Using Blogs to Support Teaching and Learning

About the Facilitators Dr. Daniel Churchill Room 116, Runme Shaw Building The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Email: [email_address] Web: http://www.learnactivity.com Tel: +852 28591141

The University of Hong Kong In the top 30 Universities in the World (18 th for 2007)

Photo from http://www.piskov.net/photos/california/page_01.htm 20 Year Ego No Internet No Windows No many computers around No MP player No Digital Cameras No PNP, no Nintendo No Blogs, Youtube, Facebook No many other artifacts that are part students’ life today

20 Year Ego

No Internet

No Windows

No many computers around

No MP player

No Digital Cameras

No PNP, no Nintendo

No Blogs, Youtube, Facebook

No many other artifacts that are part students’ life today

Important transformations with ICT Learning FROM to Learning WITH ICT Student-centered learning Students as technology users Changes in curriculum and assessment Teacher changes New Literacies (e.g., Digital literacy, Social Networking, Information literacy, Visual literacy, Media literacy, Print literacy)

Learning FROM to Learning WITH ICT

Student-centered learning

Students as technology users

Changes in curriculum and assessment

Teacher changes

New Literacies (e.g., Digital literacy, Social Networking, Information literacy, Visual literacy, Media literacy, Print literacy)

What is new in Web2.0? User control of information, subscribing and relationships, new forms of expression Web as a point of presence, internet-mediated social environments, collective activities and community plumbing Web as a platform (e.g., Microsoft and Google) Science of user engagement and rich user experiences Some speak of media revolution – “we the media” (Dan Gillmor), “voice of crowds”, increased democratization and new citizenship

User control of information, subscribing and relationships, new forms of expression

Web as a point of presence, internet-mediated social environments, collective activities and community plumbing

Web as a platform (e.g., Microsoft and Google)

Science of user engagement and rich user experiences

Some speak of media revolution – “we the media” (Dan Gillmor), “voice of crowds”, increased democratization and new citizenship

Collection of Web 2.0 sites

Web 2.0 Blogs Digital Storytelling Sharing, Diggs, Recommendations, and Folksonomy Wikis and Social Software RSS Feeds Podcasting API for Mashups Mobile Web 2.0

Blogs

Digital Storytelling

Sharing, Diggs, Recommendations, and Folksonomy

Wikis and Social Software

RSS Feeds

Podcasting

API for Mashups

Mobile Web 2.0

Blog, blogging, blogger, blogsphere Blog is web-based publication No technical skills to create your own blog Blog can contain text, media, links There are blogs, moblogs, vlogs, audilog Blogsphere is a community of bloggers "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.“ www.blogger.com

Blog is web-based publication

No technical skills to create your own blog

Blog can contain text, media, links

There are blogs, moblogs, vlogs, audilog

Blogsphere is a community of bloggers

"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.“

www.blogger.com

Total Sites Across all Domains Source: http://news.netcraft.com/archives/web_server_survey.html Bloggers: an army of irregulars (BBC) -- “The web has grown more in 2005 than it did at the height of the dotcom boom”

Bloggers: an army of irregulars (BBC) -- “The web has grown more in 2005 than it did at the height of the dotcom boom”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4123536.stm Digital Citizens - "the most informed and participatory citizens we ever had or are likely to have" - represent a critical emerging group for today and tomorrow. (Source: http://www.wired.com/wired/reprints/digicit.html )

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4961768.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6164798.stm

Blog Examples and Tools Teachers Teaching Teachers MITE6323 Blog by a Student

Set Up Your Blog – Blogger.com

We will try basic things first Create new blog Create new post Post text, format text, create links Insert images Watch this video if you need: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryb4VPSmKuo&feature=related

Create new blog

Create new post

Post text, format text, create links

Insert images Watch this video if you need: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryb4VPSmKuo&feature=related

New Forms of Expression Blogging Should not be only about text an dimages Digital Story Telling and other Multimedia Expressions Digital Fluency Interactive Visualization

Blogging Should not be only about text an dimages

Digital Story Telling and other Multimedia Expressions

Digital Fluency

Interactive Visualization

Publishing media in blogs We will embed a video from a Youtube into your blog.

We will embed a video from a Youtube into your blog.

Blogs in Education Literature on blogs in education is emerging Some names to look for: Dyrud, Flatley, Johnson, Huffaker, Quible, Peschbach, Ramsay, Kinnie, Richardson, Selingo, Smith, and Worley. In general, there lack of empirical evidences and formal studies investigating use of blogs in education. Mostly of current literature is conceptual an published in non- SSCI ranked journals

Literature on blogs in education is emerging Some names to look for: Dyrud, Flatley, Johnson, Huffaker, Quible, Peschbach, Ramsay, Kinnie, Richardson, Selingo, Smith, and Worley.

In general, there lack of empirical evidences and formal studies investigating use of blogs in education.

