Victorian Education Channel - Teacher
What is a blog?
A blog, or web log is a kind of website published straight to the internet. Blog programs are usually free to use and no knowledge of computer programming is needed. While a website is often a one-way form of communication, blogs are two-way (like other web 2.0 tools) as readers are encouraged to contribute by leaving comments.
- blogs can be private or public
- a blogger adds content to their site by writing posts which are published in chronological order
- the most recent post appears at the top of the page
- pages can also be created for more static information such as about me
- photos, videos, links and a wide range of Web 2.0 applications can be included.
A blog is usually maintained by one person with readers able to respond to posts by writing a ‘comment’. However blogs can also be collaborative. Another alternative is to create student blogs which are all linked to one main blog. A central administrator (the teacher) should always moderate student blogs and comments.
Watch this simple video Blogs in plain English created by Lee and Sachi Lefever from Commoncraft.com.
How do you blog?
You can quickly and easily get started in creating your own blog. Use the link on the Global Teacher page Get a Global Teacher blog (http://globalteacher.org.au/wp-signup.php?new). In a few short steps you will have your own blog and will be ready to get started.
Global Teacher has much of the same functionality as Edublogs, also created by James Farmer. Edublogs has helpful How to videos (http://edublogs.org/videos/).
Student safety and blogging
It is recommended that you become proficient with your own teacher blog before you create any blogs for your students. Set up your student blogs in spaces specifically designed for education. You can do this at Global Student or Edublogs.
You should always be the administrator for every student blog created for safety reasons. This will allow to moderate and edit content instantly. You can have both you and the student as administrators.
It is recommended that you choose who you want to comment on your blog. For example, in 'settings' you can state that only users who are registered and logged in can comment. You should also ensure that comments are moderated (via your inbox) before they post live. This is the default option for Global Teacher. Comments have been used in incidents of student bullying.
It is important to get permission from parents to create student blogs and publish student work or pictures to the internet. Students should also be clear that personal information such as full names or addresses should never be published on the web and should be aware of their 'digital footprint'.
Some safety tips are provided on Emily P's blog. You can also view videos and explore lesson plans and online activities related to online safety at Working with the Web.
It is critical that you are fully aware of your professional responsibilities in an online environment.
Global Teacher and Global Student
The blogging environments Global Teacher (http://globalteacher.org.au) and Global Student (http://globalstudent.org.au) were set up by the Victorian Education Channel and the School Library Association of Victoria to allow teachers to explore and celebrate the educational value of blogging. They are free to join and open to all Victorian schools. Both sites run as working blogs with new posts continually added.
They are supported by Heather Blakey, a teacher with 35 years experience and an excellent knowledge of the online world. Contact her at global.teacher@edumail.vic.gov.au with questions or to enquire about professional development for your school.
Whilst Global Teacher and Global Student are not the only blogging environments, some other blogging environments are blocked by many schools as they enable users to search for any blog – some of which will obviously include inappropriate content. Check with your school technician if you are unsure.
Who is using blogs?
The Global Teacher page lists examples of blogs created by teachers for professional or classroom use. This is regularly updated. Email in details about your blog if you wish to promote it.
Hawkesdale P-12 school with has really taken off with blogs. Just look at the cluster map to see who and where their audience comes from... Talk about Global! The school has set up various blogs in globalteacher and globalstudent:
- Our own backyard (http://backyard.globalstudent.org.au/) is a school blog where student work and events are shared with the community
- ejourney with technokids (http://murch.globalteacher.org.au/) is the professional blog of Anne Murchison. It also has great examples of the online challenges she is setting for her students.
- skippy (http://skippy.globalstudent.org.au/) is one of the students at Hawkesdale P-12 schools personal blogs. It is full of ideas, writing and fun applications such as Voki. It is also a great example of a student keeping themselves safe online by not publishing too much personal information.
Web 2.0 communities to explore include:
- The Web 2.0 Telegraph (http://web2telegraph.wordpress.com/)
- Classroom 2.0 (http://www.classroom20.com/)
- Teacher 2.0 (http://teachers20.com/)
What can I include on my blog?
Blogs are really the platform for a whole range of Web 2.0 applications. Bloggers can easily include:
- voki characters (http://www.voki.com/)
- animoto video shows (http://animoto.com/)
- podcasts stored in podomatic (http://www.podomatic.com/) or Gcast (http://www.gcast.com/)
- presentations created in voicethread (http://voicethread.com/)
- presentations uploaded to slideshare (http://www.slideshare.net/)
- videos from Teacher Tube (http://www.teachertube.com/)