How to maintain an EFL Blog alive, How to maintain an EFL Blog alive, EFL Blogging School Moldova Conference, Emma Matreniuc

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Hints For Busy Teachers Emma Matreniuc
How to MaintainYour Blog Alive EFL Instructor
A Good Teacher’s Blog RecommendationsandDescriptions:
Blogging (web log, a journalof events)as well – is a 21stcentury approach in teaching a
foreign language.
A good blog – is a network , a journalor an evidence of events.
--Itshould look as a journalwith notes;
--Thesenotes are permanently updated, information is added,
images and multimedia are here as well;
--You regularly add some new commentaries, pictures and
opinions;
--http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7qe80_what-is-a-
blog_news --the simpliest explanation on whatthe Blog is
Blog’s general purposes:
--Communicative(to share, to talk)
---For self-presentation (as a diary)
---Entertainment (mothers, housekeepers)
--For getting together and keep social network
(to supporteach other, to keep friendship, be
better colleagues)
--For memoirs (like paper diary/self-
communication)
--For self-developmentand reflection (onecan
create his/her own image and structure
personalthoughts
Pedagogical Purposes of Teacher’s Blog are:
--To makethe process of acquiring the
subjecteasier , more comprehensivefor
children/students
--To get together Teachers and Students/
Teachers and Parents;
--To sharepositiveexperiences of other
teachers;
--To easify the process of communication:
--Getting new information;
--Giveadditional materials to students;
--Blog incorporates severalsubjects and makes
English an interdisciplinarian lesson;
 Blog’s benefits for students:
-- they can read, write, watch, listen, post, reply and communicate with teachers and peers;
-- get and prepare for the assignments/tasks;
--get the results on-line from Teachers;
--use dictionary on-line;
-- to listen to native speakers;

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 Teacher’s Blog should
1. Be veryclearfromthe veryfirstsightwhen one accessesoropens it (be ityour student,colleague or any
other visitor);
2. The pagesand rubrics youformshouldlookcomprehensivelyandstructured;
3. The words thatyou use to entitle one oranotherpage shouldreflectexactlywhatitcomprises;
4. Each Blog shouldhave adesign thatwill be pleasantforthe reader’seye andcorrespondthe teachingaims;
5. The words,phrasesand images youuse shouldbe eye-catchyandinspiring;
6. Blog Etiquette Tips:
 Be polite and respectful always and with everybody;
 Remindparticipants several days to a weekprior (people forgetstuff);
 Have a back-up planin case they forgetor for some reason;
 React to the blog you visit,when you are in a role of a guest;
 Write somethingyou wouldpublish on your own blog;
 Helppromote your guest post and respondto comments;
 Be respectful to those who disagree with you;
7. Your Teacher’s blogshouldhave all the facilitiesforyourstudents ( a dictionaryonyourpage,a calendar,an
additional tutorial if needed, dataof the task, a simple anddetailedexplanationforstudentswithspecial
needs);
8. The Assignmentsthatyoucreate shouldbe clearlystructuredsothatyour studentscouldunderstandthe Task,
especiallythose whomissedthe class;
9. Each Instructionshouldbe explainedsimplyandconsequently;
10. Provide the examplesandenoughfacilityinformationforthe topicsyouconsidertobe the mostdifficultones;
11. Use the information(audio, video,anyon-line techniques)thatisrelevantforyour students’language level
and development;
12. Mind the aimsof the Teacher’sBlog whenyoucreate a Task or organize an activity:todevelopcertainskills
and abilities;
13. Involve all the studentsfromyourclassesthrough the tasksyoucreate,sothat theycouldshare the
experience witheachotherandpeereducate themselves;
14. Be opentoreflectandrespondtoall theirquestions;
15. Be aware of the fearsome studentsmighthave referringtousingnew on-line methods,show themyouare
there to explainandassist, if necessary;
16. Appreciate all the workthattheydo, each assignment,taskandevenalittle try—thatwillinspire themfor
furtherparticipation;
17. Keepinmindthat evaluationof studentsworkshouldbe presentaswell,asitreflectstheirinvolvementand
showslearningresults (bothshort-time andlong-time ones);
18. Include intoyourBlog’s pages all the extra-curriculum activitiesyoudowithyourstudentsorat school and
some otherthingsyourstudentsare interestedin.Thatwill encourage themtodo bothwhat theylike andthe
assignmentsaswell;
19. To showthat your Teacher’sBlogisan active one,be sure to use mostof the on-line techniquesandtoolsyou
learnedandacquired duringthe studycourse;
20. Each blogpost or assignmentshouldalsoprovoke communicationandadesire forknowledge fromyour
students.Tryto present fresh news, events,activitiesthatwill prove yourconnectionbetweenmodernlife,
your studentsandyou.

