The Blogging Phenomenon Its impact on Language Learning

overview What is a blog Blogging in learning : its roles Why blogging ? Blogs vs. Discussion Boards Using blogs in the classroom Types of blogs Features Tips Planning your blog Blogging software

What is a blog

Blogging in learning : its roles

Why blogging ?

Blogs vs. Discussion Boards

Using blogs in the classroom

Types of blogs

Features

Tips

Planning your blog

Blogging software

What is a blog ...? A blog (a portmanteau made by contracting the phrase "web log") is a website in which items are posted on a regular basis and displayed in reverse chronological order. Like other media , blogs often focus on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news. Some blogs function as online diaries . A typical blog combines text, images , and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. Since its appearance in 1995, blogging has emerged as a popular means of communication, affecting public opinion and mass media around the world .

A blog (a portmanteau made by contracting the phrase "web log") is a website in which items are posted on a regular basis and displayed in reverse chronological order. Like other media , blogs often focus on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news. Some blogs function as online diaries . A typical blog combines text, images , and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. Since its appearance in 1995, blogging has emerged as a popular means of communication, affecting public opinion and mass media around the world .

Weblogs can be seen as.... ways to improve our own writing just in time learning arenas places to share easy ways to create websites quickly ways to connect with others and make connections to learning perfect spots for quick writes places to visit daily, which provide elements of surprise places to collaborate

ways to improve our own writing

just in time learning arenas

places to share

easy ways to create websites quickly

ways to connect with others and make connections to learning

perfect spots for quick writes

places to visit daily, which provide elements of surprise

places to collaborate

Why blogging...? we can place lessons, assignments, and announcements online. expand students’ access to relevant materials by incorporating links enhance class interaction through online discussions and chats facilitate idea sharing motivate and prepare students for class maintain communication with absent students challenge students by placing quizzes and tests online get parents more involved by giving them access to their children’s assignments

we can place lessons, assignments, and announcements online.

expand students’ access to relevant materials by incorporating links

enhance class interaction through online discussions and chats

facilitate idea sharing

motivate and prepare students for class

maintain communication with absent students

challenge students by placing quizzes and tests online

get parents more involved by giving them access to their children’s assignments

Blogs vs. Discussion Boards stds can start their blogs easily easy to link to other websites supported discussion + informational posts= responsibility may have good search engines built-in go public stds can’t start their own DB not generally so imply discussion but less sense of responsibility not possible are private

stds can start their blogs easily

easy to link to other websites

supported discussion + informational posts= responsibility

may have good search engines built-in

go public

stds can’t start their own DB

not generally so

imply discussion but less sense of responsibility

not possible

are private

advantages of using blogs They allow instant publishing to the Internet They cost little or nothing They provide a comment feature that allows interaction from others They are dynamic and focus on content from the participants - listening, talking, collaborating, having a dialog, sharing They work for any subject They are empowering - they give everyone a voice They make writing THE focus - send the message that writing matters They promote ownership of work They allow us to learn from our students They allow us to reflect on our teaching and our student’s learning They allow the interchange of thoughts and ideas They are exciting - seeing others comment on your thoughts/anticipating comments and replies

They allow instant publishing to the Internet

They cost little or nothing

They provide a comment feature that allows interaction from others

They are dynamic and focus on content from the participants - listening, talking, collaborating, having a dialog, sharing

They work for any subject

They are empowering - they give everyone a voice

They make writing THE focus - send the message that writing matters

They promote ownership of work

They allow us to learn from our students

They allow us to reflect on our teaching and our student’s learning

They allow the interchange of thoughts and ideas

They are exciting - seeing others comment on your thoughts/anticipating comments and replies

Types of weblogs for use in EFL classrooms The Tutor Blog The Learner Blog The Class Blog

The Tutor Blog

The Learner Blog

The Class Blog

The Tutor Blog : Run by the tutor for the learner Gives daily reading practice to the learners Promotes exploration of English websites Encourages online verbal exchange by use of comment buttons Provides class or syllabus information Serves as a resource of links for self-study

Gives daily reading practice to the learners

Promotes exploration of English websites

Encourages online verbal exchange by use of comment buttons

Provides class or syllabus information

Serves as a resource of links for self-study

The Learner Blog Individual/ in groups Best suited for reading and writing classes: Virtual composition books Searching the web for sites to link, on the topic. Individual journals: track progress Inspire self reflection Mega-blogs can be run by tutors

Individual/ in groups

Best suited for reading and writing classes:

Virtual composition books

Searching the web for sites to link, on the topic.

