Blogs and Wikis

Blogs and Wikis Students on the Web! Gladys Baya Ma. Claudia Bellusci Feb. 2007 "All learning begins when our comfortable ideas turn out to be inadequate." John Dewey

Our inadequate ideas
The web is a reading space ( NOW Web 2.0)
Reading is a linear activity ( NOW hypertext)
A piece of writing is the intelectual creation of an individual ( NOW linking and citing)
Knowledge is centralised -in the hands of the best-educated/teacher ( NOW distributed knowledge)
The teacher is the only one to make curricular decisions ( NOW student-centered class)

TASK ONE: What do you know about blogs? Answer True or False :
A blog post is a hypertextual piece of writing composed by an individual.
New posts come at the bottom of the page.
You can edit a post even after it has been published.
Any contributor can edit somebody else’s post.
You can set up a blog for free.
You must have a server to set up a blog.
You must have a basic knowledge of HTML to run a blog.
Only the owner of the blog can post entries.
Unfortunately, there is no way to block hurtful, offensive comments.

All the examples in this presentation are taken from
www.blogger.com

A blog post is a hypertextual piece of writing composed by an individual.
True

2. New posts come at the bottom of the page.
False

3. You can edit a post even after it has been published.
True Quick Editing

4. Any contributor can edit somebody else’s post.
False

5. You can set up a blog for free.
True

6. You must have a server to set up a blog. False
All you need to blog is:
Access to the Internet
Time to write
Something to say

7. You must have a basic knowledge of HTML to run a blog.
False

8. Only the owner of the blog can post entries.
But False

9. Unfortunately, there is no way to block hurtful, offensive comments.
False Settings Comments Prevents human spamming or inappropriate comments CAPTCHA (" C ompletely A utomated P ublic T uring test to tell C omputers and H umans A part")

Safety Features: Readers anybody only people I choose only blog authors Settings Permissions

“ A weblog is a website that is updated regularly and organised chronologically according to date, and in reverse order from most recent entry backwards. Weblogs can also provide decentralised access rights which allows multiple authors.” ( Ward, 2004 )
What is a blog then?

How to create your own blog www.blogger.com

Step 1 – Create an account

Step 2 – Name your blog

Step 2 – Name your blog (cont.)

Step 3 – Choose a template

Posting

Page Elements

Add or edit page elements
Lists
Links
Pictures
Texts
HTML/Javascript code (widgets)
Ads
Feeds
Logo
Profile
Archive
Header

HTML/Javascript (widgets)

Drag, drop and save

Blog is ready!

TASK TWO: Benefits of blogging for writing Unscramble the letters !
Gets the students in the of writing
Provides a real beyond the classroom walls
Language practice goes beyond class
Editing and are done naturally
Offers extra opportunities for and writing.
Students develop presence and technological skills
Helps them upon their own opinions, feelings and interests
Students the inhibitions of face-to-face interactions
Provides an opportunity to teach about responsible writing and respectful
creativity.
TIBAH AUIECDNE OUHRS INGWRITRE RDNGIAE BEW LFEECRT LESO CRTCSMIII ENCESHAN HABIT AUDIENCE HOURS REWRITING READING WEB REFLECT LOSE CRITICISM ENHANCES

Why blog?
What makes weblogs attractive to EFL/ESL educators is that they give students a chance to put what they are learning in the classroom to use in expressive , interactive ways. In addition to reading and writing practice , blogs allow learners to share their personal thoughts and ideas , and to meet and interact with people around the world doing the same. The resulting conversations expose learners to authentic uses of the language , stimulating and challenging them in ways that classroom experiences cannot. This is particularly helpful for EFL learners, for whom immersion is unlikely. ( Campbell A., 2005)

Example:
APCampbell’s blog ( http://e- poche.net /)
Example:
Writing at Work Level 6 ( http://wew6. blogspot.com /)
Examples:
Fun009 ( http://fun009.blogspot.com/ )
Jennifer’s Second English Blog ( http://spring2007umd. blogspot.com / )
Types of blogs Teacher Class Student To parents To peers To students

