Welcome to Get Blogging Summer 2015!

For this 5 hour online module, you will learn about blogging, create a blog, and plan your first lesson for integrating your new blog into your instruction. 

This course is created by Laurie LeFever who is an Instructional Technology Integration Specialist at the Central New York Regional Information Center (CNYRIC). CNYRIC serves 50 school districts and 4 BOCES across 8 counties in the central region of New York State. 

This course requires a minimum of 5 hours time for successful completion. It is an online course, but face-to-face support will be offered on demand if you feel you need it. Just reach out via email to set up an appointment with the instructor: llefever@cnyric.org

The final deadline for all course activities is Monday, August 3. If you need additional time, please reach out to your course instructor.

Your Learning Style & Work Habits:

This course is likely to be quite different than any other course you've ever taken. As you will discover, learning online requires a different approach than sitting in a workshop. It requires much more discipline and self-direction than a face-to-face (F2F) course. If you find you are having difficultly, please stop into one of the Drop-In Office Hour sessions listed above or contact the instructor for support.

Your Computer/Equipment: 

There simply is no way around spending a lot of time in front of a computer to be successful in an online workshop. Your computer and Internet connection must be reliable, and you have to be able to use them regularly. You may want to use Google's Chrome Web Browser. Furthermore, if you don't already have one, you may want to consider creating a Gmail account solely for school. You will use your Google profile to identify your posts on this blog. It is always wise to separate personal from professional. Just make sure you keep track of usernames and passwords for the accounts you will create during this module. 

Your Internet Connection:

Since this is an online workshop, you will be spending a lot of time logged on to the Internet. If you have dial-up service at home, you will find that this course has media elements that are likely to be clunky and slow. You might want to find a faster connection around town.

Instructor Contact Information:

Laurie LeFever, LMS

CNYRIC

6075 E. Molloy Road

Syracuse, New York 13221

llefever@cnyric.org

Without further ado, let's get started!  
First, please add a comment to this post introducing yourself:

• Who are you? 
• What do you do?
• Where do you do it?
• What is your goal for taking this workshop? 

Note: Your post will not appear until approved by the instructor, so don't panic when you cannot see your introduction right away!

Then, scroll down to the next post to start your own blogging!

Get Blogging! Summer 2015

Introduction

Simply put, blogs are web journals, websites on which an individual or group of users record opinions, information, etc. on a regular basis. Blogs are means of providing students with opportunities for digital communication and collaboration in and out of the school building and day. With the available security options, teachers can control both the participants and the content. Blogs are one of the easiest options for creating a classroom Web presence, but can be even more powerful when combined with your classroom website and used for student interaction and communication.

Wonder

To blog or not to blog?  How can I effectively integrate blogging in my instruction?

Explore/Investigate

Watch Blogs in Plain English

Read The Guardian: Class blogs: a better way to teach?
Explore Kathleen Morris' Five Steps to Starting a Class Blog

Learn more about classroom blogs from expert Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano

Sample a few classroom blogs:

• Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog
• Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog
• The Avery Bunch
• Mrs. C's Senior English Blogs
• Room 611
• Newton's Minions

Not enough? Search the Internet for even more ideas you can use in your classroom!

Communicate

What are your ideas for effectively integrating blogs in your classroom? Share your grade level and/or content area along with your ideas. Click the "comment" link below to get started. Remember, your post will not be visible until approved by the instructor, so don't panic when you cannot see it right away!

Create

You will create a blog and a lesson plan to go along with it. Your lesson should incorporate the introduction and/or use of your blog in the classroom. Let's begin:

• Watch the tutorials to help you decide which to use:
• Blogger (for older students) has a great help section that will answer many of your questions. This section will help you set up the moderation of comments to avoid worry over inappropriate posts.
• Kidblog (for younger students) allows you to create student blogs without email addresses.
• Edublogs are great all around and have a great help section as well.
• Register for an account with one of the blog sites: Blogger, Kidblog or Edublogs.
• Create a blog you can share with others.
• Design and write-up your lesson (in whatever format works best for you).
• Email/share your lesson to the instructor: Laurie LeFever (laurielefever@gmail.com). Make sure to include a link to your blog on your lesson plan. 
• Share the link to your blog in a second comment posting on this blog for others to see.

Reflect

Now, on your own blog, reflect on the process of choosing and creating a blog for your classroom. Predict and plan for any hurdles you might need to surmount when you implement your blog in your instruction. What questions do you still have about blogging? Please complete this short feedback form.

All components are due by Monday, August 3, unless you have made other arrangements.

If at any time you have questions, contact me for support. I can help you via email, phone or Google Hangout or we can set up an in-person support session at your convenience:

Instructor Contact Information: 

Laurie LeFever, LMS

CNYRIC

6075 E. Molloy Road

Syracuse, New York 13221

llefever@cnyric.org