Individual journals: track progress

Inspire self reflection

Mega-blogs can be run by tutors

The Class Blog : In conversation-based classes : used like Bulletin Boards to post messages, images, links related to topic/ thoughts Interm./advanced levels : stds can create online resources for others, developing research and writing skills.

In conversation-based classes : used like Bulletin Boards to post messages, images, links related to topic/ thoughts

Interm./advanced levels : stds can create online resources for others, developing research and writing skills.

Virtual space for international classroom language exchanges.

Virtual space for international classroom language exchanges.

Teachers could develop a classroom blog to.......... post short current events/ articles to invite students thoughts, reactions, and possible solutions create a literature circle post photos and ask students to create captions foster book discussions in the form of an online book club encourage student writing to demonstrate learning direct students to curriculum web sites and have them read and make responses communicate with another classroom stimulate entries about their learning and how this learning is relevant for them

post short current events/ articles to invite students thoughts, reactions, and possible solutions

create a literature circle

post photos and ask students to create captions

foster book discussions in the form of an online book club

encourage student writing to demonstrate learning

direct students to curriculum web sites and have them read and make responses

communicate with another classroom

stimulate entries about their learning and how this learning is relevant for them

invite one student a day to post a summary and reflections on the day's learning observe the growth of plants or animals or keep records of science experiments spot and record student kindnesses or good deeds develop new vocabulary: students create sentences/ a brief paragraph using new vocabulary enable students to post their ideas for the classroom/ school let student write short reviews of books they are enjoying reading post quotes and have students write their interpretation and apply it to something in their life

invite one student a day to post a summary and reflections on the day's learning

observe the growth of plants or animals or keep records of science experiments

spot and record student kindnesses or good deeds

develop new vocabulary: students create sentences/ a brief paragraph using new vocabulary

enable students to post their ideas for the classroom/ school

let student write short reviews of books they are enjoying reading

post quotes and have students write their interpretation and apply it to something in their life

Teachers could create an informational class blog to ...... post a daily/weekly synopsis of the curriculum taught publish homework assignments give a birdseye view of the class for parents honour and celebrate class achievements list class-related information such as calendars, events. show examples of good students’ work and the teacher's response to it provide a day-by-day description of a specific teaching unit take a moment out of the classroom day to share with family and friends

post a daily/weekly synopsis of the curriculum taught

publish homework assignments

give a birdseye view of the class for parents

honour and celebrate class achievements

list class-related information such as calendars, events.

show examples of good students’ work and the teacher's response to it

provide a day-by-day description of a specific teaching unit

take a moment out of the classroom day to share with family and friends

Teachers could create a reflective, journal type blog to.......... share ideas for teaching activities to use in the classroom share classroom technology management techniques make reflections on each teaching day explore important teaching and learning issues provide tips for beginning teachers spot gems of wisdom from the students in their classroom on any number of ideas produce how-to's on using specific technology programs in the curriculum keep a record of a new teaching project with what worked and what didn't

share ideas for teaching activities to use in the classroom

share classroom technology management techniques

make reflections on each teaching day

explore important teaching and learning issues

provide tips for beginning teachers

spot gems of wisdom from the students in their classroom on any number of ideas

produce how-to's on using specific technology programs in the curriculum

keep a record of a new teaching project with what worked and what didn't

You can have your students create their own weblogs to.......... complete class writing assignments create an ongoing portfolio of samples of their writing express their opinions on topics you are studying in class write comments, opinions, or questions on daily news items or issues of interest discuss activities they did in class and tell what they think about them write about class curriculum topics, newly-learned vocabulary words and idioms showcase their best writing pieces

