Blog


 * TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH REPORT

**

** __GENERAL INFORMATION__ ** Name of Resource: Blog, specifically Blogger Author/Publisher/Company Information: Google Website URL for Resource:  https://www.blogger.com/start  Pricing Information: It’s free. All an individual has to do is create an account using a new or already existing Google account. Other Resources/Blog Sites Include: 1. Edublogs:  http://edublogs.org/  -- This site allows students and teachers to create and manage blogs. Teachers who need help      with the blogs will be guided by specific, step-by-step instructions. Moderators of blogs can upload videos, photos, and even utilize   podcasts.
 * Group Name: ****Blog Group **
 * Group Members **: Krysten Kingery, Nick Pasotti, Claire Williamson

2. WordPress:  http://wordpress.org/  -- This site is another blog site. It has more complicated features than blogger.com, but it is still      easy to create and manage your blogs. ** __OVERVIEW OF BLOGS__ ** A blog is a website that has daily entries, typically from one individual, and has a section where others can post comments. Bloggers can write about any topic of their choosing, although there are blogs that encompass only specific subjects. Some types of blogs include, among others: personal, corporate, and question blogs. There are many uses for blogs, and educators can and should utilize this technology in the classroom setting. Teachers could use blogs to have their students respond to reading assignments or comment on what they thought about the particular reading. To do this, the students just have to use the "comment" feature. It is also beneficial for students who have missed class on a certain day. For example, if a student is sick, he or she will easily be able to access the class blog where a teacher could post an overview of the day’s discussions and of the homework for that night. Blogs can also serve as a medium where students will be able to publish their work online and possibly receive constructive criticism from other students or teachers. Essentially, this means that blogs can be utilized as a good format in which to organize student portfolios, ones that may help a teacher gauge a student’s progress throughout the year. Although these are practical uses of blogs, teachers could also use them to help kids who may learn in nontraditional or different ways. Blogs may help students who are more computer literate than others or who do not learn well in a traditional classroom or lecture setting. Aside from helping students, blogs could easily be used among many teachers to share important information about current educational reform, trends, legislation, school activities, etc.

 **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> __FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS__ **
 * **<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Technology: Blog **<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> ||
 * **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"># ** || **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Feature/Function **  || **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Description/Purpose **  ||
 * **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">1 ** ||  Edit  ||  This is used to edit or revise information previously posted on the blog. Teachers can use this to modify homework assignments or communicate urgent information with other students and teachers.  ||
 * **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">2 ** ||  Adult Content Restrictor  ||  This feature will allow the blog moderator/creator to restrict mature or adult content from the blog. This is especially useful for teachers who want to keep their blogs clean, appropriate, or child-friendly.  ||
 * **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">3 ** ||  Layout  ||  The creator of the blog can adjust the layout of the blog’s pages. This is useful for teachers who want to make sure their blog is easy and quick to navigate. Depending on the age of the students, teachers may want to alter the contents and hyperlinks accordingly.  ||

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> __ ACTIVITY #1 DESCRIPTION __ **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">

The blog we are going to use is from blogger.com. The students will be asked to find a specific blog (one of my choosing) on blogger.com. Then, they will be asked to 1) Answer a few questions responding to the content of the blog and 2) Making a comment about a particular part of the blog.
 * <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Activity Overview **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">

**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Target Audience **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">The target audience is high school students. The students should all have a basic knowledge about how to navigate the internet and obtain information from different websites. They should also know how to perform searches, like searches on Google.com or other search engines. The amount of students interacting with this activity should not matter. They should all be able to find the blog on blogger.com because they will be given the direct URL. **Steps for Activity:** ** 1. Go to http://npasottisblog.blogspot.com/<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre;">    ** **  <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-family: arial; white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre;"> 2. Comment on the entry: Question #1 by following the instructions presented to you. ** ** <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-family: arial; white-space: normal;"> 3. Tell me when you are finished, and I will check to make sure you have complete this simple assignment. ** <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> Students will    <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> learn how to navigate the internet to find a specific blog. <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Students will learn how to comment on a blog entry. **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Supplies and Materials **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">A computer with access to the internet is all the students will need for this activity.
 * <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Goals/Objectives of Activity **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">

**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Assessment **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">I (the teacher) will make sure the students have answered the questions correctly. This will indicate that they have successfully navigated the blog to find the correct information that completely answers the questions. I will also have each student show me the comment they have made about the blog. Although I will not have guidelines about the comment's content, the comment MUST correspond to the information in the blog.

__** ACTIVITY #2 DESCRIPTION **__ <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">** Activity Overview ** In this activity, I will show a video that is on the class blog of Taylor Mali performing his poem, “On Girls Lending Pens.” In class the students will be answering questions related to the video, and for homework I will ask that they post their answers in the “Comments” section of this video entry. As a result, the students will advance their knowledge of poetry as well as continue to utilize technology that enhances the learning process.

** Target Audience ** This activity is designed for high school students. So, they could be between the ninth and twelfth grade, but I would use this in a tenth grade classroom. The students would require some prior knowledge of how to find my class blog, as well as how to post responses to the blog. This would work best with a class of no more than twenty students.

** Goals/Objectives of Activity ** - The students will be able to use the blog as a spark for discussion of the video. - The students will be able to share their thoughts with others by submitting them in the form of a comment.

