Blogs

What is a Blog?

‘A blog is a website in which items are posted on a regular basis and displayed in reverse chronological order. The term blog is a shortened form of weblog or web log. Authoring a blog, maintaining a blog or adding an article to an existing blog is called “blogging”. Individual articles on a blog are called “blog posts,” “posts” or “entries”. A person who posts these entries is called a “blogger”. A blog comprises text, hypertext, images, and links (to other web pages and to video, audio and other files). Blogs use a conversational style of documentation. Often blogs focus on a particular “area of interest”, such as lessons of a certain subject or events that are happening in a certain place. Some blogs discuss personal experiences.'
Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

 In other words Blog contain posts that are in reverse chronological order from the recent posts at the top of the main page (  yung pinakabagong nagawa o nilagay  na posts ay makikita o mababasa sa pinakaitaas )  to the older entries going to the bottom. (papunta sa pinakalumang nagawa o nilagay sa dulo).

Most people think that blogs are online diaries where people share their opinions, ramblings and personal events. This is totally a misconception. Blogs can be used for so many purposes. It can be used for teaching lessons, it can be used for question and answers like a forum, it can be used by companies to communicate and interact with customers and other stake holders. Newspapers that incorporated blogs to their main website to offer a new channel for their writers. Individuals that created a blog to share with the world their expertise on specific topics, their interests, travels and so many more.

Let us consider that if  I would like to publish a Questions & Answers column online. I could use several types of websites for that purpose.

I could create an online forum, for example, where each thread would be an answer to a specific question. I could create a static HTML website and publish all the questions and answers on a single page. I could create a wiki where users would be able to edit the questions and answers directly. Finally, I could also create a blog where each post would contain a question and its answer.

The features that make blogs different from other websites are:

• content is published in a chronological fashion
• content is updated regularly
• readers have the possibility to leave comments
• other blog authors can interact via trackbacks and pingbacks
• content is syndicated via RSS feeds

Keep in mind that it is the bundle of those features that should define a blog. An online forum could also offer an RSS feed for example, but that would not make it a blog.

Therefore, since my purpose is to post lessons, I would prefer using a blog and my students can make discussions via posting comments or via www.facebook.com/groups/zscmstals

Class blogs are like a class website where parents, students, and others can visit to keep up with what is going on in class.Here are few ways many educators use class blogs:

• Post homework
• Daily summaries of what was learned in class
• Weekly news posts – much like a traditional printed newsletter
• Class calendars of important dates, tests, field trips, etc.
• Extending class discussions outside of class by asking students to reply to questions and comments
• Posting course documents, expectations, and contact information

Have more ideas – leave a comment on this post sharing!

Note: Para sa mga estudyante ko , gagawa tayo ng blog para sa mga lessons natin at yung mga natutunan natin at base sa inyong natutunan paano ninyo ito mai-aaply sa pagtuturo. ( Remember the Deposits and Dividends Activity/Portfolio)

So how do we create a blog?
How to create a blog using Wordpress
step by step in creating blog using wordpress

Para sa mga estudyante ko gagamit tayo yung Blogger; kung papaano yon pakiclick lang itong link:
Papaano gagawa ng blog sa Blogger

Maraming nagtatanong paano ba maglagay ng powerpoint sa blog? pakiclick lang ito:
paano maglagay ng powerpoint sa blog ko?

Source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/500181102336202284/

Ten ways to use your blogs in teaching
http://edublogs.org/10-ways-to-use-your-edublog-to-teach/

How do we use blogs in education?

Blogs can serve at least four basic functions.

1. Classroom Management

Class blogs can serve as a portal to foster a community of learners. As they are easy to create and update efficiently, they can be used to inform students of class requirements, post handouts, notices, and homework assignments, or act as a question and answer board.

2. Collaboration

Blogs provide a space where teachers and students can work to further develop writing or other skills with the advantage of an instant audience. Teachers can offer instructional tips, and students can practice and benefit from peer review. They also make online mentoring possible. For example, a class of older students can help a class of younger students develop more confidence in their writing skills. Students can also participate in cooperative learning activities that require them to relay research findings, ideas, or suggestions.

3. Discussions

A class blog opens the opportunity for students to discuss topics outside of the classroom. With a blog, every person has an equal opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions. Students have time to be reactive to one another and reflective. Teachers can also bring together a group of knowledgeable individuals for a given unit of study for students to network and conference with on a blog.

4. Student Portfolios

Blogs present, organize, and protect student work as digital portfolios. As older entries are archived, developing skills and progress may be analyzed more conveniently. Additionally, as students realize their efforts will be published, they are typically more motivated to produce better writing. Teachers and peers may conference with a student individually on a developing work, and expert or peer mentoring advice can be easily kept for future reference.
Source: http://thanhnguyen75.blogspot.com/2006/11/use-of-blogs-in-education_14.html