Table of Contents

Workshop 4 Objectives: Blogging Tools & Activities Before We Get Started: Your Task for January & February I. Principles of Blogging II. Tagging III. Layout & Widgets IV. Adding Audio & Video V. Adding Slide Shows IV. Keeping Track of Student Blogs  V. So Now What?

  

 

Workshop 4 Objectives: Blogging Tools & Activities

 

• discuss the potential of blogging as a teaching tool in the English classroom
• identify the steps involved in getting students to blog
• implement multimedia tools and applications on their blog (audio, video, image, widgets)
• consider ways in which blogs can be used to facilitate communication outside the classroom
• identify ways to find collaborative partners and audiences for their blogging classes
• understand the basics of syndication (RSS) and tagging
• develop at least one activity that students could do on a blog

 

Before We Get Started: Your Task for January & February

 

During the first two class cycles of 2009, you need to plan an activity using technology in some way, shape, or form with one of your classes.  This doesn't necessarily mean that you have to take your students to the library to use the computers.  This class (or activity) will be observed by Erin.  You do need to have an activity/lesson plan for the class that will be observed, which you need to present to Erin before the class.  Remember to use the class plan format that is available in the library, or download it here. 

 

Please let Erin know at least 2 days before the class so that she can include you in her schedule!

---

 

I. Principles of Blogging

 

A blog is an online journal that incorporates text, images, audio, video, and other forms of media. Blogging is a motivational tool that lowers student affective filters, allows for purposeful and creative language development that extends beyond the classroom, and creates a comfortable bridge to other kinds of writing. In addition, blogging provides a “real” audience for student writing, as the teacher is often the only person who reads student writing. This audience may include peers, students from other classes, or even other countries, parents--potentially anyone with Internet access.

 

What can you do with a blog?  There are many possibilities, all of which can use audio, video, and image in addition to text:

• journals
• writing process
• descriptions
• comments on current events
• reflecting on the learning process
• writing portfolios
• building community outside of the classroom
• cultural exchange
• adapting/adding to the textbook
• and the list goes on...

 

These are some principles of blogging, collected by Blogging4Beginners participants during the 2006 TESOL EVO.

• Integrate blogging to the rest of the work done by the class.

• Surprise your students.
• Make the content meaningful and relevant.
• Build networks of learning that can cross continents.
• Develop an atmosphere that encourages and respects the learner and their ideas.
• Invite guests to post on your blog and to comment.
• Teach your students some blogging skills.
• Give prompt feedback to commentators.
• Vary your post style.
• Set tasks that lead to interaction.
• Use the blog for activities the students could not do in the classroom.
• Exploit errors, but do not correct students explicitly on blogs.
• Use syndication tools to keep track of posts and comments.
• Turn on the word verification in your blog settings to avoid spam.
• Define who can comment in your blog.
• Add your email to receive notifications when someone leaves a comment on your blog.
• Attention to copyright issues!
• Always give credit to the source.

 

---

 

II. Tagging

 

A tag is basically a keyword that you assign to a piece of information (like a blog post, an image, or a video). The tag, or label, helps describe an item and lets you or someone else find it again by browsing or searching. Tags are chosen informally and personally by you, the creator, or by its viewer. On a website in which many users tag many items, this collection of tags becomes a folksonomy. Tagging is an important feature of many Web 2.0 services. It is now also part of some desktop software. (adapted from the Wikipedia definition)

 

 

 

Cartoon from The Far Side by Gary Larson

 

Tagging on Blogger.  For an entry on my travel blog, I might use tags such as beach, El Salvador, or animals.  Blogger now also allows you to give a blog posting a geo-tag, marking the location.    

 

 

---

 

III. Layout & Widgets

 

Widgetbox gives the following definition:  "A widget is a little mini-application that you can put into your blog or web page."

 

A widget is anything that can be embedded within a web page. A widget adds content to that page that is not static. Widgets usually come from a third-party, though they can be home-made. Widgets are also known as modules, snippets, plug-ins, and gadgets (adapted from Wikipedia definition).You can put them on any blog or web page that you own. Widgets can provide readers information, functionality, or even a little bit of fun.

 

This is an example of a Google Gadget that shows the current weather conditions.

 

 

Under Layout in Blogger, you have the option to add gadgets/widgets to your blog.  Layout also lets you change the way your blog looks. 

 

 

There's a set number of widgets that Google provides for you.  These widgets will appear in the right or left-hand columns, not in your blog posts. 

