Let's help each other

This is the first blog I've created........... and it might be for you as well. Let's use this space to help each other. If you discover a HINT that might help a fellow student as they create their blog, please share the hint here.

Here are three hints from me:

1. When you attach a weblink, highlight the words that you'd like someone to click on and go to the weblink. THEN click on the "link" icon on the task bar. You will be asked to insert the web address. This approach looks cleaner than actually inserting the web address in the blog. I didn't use this approach in the post entitled, "Blogging Made Easy" so you can see why it's not as clean.

2. Here's the way I attached images. First, I found the images on "Google Images" and I downloaded to a folder in "My Pictures." Then on my blog editing page, I clicked the "image icon" and used the browser to locate the image.

3. I suggest you moderate comments as they are added to your blog. The comment moderation feature will let you view all comments (in your email) before they appear on your blog, giving you a chance to approve or reject them as desired.
You can find the comment moderation setting on the Settings Comments tab, along with all of the other comment settings. It's just a simple yes/no option.

Blogging for History Teachers

In 1999 blogging began in San Francisco when 3 young dot.comers stretched their minds to think of new ways to communicate and connect with people. Your challenge in this point of history is to think of ways to use a blog to enhance your high school history classroom.

You might create a blog to:
-- expand student access to relevant historical material by incorporating links to websites
-- conduct a moderated discussion forum
-- post in-depth information about historical figures you're currently studying
-- post homework for absent students

Here are some blogs created by history teachers that may offer inspiration to you:

A history teacher chronicles his travels through the ancient and not so ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

A History Teacher uses technology to enrich his classroom.

Speaking of History........
a podcast and blog maintained by an 8th grade American History teacher in Missouri who attempts to use technology to enhance the curriculum.

Blogging for Math Teachers

Put your mathematical mind in high gear to think of how to creatively use a blog to enhance your math classroom. Think of ways to get your students to communicate and connect to mathematical concepts:
Consider creating a blog for:
-- math problem of the week
-- share stories of mathematicians who make a difference in our world
-- provide opportunities for extra credit mathematical explorations.

Check out these websites for inspiration:

Math Teacher Mambo

Mathematical Musings

Blogging for Science Teachers

Can Mr. Wizard come to life in a science class blog? Use your creative mind to think of ways to connect science to the lives of your students.
Consider creating a blog to:
-- post science questions of the day
-- post experience for students to try and write a response
-- post information on interesting scientists
-- post current information on science discoveries
-- post homework for those absent students

Here are some websites to check out for inspiration:

The Adventures of Ms Frizzle (a middle school science teacher in the Bronx)

The Beagle Project

Blogging for English Teachers

As an English teacher a blog is appealing because it's one more venue for students to read and write. You might create a blog that provides opportunites for:
-- quick writes
-- a different writing venue ("for homework tonight write a different ending to the story on our class blog site")
-- posting excellent student essays (be sure to get their permission to post their work)
-- posting weblinks that connect to what students are reading in class
-- providing an adolescent-friendly forum for reading and writing
-- providing daily work (a great service to absent students).

The ideas are endless. Here are some links to some blogs created by other English Teachers. Check them out:

NWP weblogging community.

Examples of educational blogs

Sophomore Humanities blog uses the blog for extra credit

Criteria for grading

Creating and uploading your blog to taskstream is worth 20 points for TEP 588. You're probably wondering what criteria will be used to grade your blog.

Your blog will be evaluated using the following criteria

-- You were creative in thinking of a way to communicate and make connections with students, their parents, or fellow educators

-- You posted at least 5 entries on 5 different days

-- Each entry is well-written and interesting to read (with no spelling or grammar errors)

-- Each entry has an image

-- You included an least one weblink to a primary source document

-- You included information about yourself in the "about me" profile section. Be sure to include your mission statement. You might also consider adding your classroom rules.

-- You uploaded your blog to taskstream no later than January 24. You included a reflection that explains how a blog may/may not help you as a teacher.

Blogging made easy

For training on creating your first blog:
visit the Blogging Workshop at http://www.atomiclearning.com/workshops.

Here's a great site for creating a blog -- it's as easy as 1-2-3 http://www.blogger.com/

Check out these best of the web blogs
http://blogs.botw.org/Reference/Education/Teachers/

Do a google search for – teacher blog (history, english, math, science) to see what other teachers are doing.

The assignment!

TEP 588 students will create and update a blog site related to your content area which you can use to increase communication with your students.

A BLOG is your easy-to-use web site where you draw communities together (in this case – your students) to discuss specific topics. In simple terms, a blog is a web site where you can easily write on an ongoing basis; the newest writing appears at the top so the visitor can read what’s new. Blogs connect people as people can post comments on it. Blogs open up conversations (NOTE: you can control who can read and write to your blog).

Think creatively as you contemplate developing a blog. Here are some possibilities for you to ponder how a blog could enhance your teaching experience.
Create a blog:
-- to post class content
-- to extend the classroom learning
-- to provide cyperspace for “quick-writes”
-- to expand student access to relevant materials by incorporating links to websites
-- to conduct a moderated discussion forum (entire class can be involved)
-- to offer online extra credit opportunities
-- to provide an adolescent-friendly forum for reading and writing
-- as a collaborative space for students to respond
--to maintain communication with absent students

Blogs are a place to THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. Thus…………. for this technology assignment, do some thinking outside the box as you create a blog.

Elements to include in blog
--creative title
--“about me” profile
--at least 5 new entries on different days
--an image with each entry
-- at least one primary source document