TASK THREE: Different types of blogs Fill in the blanks :
Have Fun with English 2 ( http://fwe2.motime.com/ )
LwC Film Festival ( http://lwcfilmfestival.blogspot.com/ )
Interactive Chatting Teddies ( http:// www.talkingteds.blogspot.com / )
In Need of Coffee ( http://seventhirtyblues.blogspot.com/ )
My English Blog ( http://melnoia.blogspot.com/ )
Shelby’s blog ( http://shelbyc6e.learnerblogs.org/ )

Blog Web-hosts popular among educators
Blogger ( http://www.blogger.com/ )
Edublogs ( http://edublogs.org/ )
Blog ( http:// www.blog.com / )
Xanga ( http://www.xanga.com/ )
Wordpress ( http://wordpress.com/ )
Blogs.free-esl ( http://blogs.free-esl.com/ )

A piece of advice
As far as possible, let your students choose their own topics
Don’t be too strict with grammar. Simply remind students to read their posts before submitting them and to avoid improper language.
Respond to student posts quickly, writing a short comment related to the content.
Ask questions about what the learner writes to create stimulus for writing.
Encourage and even require your students to comment on their classmates’ blogs.
Ask your students to add you as an administrator to their blogs, in case they forget their password or post something improper that needs be deleted or edited.
Use the mail notification feature in the Settings to keep track of your students’ posts and comments.
Make sure your students don’t reveal personal information
Make your blogging expectations and objectives clear from the very beginning to encourage self-evaluation.
Connect blogging with the rest of your curriculum
Get in touch with other classes with whom your students might interact.

I Started A Blog Nobody Read by Sprites ( http:// www.myspace.com /sprites )
I started a blog, which nobody read When I went to work I blogged there instead I started a blog, which nobody viewed It might be in cache, the topics include:
George Bush is an evil moron What’s the story with revolving doors? I’m in love with a girl who doesn’t know I exist Nobody hates preppies anymore

I started a blog, but nobody came No issues were raised, no comments were made I started a blog, which nobody read I’ll admit that it wasn’t that great But if you must know, here’s what it said:
One hundred of my favorite albums Two hundred people I can’t take Four hundred movies I would like to recommend Ten celebrities, four of whom I might assassinate
I started a blog, I sent you the link I wanted the world (you) to know what I think
I started a blog, but when I read yours It made me forget what I had started mine for

Build a community of readers
Share the link
Offer e-mail subscription: Feedblitz ( http:// www.feedblitz.com / )
Participate in a community of practice
Promote your blog:
Dekita ( http:// www.dekita.org /exchange ); MyBlogLog ( http:// www.mybloglog.com )

Blogs are excellent tools for self-expression. If you want your students to convey their feelings and opinions, use a blog!

References
What Exactly is a Blog Anyway? (Carvin A., 2006) http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/learning.now/2006/05/what_exactly_is_a_blog_anyway.ht
Blogging for ELT (Stanley G., 2005) http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/resources/blogging.shtml
Blogging: A Comparative Review ( Campbell A.,2005) http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/TESL-EJ/ej35/m1.pdf#search='Language%20teachers%20looking%20to%20use%20weblogs%20in%20their%20classes%20have%20a%20multitude%20of%20software%20applications%20 ‘
Weblogs for Use with ESL Classes. ( Campbell A., 2003) http :// iteslj.org / Techniques / Campbell - Weblogs.html
The Technology of Reading and Writing in the Digital Space (Parry D. 2006) http://blogsforlearning.msu.edu/articles/view.php?id=6
Why weblogs? (Richardson W. 2006) http://www.weblogg-ed.com/why-weblogs
Weblogg-ed Presentation Links. ( Richardson W. 2006) http :// webloggedlinks.pbwiki.com /
Blog Assisted Language Learning (BALL): Push button publishing for the pupils. (Ward, J. 2004 ) http://www.teflweb-j.org/v3n1/blog_ward.pdf

What is a wiki? Let’s ask some teachers! http :// www.youtube.com / watch?v = GL3wnvMoT0E

A wiki is a website that multiple people can edit.