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There are the linkstoexamplesof goodandlivingTeacher’sBlogs
http://aculovrodica.wordpress.com/
http://gruscadumitru.weebly.com/
http://emmamatreniuc.weebly.com/
http://mariaionesi.weebly.com/the-10th-and-11th-forms
http://povestindmatematica.ro/
http://myblogclass.weebly.com/
http://themodernscholar.weebly.com/
http://classroomblogzabriceni.weebly.com/
 Creatinga WritingCourse UtilizingClassand Student Blogs .AndrewJohnson RitsumeikanUniversity
(Tokyo, Japan)
http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Johnson-Blogs/
Weblogs,orblogsforshort,were createdas a tool for people tocreate online journalswithoutthe needof any
programmingexperienceorknowledge. Althoughnotoriginallyintendedforuse inEFLclasses,blogshave immense
potential asan extremelyvaluabletool forthe teachingof secondlanguage writing. By utilizingfree bloggingservices
on the Internet,teachersare capable of creatingandstoringonline supplemental materialsforstudents,postclass
notesforstudentreview,andgive general feedbacktothe classas a whole andindividually. Additionall y,studentsare
able to submitassignmentsonline. Taughtina computerroom withInternetaccess,awritingclassutilizingblogsthat
allowsstudentstoactuallywrite inclassona computercan be created.
Weblogs(orblogs) are electronicjournalsthatallow the usertokeeprecordsof their writingonawebsite . In
recentyears,the use of these electronicjournalsineducationisonthe rise,especiallyinthe UnitedStates. A good
example isthe BayAreaWritingProjectwhichhasorganizedthe Educational BloggerNetwork(edBlogNet) withthe
purpose of helpingkindergartenthroughuniversityteachers“use weblogtechnologyforthe teachingof writingand
readingacrossthe disciplines”(eBn,2003). Blogshave beensuccessfullyimplementedintojournalism, political
science,andvariousjuniorhightouniversityEnglishwritingcoursesfornative Englishspeakers. However,the use of
blogsinteachingEFL appearsto still be initsinfancybuthas much potential,especiallyinteachingwritten
communicationskills. Campbell(2003) goesintovariouswaysblogscan be usedbyteachersandstudentsto
communicate inanEFL environment. He suggestsusingclassblogsasa forumforstudentstoexpressopinions,ideas,
and interestinginformation. Additionally,the use of a‘tutor blog'isa wayfor teacherstoshare withstudentsand
pointthemto otherinterestinglinks. Duber(2002) alsodiscussesthe backgroundof blogsandgiveslinkstoseveral
teachers'‘tutorblogs.'Althoughthe numberof articlesdiscussingblogsinanEFL teachingsettinghasincreased
recently,fewof themdiscussgrouporteamblogsthat keepstudentsubmissionsprivatebetweenthe indi vidual
studentandthe teacher.
 Differentiatedinstruction andassessment
(alsoknownas differentiatedlearningor,ineducation, simply,differentiation) isaframeworkorphilosophyfor
effectiveteachingthatinvolvesprovidingdifferentstudentswithdifferentavenuestolearning(ofteninthe same
classroom) intermsof: acquiringcontent;processing,constructing,ormakingsense of ideas;anddevelopingteaching
materialsandassessmentmeasuressothatall studentswithinaclassroomcanlearneffectively,regardlessof
differencesinability.Studentsvaryinculture, socioeconomicstatus,language,gender,motivation,ability/disability,
personal interestsandmore,andteachersmustbe aware of these varietiesastheyplancurriculum.Byconsidering
variedlearningneeds,teacherscandeveloppersonalizedinstruction sothatall childreninthe classroomcanlearn
effectively.Differentiatedclassroomshave alsobeendescribedasonesthatrespondtostudentvarietyinreadiness
levels,interestsandlearningprofiles.Itisaclassroomthat includesall studentsandcanbe successful.Todothis,a
teachersetsdifferentexpectationsfortaskcompletionforstudentsbasedupontheirindividualneeds.