complete class writing assignments

create an ongoing portfolio of samples of their writing

express their opinions on topics you are studying in class

write comments, opinions, or questions on daily news items or issues of interest

discuss activities they did in class and tell what they think about them

write about class curriculum topics, newly-learned vocabulary words and idioms

showcase their best writing pieces

You can also ask your class to create a shared weblog to... complete project work in small groups, assigning each group a different task showcase products of project-based learning complete a webquest

complete project work in small groups, assigning each group a different task

showcase products of project-based learning

complete a webquest

Features Comment feature Archiving entries Linking Permalink Blogrolls RSS feeds Photos/images Audio/video Moblogging Ipodding

Comment feature

Archiving entries

Linking

Permalink

Blogrolls

RSS feeds

Photos/images

Audio/video

Moblogging

Ipodding

Tips Keep it simple at first Nothing “right” or “wrong” Use your creativeness to motivate stds Don’t linger on every posting Post regularly Commnet on your fellow classmates’ commnets When quoting sources, give them credit Write sth about yourself Choose your links

Keep it simple at first

Nothing “right” or “wrong”

Use your creativeness to motivate stds

Don’t linger on every posting

Post regularly

Commnet on your fellow classmates’ commnets

When quoting sources, give them credit

Write sth about yourself

Choose your links

Planning your blog What purpose will it serve? What name will you give it? What content will it include? How will you organize it? Type of info? Students’ postings? What audience will it address?

What purpose will it serve?

What name will you give it?

What content will it include?

How will you organize it?

Type of info?

Students’ postings?

What audience will it address?

Weblog software without commercial advertising: http://pitas.com/ http://diaryland.com/ http://www.upsaid.com/ http://webcrimson.com/ http:// www.schoolblogs.com / commercial software http://www.blogger.com/

without commercial advertising:

http://pitas.com/

http://diaryland.com/

http://www.upsaid.com/

http://webcrimson.com/

http:// www.schoolblogs.com /

commercial software

http://www.blogger.com/

Sample Blogs Michael Coghlan’s http://mikecogh.blogspot.com/2005/07/greetings-to-those-at-rosario-efl.html Teresa Almeida d’Eça’s http ://www.malhatlantica.pt/teresadeca/school/fwe5-feb05.htm Ishbel Galloway http://www.sfu.ca/~igallowa/blogging/ Diaryland http://diaryland.com/ Sus Nyrup’s http://mysteryguest.blogspot.com/ ESL + EFL friendly blogs with comments http://www.eslgo.net/ Findory http://www.findory.com/ Dafne Gonzalez’s Student Vanessa’s http://vanessamartini.blogspot.com/ vBlog Central http://www.vblogcentral.com/ A Life in Wales http://alifeinwales.typepad.com/a_life_in_wales/ Red is an Apple http://www.schoolblogs.com/Val/ Our Class 2005 http://ourenglishclass2.blogspot.com/ CAE 2005 (my students’) http://cae2005.blogspot.com/ CALL SIG Rosario http://callsigrosario.blogspot.com/

Michael Coghlan’s

http://mikecogh.blogspot.com/2005/07/greetings-to-those-at-rosario-efl.html

Teresa Almeida d’Eça’s

http ://www.malhatlantica.pt/teresadeca/school/fwe5-feb05.htm

Ishbel Galloway

http://www.sfu.ca/~igallowa/blogging/

Diaryland

http://diaryland.com/

Sus Nyrup’s

http://mysteryguest.blogspot.com/

ESL + EFL friendly blogs with comments

http://www.eslgo.net/

Findory

http://www.findory.com/

Dafne Gonzalez’s Student Vanessa’s

http://vanessamartini.blogspot.com/

vBlog Central

http://www.vblogcentral.com/

A Life in Wales

http://alifeinwales.typepad.com/a_life_in_wales/

Red is an Apple

http://www.schoolblogs.com/Val/

Our Class 2005

http://ourenglishclass2.blogspot.com/

CAE 2005 (my students’)

http://cae2005.blogspot.com/

CALL SIG Rosario

http://callsigrosario.blogspot.com/