Presentation delivered at Devcon 2009

1. Using blogs for quick e-Learning

2. Blogs
g
• Easily share resources
and ideas with a web
audience that is willing
to share back what they
t
think about those ideas.
t ose deas
– Will Richardson
– Blogs Wikis, Podcasts,
Blogs, Wikis Podcasts
and Other Powerful Web
Tools for Classrooms

4. Blogs
g
• A Web-based publication consisting
p g
primarily of periodic articles
• Normally –but not always in reverse
chronological order
• Format varies -can include simple lists of
links, article summaries or full articles
• Range in scope from personal diaries to
journals discussing music, sports, politics,
etc.

5. Creating a blog
g g
• You write items on an ongoing basis
• If you let them, visitors can
– Comment on entries
– Link to entries
– E mail you
E-mail

6. What’s the big deal?
g
• Others can subscribe to your blog
• When you post a new item, an email
can automatically be sent to them
– AND/OR
• A new it
item will b posted i th i f d
ill be t d in their feed
aggregator

7. Why use Blogs?
y g
• Quick way to provide news and event
updates to your users
• It’s easy! All you need is internet
It s
access and the ability to type an email
• Since Blogs typically use RSS feeds
feeds,
it’s easy for your users to receive
information

8. Blog Features
g
• Blogroll
– Enables you to link to blogs you read
frequently
q y
– Used for “reciprocal linking”
• Commenting
– Allows users to provide “feedback” to
posts
– Problems with SPAM

9. Blog Hosting Services
g g
• Use free Web-based commercial
Web based
services
• Use subscription hosted services
subscription,
• Use software on your own company
server

10. Free Web-based services
• Pros: free and simple to use.
• Cons: communities of kids with ads on
the blogs; lack professional tools; you
won't own your content
• Examples: Xanga (free with adsads,
premium service available),
LiveJournal (free and paid versions),
versions)
and MSN Spaces (free)

11. Hosted Services
• Pros: good enough quality for
professional blogging; hosted online
so no need for an IT department
• Cons: modest subscription fee, limited
customization,
customization must use provider's
provider s
domain name
• Examples: TypePad and Blogger

12. Professional Services
• Pros: total control, good metrics and
tools, your company domain name
• Cons: need IT department to manage
it on your company server
• Examples: Word Press (free
download), Radio Userland, and
Movable Type

13. Create a blog
g
• Create an account
• Name your blog
• Chose a template
• Start blogging
• Customize and tweak
• Se
Set up a feed
eed

14. Create an account

15. Name your blog
y g

16. Choose a template

17. Your blog has been created
g

18. Ready to start blogging
y gg g

20. Where to get content?
g
• Google alerts – topics of interest
• Linkedin groups
• Other blogs
• Magazines, newspapers etc.
• Info from your vendors

21. Write with the reader in mind
• Remember WIIFM?
• That's what you should be keeping in
mind.
mind
• Your reader will read your post looking
for what's in it for them
them.

22. Make it valuable and worthwhile
• Don't waste people's time.
Don t people s
• If you don't have anything to say, no
problem,
problem plenty other people do do.
• Share their articles, do an interview,
review a book
book.

23. Proof-read
• Proof-read for typos and glaring
Proof read
grammatical errors.
• Respect your readers by polishing up
your stuff.

24. Keep it short and simple
• Most people are scanners. You may
have a lot to say and think it
interesting, and it may be. But people
are reading online and out of time.
• Get to the point quickly.
quickly
• Publishing short posts more frequently
is a better format than publishing
lengthy articles every few weeks.

25. Get to the point quickly
y
• Keep it lively, make it snappy and
snazzy.
• Keep in mind the journalist's rule of 5
journalist s
W's in the first paragraph: who, what,
why,
why when and wherewhere.

26. Link often
• This builds credibility and positions
you as an expert in your field.
• People don't have time to know what
don t
others are doing, you should tell them.
• Linking to other blogs and websites
also helps you build a network of
associates who will in turn link to your
blog.

27. Use keywords
y
• This will help you stay on purpose,
and the search engines will love your
blog.
• The more often your keywords show
up,
up the better your search engine
results.