** Relevant Technology Standard ** Standard 2: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

** Supplies and Materials ** - Handout of the questions/topics students should include in their comment post to the blog - Computer to show students video I have posted on blog

** Activity Description and Sequence ** At the beginning of the class period I will project my computer screen so the students can watch as I navigate to the class blog. I will then show them that I have recently posted a video of poet Taylor Mali performing his poem, “On Girls Lending Pens.” As a class, we will watch this video. Next I will hand out questions that I would like for my students to think about in connection to the video that we have watched on the class blog. I will give them the rest of the class period to work on answering these questions. As a homework assignment, I would like for my students to post a comment in response to the video I posted. Students will be encouraged to comment more than once and comment in response to what their peers have said. Hopefully a small discussion will occur in the comments section of our class blog regarding the poetry YouTube clip they watched. The class blog is a good resource in this situation because since the video will be posted on the blog students will be able to watch it a second time out of class if they want to before submitting their answers. Also, by asking students to post their thoughts and even respond to others’ comments, the students will be exposed to new viewpoints.

** Assessment ** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Basically, I just want to assess whether the students have been able to spark an academic discussion based on the video they have seen. Thus, I will monitor the class blog as students are submitting their comments. If I feel students are not grasping the concepts that I had hoped, I will insert a comment or make a post pointing them in a different direction. If I do this, the students will hopefully take my guidance and rethink their answers.
 * __ACTIVITY #3 DESCRIPTION__**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**Activity Overview** Students will be able to create an interactive writing blog as a class. I will be able to monitor and contribute to the blog as well. Students will be able to post any writing pieces they do throughout the semester for their classmates to read and reply to. They will have some writing assignments where they will have to post a piece of writing they are proud of. They will also be able to post videos and pictures related to classroom activities.

The target audience for this activity will be high school students. The students would be between ninth and twelfth grade. I would prefer to use this writing blog in an eleventh grade classroom.
 * Target Audience**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**Goals/Objectives** The goal of this assignment would be to help students know how to use an interactive blog and be able to allow them to post material that they are proud of so that their other classmates could see it and comment on their work.

Standard:2-Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning. . A computer to be able to access the blog and post achievements that the students are proud of.
 * Relevant Technology Standard**
 * Supplies and Materials**

I will show the students how to access the blog that I want them to access for their class blog. I will show them step by step how to set up their own account where they can post their work and comment on their fellow students works. After I answer any and all questions that the students might have I will instruct them to create their own blog that they can use for class. I will inform them that they will need to post something they had written earlier on in the semester to show me that they know how to correctly use the blog and that they will be required to post things onto the blog throughout the semester. They will be graded by participation on using the blog for classroom activities only.
 * Activity Description and Sequence**

Simply making sure that they know how to use the blog and that they participate throughout the semester in postings of their work.
 * Assesment**

<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> __**REFERENCES**__

<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">http://npasottisblog.blogspot.com/ - This is the URL of the blog we are using for our activity. We will give this to the students because otherwise, they will probably not be able to find it. <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 9pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">[|Blogger]  <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">- This is the URL of the blogging site that we used to create our blog. By going to this link, anyone can create a blog using a new or existing Google account. <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">[|Wikipedia: Blogs] - This is what we used to gather information regarding blogs. This site discusses the definition of blogs as well as the different types of blogs that people create and use. <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 9pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Article: Go With the Flow]    <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">– This article is titled “Go with the Flow” by Michelle Boule. It is meant to be a useful resource or tool for people, such, as teachers, who want to use blogs to expedite social communication while making it more interesting. It discusses the challenges that advocates of social networking systems may face when attempting to implement the utilization of new technology, such as blogs and wikis. <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> 5<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. [|How-To Article: Using Blogs in an Educational Setting] This website has a lot of pertinent information about blogs specifically for teachers. First off, it gives the definition of a blog, stating that blogs include a daily posting and can also have added comments from other people than the poster. This website gives some benefits of using blogs in an educational setting. For example, they are motivational to students and they are excellent ways to scaffold and mentor. The website lists four functions that a blog can have: classroom management, collaboration, discussions, and student portfolios. Finally, the restrictions of using a blog in a classroom are mentioned. Basically the website states that if a teacher decides to tackle creating a classroom blog, he/she needs to lay down specific rules for its use. 6. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">[|YouTube Video: Top Ten Reasons to Use Blogs in the Classroom] This YouTube video provides a “top ten” list of why blogs should be integrated into a classroom setting. Students provide their reasons for liking this technology. The first reason given is that blogs are easy to use. Other listed reasons that are related to this idea of ease are the fact that blogs are an easy access point for students to figure out due dates and homework assignments, if they are listed. Also, students who have a tough time paying attention in class can, on their own time, check out the blog and grasp the information better. Another reason one student gives is that she loves the interactive quality that a blog has because videos and pictures can be posted. Another interesting reason that was given is that blogs are environmentally conscious. Students may even not have a textbook because readings can be linked to the blog, and this can eliminate a potential problem that a student might have if he/she had a textbook assignment and forget his/her book at school. Overall, the video makes some good points about the positive uses of blogs in a classroom. 7. [|Article: Why We Blog] This is a link to an article about why people blog. It tries to answer why blogging is so appealing. If you do not understand why people would want to waste their time blogging, read this article and maybe you'll want to create your own blog after you read it! 8. Edublogs -- [|http://edublogs.org] 9. WordPress -- [|http://wordpress.org]