What’s a wiki? (Match)
All you need is...
You can make your wiki public or private...
Data is backed up...
People who contribute to a wiki understand...
Each time the text has been changed...
The process is...
The end product is...
a new version is saved. the result of the group’s interactions. a computer with an Internet connection. controlling who can read and/or edit (some pages of) your wiki. the product. by the wiki hosts, and you can get back ups downloaded to your hard disk. that their words may be deleted or changed by others.

Writing without new technologies

Introducing a wiki into my class

Students visit the wiki!

Getting students to explore the wiki

Willing to contribute?

Editing the page...

Nothing is ever lost on a wiki!

Collaborative (guided writing) on a wiki

A collective product!

Computer-mediated communication?

Wiki-mediated writing

Wikis are excellent tools for collaboration .
If you want a group to work together,
use a wiki!
Why use wikis?

Benefits of writing for wikis
Improve the most challenging phase of the writing process :
Increase to consider other ways of saying things.
Build an awareness of a wider, more authentic
Stimulate discussion and reflection abot the writing
Help students articulate different conceptualizations of the same
RVSN, RVSN, RVSN! REVISION, REVISION, REVISION! FLXBLTY FLEXIBILITY DNC AUDIENCE PRCSS. PROCESS CNTNT CONTENT.

Starting a wiki with pbwiki :

Starting a wiki with wikispaces

Developing writing with wikis:
A continuing story in which the class adds sentence using new vocabulary words and writes and adventure story in collaboration with the entire class.
A writer’s workshop with suggested revisions from classmates. Get them to start with drafts and collaborate!
Summary and discussion chapter by chapter of a novel, with groups taking responsibility for different portions.
Publication of students' final work - e.g. letters of complaint (written as training for exams).
Intensive reading of actual text on the wiki- with links to a glossary to explain vocabulary, exercises on different aspects of the texts, etc. Each student or group could be responsible for a portion, then ALL can edit and revise to improve the collaborative project.
Creative writing projects, such as a travel brochure wiki, a cookery book or a virtual art gallery (with ongoing criticism and responses).
A collaborative project (e.g. interviews) with speakers in another location: A day in the life of an American/Japanese/French/German/Mexican family.

Obstacles you might face
Some teachers and students are uncomfortable about the advantages and disadvantages of public writing.
Students are sometimes reluctant to contribute to wikis because they lack confidence in their writing, they worry about not receiving credit for contributions, or they do not like their ideas, words, contributions being revised or deleted without consent.
Some technology averse students find the steps for editing or posting work daunting. They may also lack access to computers.
Use of visuals and design options at wikis is quite limited. This might put off some students, especially young ones.

BLOG or WIKI?
A collection of book / film reviews
A commented collection of useful links for your course, to which the students and the teacher contribute.
A follow-up discussion after the conversation class
A "Welcome-to-our-course!" table in which each student posts their picture, and a short introduction for others to get to know them
A collection of all materials required for a course (syllabus, assignments, calendar, etc.)
Metacognitive reflection after a course or module
BLOG BLOG BLOG WIKI WIKI WIKI

BLOG or WIKI? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsFU3sAlPx4

Thanks for having joined us today!

http://integrationtechnology.wikispaces.com	103
http://technointegration.wikispaces.com	79
http://ementor.coonarahouse.org.au	56
http://ticstraining.blogspot.com	16
http://fremdsprachenundneuemedien.blogspot.com	11
http://www.slideshare.net	4
http://eag.bcbsawiki.com	3
url_unknown	2
http://bethssecondlife.blogspot.com	2
http://www.edmodo.com	1
http://virtual.unach.edu.ec	1
http://www.linkedin.com	1

Blogs and Wikis

by Gladys Baya

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