Blogging For Learning Professionals Parag Shah Adaptive Software Solutions http://www.adaptivesoftware.biz http://www.adaptivelearningonline.net

Agenda What is a blog? Why do people blog? Why should I read other’s blogs? Who’s blogging? How do I keep up with them? Why should I blog? What can I blog about? What do I need to know? How do I start? How do I make my blog popular? Are there any best practices? Blogging in education Monetizing your blog All right… now tell me the rest…

What is a blog?

Why do people blog?

Why should I read other’s blogs?

Who’s blogging?

How do I keep up with them?

Why should I blog?

What can I blog about?

What do I need to know?

How do I start?

How do I make my blog popular?

Are there any best practices?

Blogging in education

Monetizing your blog

All right… now tell me the rest…

What Is Blogging? According to Blogger.com "A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world."

According to Blogger.com

"A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world."

OK So What The Heck Is That? Blogging is whatever you want it to be It's your space to share your thoughts and expressions with the rest of the world Use the power wisely and leave the world in a better state after each blog

Blogging is whatever you want it to be

It's your space to share your thoughts and expressions with the rest of the world

Use the power wisely and leave the world in a better state after each blog

Why Do People Blog? To share their knowledge with others To promote their work/business To make money To increase awareness on issues close to their heart To change the world – Guy Kawasaki All of the above Just for time pass…

To share their knowledge with others

To promote their work/business

To make money

To increase awareness on issues close to their heart

To change the world – Guy Kawasaki

All of the above

Just for time pass…

Why Do I Blog ? To share my knowledge with others To help people become better programmers To promote my services To make money

To share my knowledge with others

To help people become better programmers

To promote my services

To make money

Some Other Bloggers http://www.downes.ca/ http://blog.jonudell.net/ http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/

http://www.downes.ca/

http://blog.jonudell.net/

http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/

Why Should I Read Blogs? To enhance your knowledge To engage with other’s in meaningful conversations and build a network To become better at a skill To keep up with news To keep up with friends Because you not have anything better to do…

To enhance your knowledge

To engage with other’s in meaningful conversations and build a network

To become better at a skill

To keep up with news

To keep up with friends

Because you not have anything better to do…

So Who’s Blogging? Evangelists Teachers Experts CEO’s Writers Activists The unemployed and the bored…

Evangelists

Teachers

Experts

CEO’s

Writers

Activists

The unemployed and the bored…

How Do I Keep Up With Them? By visiting their website regularly By subscribing to their feeds

By visiting their website regularly

By subscribing to their feeds

How Do I Subscribe To Blog Feeds? By using a blog reader Bloglines Google Reader Yahoo Reader Your Email Client

By using a blog reader

Bloglines

Google Reader

Yahoo Reader

Your Email Client

Why Should I Blog? To share your knowledge To tell your friends (and the world) what you are doing To chronicle your evolution To build a brand Because writing forces you to reflect – That's how I started To engage in meaningful conversations with others around the world To promote your work/business Just for fun…

To share your knowledge

To tell your friends (and the world) what you are doing

To chronicle your evolution

To build a brand

Because writing forces you to reflect – That's how I started

To engage in meaningful conversations with others around the world

To promote your work/business

Just for fun…

What Can I Blog About? About your area of expertise About what you are learning About your thoughts on what’s happening in this world About what you do everyday About why a certain toothpaste pisses you off…

About your area of expertise

About what you are learning

About your thoughts on what’s happening in this world

About what you do everyday

About why a certain toothpaste pisses you off…

What Do I Need To Know? How to write How to think Web publishing basics Using the blogging software Some blogging concepts

How to write

How to think

Web publishing basics

Using the blogging software

Some blogging concepts

Some Blogging Concepts Feeds Really simple syndication Atom OPML Linkback Refbacks Trackbacks Pingback

Feeds

Really simple syndication

Atom

OPML

Linkback

Refbacks

Trackbacks

Pingback

How Do I Start? Select a topic or area that you are passionate about Create an account on a free blogging service or host your own blog Start writing (and announce your blog to the universe)

Select a topic or area that you are passionate about

Create an account on a free blogging service or host your own blog

Start writing (and announce your blog to the universe)

Free Blogging Hosted Services Personal blogs Blogger - http://www.blogger.com Wordpress - http://www.wordpress.com Community blogs ITVidya - http://www.itvidya.com

Personal blogs

Blogger - http://www.blogger.com

Wordpress - http://www.wordpress.com

Community blogs

ITVidya - http://www.itvidya.com

Paid Blogging Hosted Services Typepad - http://www.typepad.com Radio Userland - http://radio.userland.com Square Space - http://www.squarespace.com

Typepad - http://www.typepad.com

Radio Userland - http://radio.userland.com

Square Space - http://www.squarespace.com

Free Blogging Software Movable Type - http://www.movabletype.org Wordpress - http://www.wordpress.org Roller Weblogger - http://www.rollerweblogger.org

