Target Audience: College faculty Purpose: through a series of hypothetical "advice column" letters: -- Clarify the difference between blogs and web sites -- Identify best ways to use blogs for classes -- Help you decide if a blog is right for your class -- Recommend free web site and blog builders

1. Is a Blog Right
for My Class?
Amy Goodloe
Teaching with Technology
Fall 2013

2. Common Faculty Question
I keep hearing about how great
blogs are for teaching.
Should I use one for my class?

3. My General Answer
That depends on what you want to
accomplish:
a) Feature class resources in one central
(and public) location
b) Design student projects with more lasting
value than traditional papers
c)
Help students deepen intellectual
engagement through writing
d) Extend student engagement beyond the
walls and time frame of class meetings

4. Can You Be More Specific?
Coming up:
 Four hypothetical letters from faculty
that illustrate each scenario
 My response to whether a blog is right
for that scenario
Goal: to help you:
 Understand the difference between
blogs and web sites
 Feel more comfortable choosing the
option that best suits your needs

5. Dear Amy:
My students take quizzes and post homework
assignments on D2L, and that works pretty
well. But I really don't like using D2L for my
course materials.
The course builder is tedious and confusing,
the design is bland, and each course lives
behind a walled garden. I'd rather share my
materials with the public, especially other
scholars in my field.
Is a blog right for my class?
- No Walled Gardens

6. Dear No Walled Gardens:
True or False?


Students will not participate on it

My main goal is to create a "central hub"
for course materials

I want something with half the hassle of
D2L and twice as pretty
I will not contribute regular short
messages to it
False: Yes, a blog might work.
True: No. Build a web site instead.

7. Sample Faculty “Hub” on Weebly

8. Dear Amy:
I don't mind using D2L for course content and
daily activities, but I want to give students
more incentive to produce research projects
that might have value beyond the classroom.
Is a blog right for my class?
- Real World Value

9. Dear Real World Value:
It depends on what you want students to do:
Option A:

generate content throughout the research
process



always see the most recent posts at the top
sort content by categories and tags
comment on each others' posts
If A: give blogs a try

let students work in groups to build their
own research blogs

10. Sample Research Blog:
Students Use Through Process

11. Or…
Option B:

publish only the final results of their
research


work together on design and layout
build something of lasting value
If B: suggest that students use free web site
builders instead

12. Sample Research Web Site:
Students Build Published Version

13. Dear Amy:
I want my students to help each other
strengthen and refine their ideas, but when I
encourage them to engage in thoughtful
discussions in class, their contributions barely
scratch the surface. And some students never
speak at all.
I've tried assigning discussion topics on D2L,
but but they never really take off.
Is a blog right for me?
- Iron Sharpens Iron

14. Dear Iron Sharpens Iron:
That's pretty much what happens on the best
blogs, so most likely: yes
Possible options:



one class blog
several group blogs
individual student blogs
(networked together)
But Blogger Beware…

15. It takes some work!
Students will need coaching

intellectual discourse is not their native
language


model the behavior you want
create a safe space for students to
develop an "intellectual voice”
Scaffold assignments

start with low-stakes activities that build
skills

be creative: have groups of bloggers
engage in “mock debates”

16. Coach, Don’t Criticize
Coach through example, not correction


provide sample scholarly blogs
participate as a blog member, not The
Judge
Clarify expectations, but don't
micromanage

too many criteria = paralysis

17. “Public Intellectual” Blog

18. Dear Amy:
Students in both my campus sections are so
lively and engaged while we're in class, but we
always run out of time to discuss everything.
Students often email me after class to share
links or other relevant tidbits from class
discussion, but by the time our next class
meets, the previous discussion has lost steam.
Is a blog right for me?
-
Full Steam Ahead
PS: I also teach an online section, but
sometimes it never even gathers steam.

19. Dear Full Steam Ahead:
Yes, definitely! This is what blogs are most
well-suited for.
Here’s your recipe for 24/7 lively discussion
among your students:

Create a class blog

Invite students in all sections to join

Sit back and watch the magic happen

20. Just kidding!
Here's a better recipe:
1.
Learn how blogs work


2.
Start your own (or join one) on a
personal interest (Wordpress.com)
Get the hang of categories, tags, posts,
comments, blogrolls, etc.
Set up a class blog that works like a real
blog:



appearance
structure
member participation

21. Appearance

Use an appealing and user-friendly theme

Create a relevant header image

Or ask students to contribute?

Enable social features

Encourage student self-expression



Creative usernames
Interesting avatars
Embedding images in posts

22. Structure

Use blog taxonomies:
 pages (you) & posts (everyone)
 categories (you) & tags (everyone)

Categories vs. Tags
 categories of books: mystery, science
fiction, fantasy, historical, romance
 tags for books: childhood, family saga,
vampires, WW II, dogs, strong female
character

Be creative with category titles:
 Homework #5
 Halloween & Gender Norms

23. Member Participation
Encourage students to:

share stuff:

Links, videos, resources, examples,
observations, ideas in progress


provide support and encouragement


ask some questions and answer others
respond to each other as colleagues-intraining (not FB pals)
go beyond the minimum requirement for
posting and commenting

24. Blog Pedagogy:
Scaffold Activities
Possible sequence:







Member intros
Comments on intros
Reading responses
Share relevant examples
Comments on examples
Analyze artifacts
and so on…

25. Blog Pedagogy:
Design Good Assignments





open-ended (no right answers)

like training wheels: take them off when
the time comes
encourage originality and experimentation
emphasize “reader friendliness”
indicate a minimum but reward more
give students choices in topics,
categories, etc.

26. Blog Pedagogy
Your Role
How to Kill a Class Blog



micromanage how students use the blog
correct everyone's grammar
grade everything

27. Blog Pedagogy
Your Role
How to Kill a Class Blog



micromanage how students use the blog
correct everyone's grammar
grade everything
How to Grow a Class Blog

don't try to read and comment on every
post


share teacherly comments in private
participate as a "senior colleague"


not as “the boss”
be as authentic as you want your students
to be

28. Sample Class Blog:
End of Fall 2012 Term

29. Fall 2012 Blog Participation:
3 sections; 54 students

30. Sample Class Blog:
Fall 2013 In Action

31. So let’s recap…
What exactly is the difference between
a blog and a web site?

32. Remind me again:
What’s the difference?
BLOGS


process oriented
 emphasizes recent posts
 navigate content through
categories, tags, dates
 members subscribe for updates
and to comment
possible setups:
 instructor is only author but
students can comment -OR all students are authors
BEST FOR: Providing a place for
ongoing conversations
WEB SITES

publishing oriented




features static pages (no dates)
navigate content through menus
no or limited commenting function
possible setups:


instructor is sole manager -ORstudents manage their own
research sites
BEST FOR: Showcasing “finished”
materials or research projects

33. Free Web Site Builders
Recommended: Weebly.com
 easy: drag and drop (not HTML)
 pretty (not like old builders or wikis)
Another option: Google Sites
 CU “branding”
 easy to use
 but kinda ugly

34. Free Blog Builders
Recommended platform for class blogs:
Wordpress.com




Hugely popular (and free!)
Pretty easy to use
Great help community
For individual student blogs: Tumblr.com

35. More Resources
My help site for faculty and students:
http://digitalwriting101.net
Feel free to share with students and
colleagues!
--Amy
http://amygoodloe.com