Mostly of current literature is conceptual an published in non- SSCI ranked journals

Recommendations from literature Students and blog: Publish own writings (e.g., reflections, journal, a story, comments) Discuss group assignments, share work schedule and results of experiments Peer review each others work Collaborate on projects with each other, teachers, subject-specific experts in the field and pen-pals from distant places Manage their digital portfolio or just use blog as digital filing cabinet

Students and blog:

Publish own writings (e.g., reflections, journal, a story, comments)

Discuss group assignments, share work schedule and results of experiments

Peer review each others work

Collaborate on projects with each other, teachers, subject-specific experts in the field and pen-pals from distant places

Manage their digital portfolio or just use blog as digital filing cabinet

Recommendations from literature Teachers and blog: Share resources with students (e.g., readings before class, handouts, and post homework and assignments) Publish student work and otherwise archive learning Communicate with students and parents Monitor activates of individual students and groups

Teachers and blog:

Share resources with students (e.g., readings before class, handouts, and post homework and assignments)

Publish student work and otherwise archive learning

Communicate with students and parents

Monitor activates of individual students and groups

Recommendations from literature Schools and blog: Communicate school news Present success stories of its students and teachers Various committees, school activity centers, clubs, sport teams and parent groups can post information Achieve minutes of meetings and resources, and continue dialogues beyond the scheduled times Use student blogs on schools home page to offer dynamic information about their campus life Manage knowledge that members of school community creates Education authorities can use blogs to share best practices, lesson plans and other resources

Schools and blog:

Communicate school news

Present success stories of its students and teachers

Various committees, school activity centers, clubs, sport teams and parent groups can post information

Achieve minutes of meetings and resources, and continue dialogues beyond the scheduled times

Use student blogs on schools home page to offer dynamic information about their campus life

Manage knowledge that members of school community creates

Education authorities can use blogs to share best practices, lesson plans and other resources

Recommendations from literature Benefits of Blog Supports development of literacies for digital age Leads to increase information management skills, and media, verbal and visual literacy Encourages self–expression and creativity Promotes increase students’ motivation, engagement and reflection in learning Students who use blogs are more committed to their assignment and group work Blog provides environment where every student gets and equal voice Support different learning styles Literature also suggests that blogs can be used as alternative to a learning management system

Benefits of Blog

Supports development of literacies for digital age

Leads to increase information management skills, and media, verbal and visual literacy

Encourages self–expression and creativity

Promotes increase students’ motivation, engagement and reflection in learning

Students who use blogs are more committed to their assignment and group work

Blog provides environment where every student gets and equal voice

Support different learning styles

Literature also suggests that blogs can be used as alternative to a learning management system

Using Blogs

How I Use Blog in my Teaching Facilitator and his blog Provide course home page Connect student blogs in the home page Post ‘after class’ reflections Post any announcement to the class Address emerging issue, learning need Invite students to provide comments Monitor comments and respond Distribute notes, slides and other material used in the class Provide any additional resources Negotiate issues, what students want to learn and assessment of their projects Set the tasks for students

Provide course home page

Connect student blogs in the home page

Post ‘after class’ reflections

Post any announcement to the class

Address emerging issue, learning need

Invite students to provide comments

Monitor comments and respond

Distribute notes, slides and other material used in the class

Provide any additional resources

Negotiate issues, what students want to learn and assessment of their projects

Set the tasks for students

How I Use Blog in my Teaching Facilitator and student blogs Regularly check student blogs Provide feedback to student work Encourage students to provide feedback to others Provide individual student with resources

Regularly check student blogs

Provide feedback to student work

Encourage students to provide feedback to others

Provide individual student with resources

How I Use Blog in my Teaching Students and their blogs Present their work Share work Reflect Provide information and resources that they find interesting Monitor comments and respond to them Students and blogs of other Visit blogs of other Provide comments recommend resources Students and blog of the facilitator Read and reflect on posts provided by the facilitator Access resources Provide and monitor comments

Present their work

Share work

Reflect

Provide information and resources that they find interesting

Monitor comments and respond to them

Visit blogs of other

Provide comments recommend resources

Read and reflect on posts provided by the facilitator

Access resources

Provide and monitor comments

Embedding PowerPoint Slides in Blog

Managing Blog interface Using LinkRolls Feeds in your Blog Other plug-ins and extensions

Using LinkRolls

Feeds in your Blog

Other plug-ins and extensions

MS Office Documents in your Blog

Using Bloglines, MyYahoo!, ect.

Other Possibilities It is worth exploring: Wikipedia, MindMeister, Podcasting, Use of Mobile Devices, and Social Bookmarks for Blogging. Blogging system on your own server

It is worth exploring: Wikipedia, MindMeister, Podcasting, Use of Mobile Devices, and Social Bookmarks for Blogging.

Blogging system on your own server

Some Resources and References Read article about blogging in classroom from: http://writer.zoho.com/public/zvezdan/Web2_Paper_2_v81 Read articles from: http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE+Review/Web20ANewWaveofInnovation/40615 http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue42/tonkin/ http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/apr03/mattison.shtml http://www.scienceofspectroscopy.info/edit/index.php?title=Using_wiki_in_education Check out these sites: http://www.sldirectory.com/libsf/resf/web2.html http://www.districtadministration.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=1055 http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6438167.html

Read article about blogging in classroom from:

http://writer.zoho.com/public/zvezdan/Web2_Paper_2_v81

Read articles from:

http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE+Review/Web20ANewWaveofInnovation/40615

http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue42/tonkin/

http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/apr03/mattison.shtml

http://www.scienceofspectroscopy.info/edit/index.php?title=Using_wiki_in_education

Check out these sites:

http://www.sldirectory.com/libsf/resf/web2.html

http://www.districtadministration.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=1055

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6438167.html

Questions and Answers Thank you for the attention

Thank you for the attention