1. All About Blogs:
Universal Tool of
the Digital
Academic
Melissa A. Venable, PhD
OnlineCollege.org
Technology, Colleges, and Community Worldwide Online Conference
#2013TCC

2. What is a blog?
 Reverse chronological
presentation
 Comments
 Links and multimedia
 Templates
 WYSIWYG editors
 About page
A type of website through which an author, or group of
authors, post regular articles and interact with readers.

3. Why use a blog?
“Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are
millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are
no real rules." – Blogger.com
 Flexibility
 Free account options
 Ease of use
 Professional looking results
Your choices depend on your goals …

4. Blogging in Academia
Teaching
 Course delivery
 Syllabus presentation
 Student assignments

5. Blogging in Academia
Research and Writing
 Project awareness
 Presentation
 Publication

6. Blogging in Academia
Service
 Professional Associations
 Community Building

7. Blogging in Academia
Career Development
 Authority building
 Portfolio presentation
 Professional development
“A blog with many readers speaks to an
author's ability to command an
audience for his or her ideas and their
unique expression in the blog.”
– GitaManaktala, MIT Press

8. Planning Your Initiative …
1. Set specific goals
2. Determine your audience
3. Establish voice

9. … Planning Your Initiative
4. Select and schedule topics
5. Have realistic expectations
6. Read other blogs!
7. Find support

10. Resources
Blog Platforms
 EduBlogshttp://edublogs.org/
 Blogger https://www.blogger.com/
 Tumblrhttp://www.tumblr.com/
 TypePadhttp://www.typepad.com/
 WordPresshttp://www.wordpress.com
Tools and More
 Adding Google Forms http://help.typepad.com/add-form.html
 Blackboard Course Blogs http://www.blackboard.com/quicktutorials/Bb9_Tools_Create_Blog.htm
 The Teach 100 List, Teach.orghttp://teach.com/teach100/about
 WordPress.com Classrooms http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/classrooms/
 Guide to Common Blogging Terms http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/03/a-short-guide-to-terms-
commonly-used-in.html#.UXAxPytARi7

11. Examples
Teaching
Course http://wp.vcu.edu/grad602/ | Syllabus
http://prorabaugh3120.wordpress.com/ | Assignments
http://assignments.ds106.us/
Research and Writing
Project Updates http://delilaopen.wordpress.com/ | Reporting
http://innovation.web.unc.edu/ | Publication http://etcjournal.com/
Service
Community Building http://careercounselortechnology.com/ | Professional
Organiationshttp://cenblog.org/the-safety-zone/
Career Development
CV/Portfolio examples http://couros.ca/cv/ | http://jodywright.ca/

12. Questions?
Contact me:
Melissa A. Venable. PhD
 melissa@onlinecollege.org
 @Melissa_Venable
 Inside Online Learning Blog http://bit.ly/V89jL6

13. Image credits:
 Title: AJC1, Flickr, CC:BY-NC-SA
 Slide 3: WP Phil Oakley, CC:BY-SA / Blogger
IIiaUNiLibrary, CC:BY-NC-ND / Tumblrchadarizona,
CC:BY / Typepadtopgold, CC:BY
 Slide 8: Mexicanwave, Flickr, CC:BY-NC-ND