28. Write Clearly
y
• Short sentences, only one concept per
sentence.
• No double speak or jargon; no more
than one idea in one sentence- don't
make your readers have to think about
your meaning.
• Spoon feed them
them.
• Use commas and dashes liberally.

29. Write like you talk
y
• It's okay to use common expressions
It s
from speech.
• Examples: Go figure Don't even go
figure. Don t
there. Now, I ask you. Gotta love it.
(And,
(And remember the age group of your
readers.)

30. Use a clear headline
• Don't be afraid to make bold
Don t
statements (but don't mislead people
either).
• Make it snazzy and use key words.
• Example: Ex-Techno-Weenie Masters
Ex Techno Weenie
HTML Code

31. Checklist
• Is the topic clear to someone who only reads the headline?
• Does the l d paragraph tell who and what the story i about and
D h lead h ll h d h h is b d
why the reader should care about it?
• Is the angle you've used likely to seem newsworthy?
• Would someone who knows absolutely nothing about this topic
understand this post?
• Is the post free of jargon?
• Is it written in journalistic style and does it make an effort to be
objective?
• Have you peppered the headline and the post with keywords and
p
phrases that will be attractive to search engines?
g
• Did you remember to ask your readers a question at the end, or
something to stimulate readers to comment?
• Did you remember to write with the reader in mind, always keeping
in mind WIIFT? (What's in It for Them?)

32. Spice up your blog
y g
• Check out other blogs
• Add links to other blogs
• Customize your blog with
– Polls
– Ph
Photos
– Movies

36. Corporate Policies and Blogging
• Make it clear that the views expressed in the blog are yours
alone and d not necessarily represent th views of your
l d do t il t the i f
employer.
• Respect the company's confidentiality and proprietary
information.
i f ti
• Ask your manager if you have any questions about what is
appropriate to include in your blog.
• Be respectful to the company, employees, customers,
partners, and competitors.
• Understand when the company asks that topics not be
discussed for confidentiality or legal compliance reasons.
• Ensure that your blogging activity does not interfere with your
work commitments.

37. RSS
• Users of RSS content use programs
p g
called feed "readers" or "aggregators“
• The user subscribes to a feed by
supplying to his or her reader a link to the
feed
• The reader can then check the user's
subscribed feeds to see if any of those
feeds have new content since the last
time it checked, and if so, retrieve that
content and present it to the user
user.

38. Using an RSS
g
• From your Web site or Blog push:
– A calendar of events
– Latest news items or newsletter articles
– Current job openings
– Staff recommendations
– New courses

40. Feedburner
• Provides custom RSS feeds and
management tools to bloggers,
podcasters, and other web-based
web based
content publishers
• Services provided to publishers
include traffic analysis and an optional
advertising system

47. Blog Tools
g
• www.c4lpt.co.uk/Directory/Tools/blogging.html
• www.wordpress.org
• www.blogger.com
• blogsome.com
• www.movabletype.org
• textpattern.com
textpattern com
• b2evolution.net
• squarespace.com
squarespace com
• www.typepad.com

48. Blogging in LearningTips
gg g g
• http://blogsforlearning.msu.edu/
• http://www.slideshare.net/Downes/blo
gging-in-learning
• http://www.slideshare.net/thiagoedu/bl
ogging-and-learning-in-the-web-20
ogging and learning in the web 20
• http://technosavvy.org/2003/09/04/blo
gging-for-learning/
i f l i /

49. E-Learning Blogs
g g
• http://www.articulate.com/blog/the-19-best-
elearning-blogs/
• http://www.pageflakes.com/trainingblogs
• htt //bl
http://blog.cathy-moore.com//
th //
• http://elearnquee
• http://janeknight typepad com/
http://janeknight.typepad.com/
• http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/
• http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/
p g g p
• http://elearndev.blogspot.com/
• http://www.elearninglearning.com

50. Blogs I like
g
• http://blogmaverick.com/
• http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/
• http://www crmcdonalds com/publish/c
http://www.crmcdonalds.com/publish/c
sr/home/_blog.html
• http://blogs.zappos.com/blogs
// /

51. Check out my blog
y g
• http://cre8iveii.blogspot.com/
– Contains links to blogs mentioned in this
p
presentation
• Debbie Richards
• 713/523 0888
713/523-0888
• debbie@cre8iveii.com