Movable Type - http://www.movabletype.org

Wordpress - http://www.wordpress.org

Roller Weblogger - http://www.rollerweblogger.org

How Do I Make My Blog Popular? Write stuff that others will find useful Engage other bloggers Register your blog with blog directories http://www.weblogs.com http://www.technorati.com Use blogrolling Register in blog carnivals http://www.blogcarnival.com

Write stuff that others will find useful

Engage other bloggers

Register your blog with blog directories

http://www.weblogs.com

http://www.technorati.com

Use blogrolling

Register in blog carnivals

http://www.blogcarnival.com

Navigating The Blogosphere Technorati Digg Delicious Alexa Google blog search

Technorati

Digg

Delicious

Alexa

Google blog search

Are There Any Best Practices For Blogging Write frequently (at least 1-2 times a week) Do not use very formal language… loosen up Be Real… do not fake expertise Write like you are having a conversation with the reader Be ethical Link to relevant blog posts Keep your posts brief and to the point Use images Reply to other’s comments on your blog

Write frequently (at least 1-2 times a week)

Do not use very formal language… loosen up

Be Real… do not fake expertise

Write like you are having a conversation with the reader

Be ethical

Link to relevant blog posts

Keep your posts brief and to the point

Use images

Reply to other’s comments on your blog

Blogging Ethics Let me propose a radical notion: The weblog's greatest strength — its uncensored, unmediated, uncontrolled voice — is also its greatest weakness. - Rebecca Blood. Only publish those things that you know to be true (if you are not sure… say so) While quoting, always link to the source Do not plagiarize Disclose any conflicts of interests Do not suck up to vendors because they have given you free stuff

Let me propose a radical notion: The weblog's greatest strength — its uncensored, unmediated, uncontrolled voice — is also its greatest weakness. - Rebecca Blood.

Only publish those things that you know to be true (if you are not sure… say so)

While quoting, always link to the source

Do not plagiarize

Disclose any conflicts of interests

Do not suck up to vendors because they have given you free stuff

Blogging In Education Course blog Project blog Learning journal Engage with other learners

Course blog

Project blog

Learning journal

Engage with other learners

Course Blog Use it to define the course Use it to announce assignments and tests Upload slides on to the blog Upload hints, and best practices Link to current useful things that are currently happening in the field May be complemented well with a newsgroup

Use it to define the course

Use it to announce assignments and tests

Upload slides on to the blog

Upload hints, and best practices

Link to current useful things that are currently happening in the field

May be complemented well with a newsgroup

Project Blog Use it to define the project and get approvals Use it to chronicle the progress of the project Explain what you did Explain what problems you faced Explain how you solved them Pubish your final project on the blog Convert the blog into a thesis?

Use it to define the project and get approvals

Use it to chronicle the progress of the project

Explain what you did

Explain what problems you faced

Explain how you solved them

Pubish your final project on the blog

Convert the blog into a thesis?

Learning Journal Write about what you are learning Read about the topic Think about various aspects... Make connections to other things you have already learned Express your thoughts Engage friends and other students in conversations

Write about what you are learning

Read about the topic

Think about various aspects...

Make connections to other things you have already learned

Express your thoughts

Engage friends and other students in conversations

Engage With Other Learners Excellent for foreign language courses Excellent for geography Excellent for history Excellent for journalism Excellent for management Excellent for sciences

Excellent for foreign language courses

Excellent for geography

Excellent for history

Excellent for journalism

Excellent for management

Excellent for sciences

Monetizing Your Blog Stuff that will help you earn $28.65 Advertisements Google Adsense Yahoo advertising Text links Referrals Amazon Chikita eMiniMall Sponsorships Donations Free stuff

Stuff that will help you earn $28.65

Advertisements

Google Adsense

Yahoo advertising

Text links

Referrals

Amazon

Chikita eMiniMall

Sponsorships

Donations

Free stuff

But It's Not Just About Monetization It's also about Personal satisfaction Making a difference Building your personal brand

It's also about

Personal satisfaction

Making a difference

Building your personal brand

The Celebrities Technorati top 100 Engadget Life hacker Guy Kawasaki Joel Spolsky Kathy Sierra Steve Pavlina Doc Searls 37 Signals

Technorati top 100

Engadget

Life hacker

Guy Kawasaki

Joel Spolsky

Kathy Sierra

Steve Pavlina

Doc Searls

37 Signals

You Do Not Have To Be A Celebrity Write for yourself Write for a niche audience But write what is meaningful Change yourself ... and the world

Write for yourself

Write for a niche audience

But write what is meaningful

Change yourself

... and the world

JFK Would Have Said Ask not what blogging can do for you, ask what you can do for blogging.

Ask not what blogging can do for you, ask what you can do for blogging.