Law: Placement Blogs in Education How & Why

What is a Blog? … blog : short for ‘web-log’. … a shared online journal where people post diarised entries about their experiences, work, etc. … a personal or corporate website, in the form of an online journal, with new entries appearing in sequence as they are written. … a ‘blogger’ is a person who keeps and updates a blog. … ‘ blogging’ is the action of writing, editing, and managing a blog.

… blog : short for ‘web-log’.

… a shared online journal where people post diarised entries about their experiences, work, etc.

… a personal or corporate website, in the form of an online journal, with new entries appearing in sequence as they are written.

… a ‘blogger’ is a person who keeps and updates a blog.

… ‘ blogging’ is the action of writing, editing, and managing a blog.

Why do we Blog? “… to be heard, to have a voice.” “… to share knowledge and experience with a wider audience.” “… to meet and connect with people I wouldn’t normally have any contact with.” “… because I was told to!”

“… to be heard, to have a voice.”

“… to share knowledge and experience with a wider audience.”

“… to meet and connect with people I wouldn’t normally have any contact with.”

“… because I was told to!”

What does it all mean? Blog : Online Journal, Web-log. Blogger : He/she who writes a blog entry. Collaborative blog : multiple users contributing to same blog. Blogsphere : All blogs, or the blogging community. Photoblog : Blog containing mostly photos. Feed / RSS : News feed you can subscribe to from a blog. Blawg : a law blog.

Blog : Online Journal, Web-log.

Blogger : He/she who writes a blog entry.

Collaborative blog : multiple users contributing to same blog.

Blogsphere : All blogs, or the blogging community.

Photoblog : Blog containing mostly photos.

Feed / RSS : News feed you can subscribe to from a blog.

Blawg : a law blog.

What can a blog offer? Online ‘discussion’ through time-stamped comments. Audio entry: podcast. Video entries: vodcast / vlog. Submission via phone or email. ePortfolio Minimal technical expertise required after initial set-up.

Online ‘discussion’ through time-stamped comments.

Audio entry: podcast.

Video entries: vodcast / vlog.

Submission via phone or email.

ePortfolio

Minimal technical expertise required after initial set-up.

Video: Blogs in Plain English

Introduce the Blog Set the scene : Tell the students WHY they are blogging. Tell the students HOW to blog (introduction guide or seminar). Tell the students WHEN they should post (daily, weekly, etc) Tell the students WHERE to blog (set it up for them or ask them to create their own). Tell the students WHAT they should be blogging about.

Set the scene :

Tell the students WHY they are blogging.

Tell the students HOW to blog (introduction guide or seminar).

Tell the students WHEN they should post (daily, weekly, etc)

Tell the students WHERE to blog (set it up for them or ask them to create their own).

Tell the students WHAT they should be blogging about.

Introduce the content Change the default title to something more meaningful. Text formatting. Include images where applicable. Include links to external websites where applicable to back up your content. Reference correctly (Harvard: library website ) . Encourage comments & interaction by leading the reader into making them. Use the spell checker!

Change the default title to something more meaningful.

Text formatting.

Include images where applicable.

Include links to external websites where applicable to back up your content.

Reference correctly (Harvard: library website ) .

Encourage comments & interaction by leading the reader into making them.

Use the spell checker!

Blog tools Archive of posts. List of recent posts (newest at the top). Statistics (number of entries/posts, number of views, etc). Comments: open or closed

Archive of posts.

List of recent posts (newest at the top).

Statistics (number of entries/posts, number of views, etc).

Comments: open or closed

Blogs for Personal Development One blog for 200+ students. Blog created so students CANNOT see each other’s entries. Educator CAN view all student entries. Student can see Educator’s comments, on only their post. Editing of posts is permitted, deletion is not. Educator can list all posts by single student quickly for review.

One blog for 200+ students.

Blog created so students CANNOT see each other’s entries.

Educator CAN view all student entries.

Student can see Educator’s comments, on only their post.

Editing of posts is permitted, deletion is not.

Educator can list all posts by single student quickly for review.

Blogs for Reflection Evaluate effectiveness. Identify learning needs. Ask for help. Skill for life-long learning. Refine techniques.

Evaluate effectiveness.

Identify learning needs.

Ask for help.

Skill for life-long learning.

Refine techniques.

Students: Why should you blog? Informal. Sharing. Academic writing skills. Networking. Increased motivation for reading/writing. Text, audio, video, images, widgets. Digital portfolio. Blogging suits all learning styles. Dammit, it’s fun!

Informal.

Sharing.

Academic writing skills.

Networking.

Increased motivation for reading/writing.

Text, audio, video, images, widgets.

Digital portfolio.

Blogging suits all learning styles.

Dammit, it’s fun!

Educators: Why should you blog? Experience; Professional interaction online with other academics Interaction with students online in informal environment Professional development. Research. Networking. “ They say you can't teach a dog new tricks - but if we expect new tricks out of our students, we must learn a few ourselves.”

Experience;

Professional interaction online with other academics

Interaction with students online in informal environment

Professional development.

Research.

Networking.

“ They say you can't teach a dog new tricks - but if we expect new tricks out of our students, we must learn a few ourselves.”

Blogs: Free Software WordPress (free) www.wordpress.com “… Express yourself. Start a blog..” Blogger (free) www.blogger.com “… easy-to-use, where you can quickly post thoughts, interact with people, and more.“ TypePad (NOT free) www.typepad.com “… Not all blogs are created equal.”

Thank you for your time David Hopkins Learning Technologist, The Business School, Bournemouth University [email_address]

David Hopkins Learning Technologist, The Business School, Bournemouth University [email_address]