 

 

Here's an example of a widget that appears inside of one of my blog entries. 

 

 

---

 

IV. Adding Audio & Video

 

A podcast is an audio file that you can subscribe to, listen to online, or download so that you can listen on your computer or on an MP3 player. To download the files, right-click on the title, choose 'Save target as', and select where you want to save the file. If you want to listen on your PC, just left click and the file will play in your default media player.

 

You can also post audio on your blog.  You might embed the podcast, or you might simply put a link.  These are some sites where you can find already made audio for your students. 

 

English Caster http://www.englishcaster.com/

Educational Podcast Network http://epnweb.org/

Podcast Alley  http://www.podcastalley.com

Podcast Pickle  http://www.podcastpickle.com/

iTunes  http://www.apple.com/itunes/

Voice of America Special English  http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/index.cfm

BBC Learn English Podcasts   http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-podcasts.htm

ELT Podcast    http://www.eltpodcast.com/

The Bob and Rob Show (a variety show for students)  http://www.englishcaster.com/bobrob/

ESL and Archie Comics  http://www.archiecomics.com/podcasts/

TOEFL Listening Practice    http://www.toeflpod.com/

 

Video can be posted on your blog in addition to audio.  As with audio, you might simply post the link to the video or you might embed the video (see example of embedded YouTube video below). These are some sites where you can find videos or share your own. 

 

Blip.tv http://blip.tv/

Freevlog http://www.freevlog.org/index.php/category/tutorial/ (set up a video blog)

Google Video http://video.google.com/

Odeo http://odeo.com/

OurMedia http://www.ourmedia.com

Jumpcut http://www.jumpcut.com/

Photobucket http://photobucket.com/

Revver http://revver.com/

School tube http://www.schooltube.com/

TeacherTube http://www.teachertube.com/

TinyPic http://tinypic.com/

Viddler http://www.viddler.com/

Yahoo! Video http://video.yahoo.com/

YouTube http://www.youtube.com

 

 

There are also sites that have videos and video activities just for ESL/EFL students.  One of these is ESL Video, another is

 

 

---

 

V. Adding Slide Shows

 

Another addition for your blog could be a slide show or PowerPoint presentation.  SlideShare is an easy third-party service that can be used for this purpose. Follow these instructions to add a slide show with SlideShare:

1. Open an account at http://www.slideshare.net.

2. You can search for other people's presentations, or you can upload your own. 

 

 

3. Once you have a presentation uploaded and give it a title, it will take a few minutes to appear.Copy the code next to Embed. You will then post this code to a blog post.

 

5. In Blogger, click on Edit HTML and past the code for the presentation. Once you are finished pasting, you can publish! 

6.  

 

Take a look at Amanda's blog to see an example of a presentation that appears in a blog post. 

---

 

IV. Keeping Track of Student Blogs

 

What can you do to have the time to read your students' blogs?  How can you manage to keep up? 

 

RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, allows you to keep track of the content of your favorite websites or blogs without having to visit them regularly.  This allows you to gather information from many different sites into one place. To do so, you need an RSS reader (also called feed reader or aggregator). The reader automatically displays a headline and a link.  When you click on the link, the story opens. The reader can be desktop-based or web-based. Some examples are:

 

 Google Reader

 Bloglines

Juice: www.kbcafe.com/juice/download.html

 

 

 

1. Open an account at Bloglines.

2. Click on Add to subscribe to one of your classmate's blogs.

3. Paste the URL for the blog in the box (e.j. http://irwyn12.blogspot.com)

4. Bloglines will give you several choices for the feed.  Choose the first option.

5. Click on submit

6. Your blog feed will appear on the left-hand side of the screen.  When you click on the name of the blog, you will receive a headline and link for any entry you have not read. 

 

---

 V. So Now What?  

 

Take a look at some of these example activities for students using blogs.

 

Activity Example 1: Illustrated vocabulary exercises

Objective: to reinforce concrete vocabulary items

Level: beginner and elementary

Technology: digital camera, blog

Before class: pre-teach necessary vocabulary items

Procedure:

1. Teacher (or students uses digital camera to take photographs of concrete items of vocabulary

2. Transfer pics to computer. Create an exercise around the things shown in a picture (adapted from p. 95, Blended Learning)

3. Students leave their answers as a comment or as a new entry on their own blog

See an example of this activity on my blog