Blogging

Blogging is passion of new generation Every youth is moving towards new trends of blogging and social media.
It is also useful for business too.

Blogs provide a communication space that teachers can utilise with students whenever there is a curriculum need to develop writing, share ideas and reflect on work being undertaken in the classroom.

Definition:

Blog/WebLog: a web page containing brief, chronologically arranged items of information. A blog can take the form of a diary, journal, what's new page, or links to other web sites.

Peter Scott, Internet Librarian 2001

From an education perspective the availability and ease of use of blogging software makes creating blogs a viable classroom activity and a means for teachers to communicate with other teachers.


Getting Started Teachers working with Blogs suggest that teachers should try out the Blog software before using it with students.

• Blog Basics for the Classroom
• Blogging Basics: Creating Student Journals on the Web

Free blogging software

• Edublogs
  Designed particularly for teachers and their students to use.
• WordPress

Microblogging In microblogging, also referred to as themed IM (Instant Messaging), users write brief updates, usually limited to less than 200 characters, and publish them via a web browser based service, email or mobile devices. Popular microblogging services include:

• Twitter
• Plurk
• Tumblr
• Jaiku
• Pownce

The practical usefulness of many microblogging services depends on the individual user creating and interacting with a Personal Learning Network [PLN] of professional colleagues.

Bookjewel [Julie Squires] discusses her developing PLN in her blog post I have a PLN...Who knew?

Further reading is available at:

• PBS:Mediashift - Your guide to Micro-Blogging and Twitter [May 2007]
• ReadWriteWeb: 10 Micro-Blogging Tools Compared [Sept 2007]
• digizen.org Social networking: Ideas and examples Click on the link to Mobile Social networks and micro-blogging.

Collaborative blogs Collaborative blogs, also known as Group Blogs, publish posts written by multiple users.

• Student 2.0 is an excellent example of a group blog authored by students.

We are students: the ones who come to school every day, raise our hands with safe questions, and keep our heads down. Except, now we have a voice—a strong voice—to share our ideas through a global network.

This YouTube video introduces the blog's young authors.