Blogging and The Learning Professional

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 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."

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

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…

Why Do I Blog ?
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/

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…

So Who’s Blogging?
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

How Do I Subscribe To Blog Feeds?
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…

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…

What Do I Need To Know?
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

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)

Free Blogging Hosted Services
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

Free Blogging Software
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

Navigating The Blogosphere
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

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

Blogging In Education
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

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?

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

Engage With Other Learners
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

But It's Not Just About Monetization
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

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

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

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Blogging and The Learning Professional

by parag on Jan 24, 2007

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