political content worth consideration.

Creating your own blog is an optional activity, blogs can generally be set for private or public viewing. The process of making a blog is different in different programs. Blogger is linked to gmail, which is why I chose it as my starter blog. I am less familiar with the other blog sites. It may be worth our while to explore them today.

Consider the implications of technology. This article may be a good place to start a discussion on the impact technology has on our capacity to endure solitude. http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i21/21b00601.htm

As we discuss the uses of technology in the classroom, it is worthwhile to consider the larger implications of instant communication. Consider the issue of solitude, http://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=HBxTqPRnDSwhYzKHPSwQ33gRpyDxPSfm. Then consider or reconsider the text by Postman, N. Amusing Ourselves to Death. In what fundamental ways are we shifting as new technologies appear?

Cupcakes Take to the Street and Other Lesson Plans

As you know I've been thinking a bit about technology-based instruction, today I came across an art project that I think could be made into an engaging curriculum piece. Cupcakes taking to the street http://www.cakespy.com/2009/01/taking-it-to-sweet-cupcake-street-art.html. I'm envisioning a project where kids choose their own theme, and then decorate with messages. They would then get together and document their work in a collaborative manner, like the linked artist used cupcakes. Just a thought.

ICP's and New Technology

As I've been considering new technology and how each tool works I've been trying new functions on Gmail and elsewhere. I am interested in trying Twitter, but will first need to update my phone. Essentially Twitter in classroom use or on field trips can be used for activities like scavenger hunts and collaborative research. here is a link to Twitter featuring an advertising video describing what it can do:

http://dotsub.com/api/smallplayer.php?filmid=3066&filminstance=3068&language=none

Other services I've been experimenting with are RSS feeds, Google Reader, and Google Chrome. Each appears useful, but I need to learn some tricks about optimizing in order to enhance feature usability. As I've been experimenting I came across this valuable blog for elearning beginners:

http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2006/08/first-time-visitor-guide.html

Articles cover a number of interesting ways to optimize ICP's.

Updating the Blog

This week I added the Ilike music gadget and showed Masao how to create a blog. One interesting post found elsewhere discussed Obama's use of internet technology. Take a look http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/01/20/barack-obamas-web-wasteland/.

Initial questions about blogging:

A. How is this format supported?
B. Would blogging be an alternative to Moodle?
C. How do I set this up?
D. Are there other comparable blogging sites?
E. Can I post pictures here?

Initial answers:

A. Advertising? I need to read further about this.
B. Blogging is a good addition to Moodle, but it may not be sufficient as a replacement to Moodle. This is worth further discussion.
C. Sign in with your email account, blogger works particularly well with gmail. Other formats need to be tested. Follow directions provided. Once you have a blog you can set privacy options, add gadgets, and experiment with the layout. The initial layout is not set in stone, you can change it as you go along.
D. Wordpress.com, LiveJournal and other blogging services are available. I haven't tried all of them yet.
E. Yes, you can host pictures, audio, and video but I usually choose to import only the materials that go with the current blog. Video, audio, text, and pictures are typically hosted on other sites and imported into a blog as a link, a slideshow or via a gadget.

As I learn more I'll add more information. For an initial overview of blogging take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

Uplinking Text and Lessons: Google Docs

Today I've discovered that I can upload text via Google docs. I hope to use this application or something like this as a way to upload lessons and other materials. Using tables is not as feasible, I'm having some difficulty with spacing in the blog. I may need to find a new format for my lesson plans. 

Week Two: Curriculum and Lesson Plans In Development

As of week two, secondary technology in the TESC MIT program is developing some momentum. Students are returning to Dreamweaver and working on personal websites. I am opting to utilize a blog because the Evergreen website phases out after graduation. I hope to use this blog over a longer period of time. Our assignment is to annotate a series of websites, create a series of lessons, and experiment with new technology. 

I am curious about linking word documents. Here is a test: differentiation lesson. Hmm, that didn't work. It appears that I need to post my documents somewhere online in order to link to it. I can use my TESC site and plan for it to eventually disappear or try another tact. Let me think, what other options do I have?

Introduction

Educational technology and I are about to deepen our relationship. Today's entry is a placeholder, I plan to add links, curriculum, and other lovely materials in the coming weeks.