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Bell_Identifying Blogs

Identifying Blogs

Matthew Bell

6-5-17

AET/562

Kathryn Wyatt

Part 1

What is a Blog?

A blog is a combination of a website and a personal log. A blog provides an online method of logging opinions, experiences, and ideas online. Most individuals use blogs as a means to express themselves and share ideas through text and multimedia and have the ability to follow other bloggers from around the world with similar interests. Blogs also provide new communicational options for a professional development instructor to present assignments, links to videos, and news stories that are relevant to an educational course. Blogs allow the individual to quickly and consistently update their personal website with new content. Typically the provided content is presented in chronological order with the most recent blog appearing at the top. See the Attached video for details of Blogs.

youtube

Advantages/ Disadvantages of Blogs:

Advantages

Blogs allow the user to conveniently write and share thoughts and opinions on any given subject. Blogs are very user-friendly and do not require advanced web development or maintenance knowledge. There is an abundance of educational blogs for resolving common problems from around the world. Visitors to the blog can leave comments to elaborate on the shared content.

Disadvantages:

All published material is available for public use and provides a means for a backlash of emotional conflicts if the content is not presented professionally. Personal Blogs may contain inaccurate information or give a one-sided bias that is not intended for professional or educational research purposes. Comments are typically open to the general public and provide a means for anonymous cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is purposefully writing rude and inappropriate comments that could discourage an active learning environment.

Applying Blogs as Training Tools for Knowledge Creation and Enhancement

Public forums are a form of blogging that allows users to ask and answer questions about any specified problem and can be used during training when involved members need help resolving common problems. For example, a specific error message can be presented in a public training forum and answered by interested members of that forum. Alternative methods and ideas may be submitted as well as solutions to common problems. Reviewing other solutions can significantly improve one's existing knowledge about a new procedure or problem resolution.

Audience

The audience that would benefit the most from the content of this page are educators who are looking to utilize new technology and teaching methods in their classroom. Teachers can provide solutions to common problems or share their experiences with other educators when introducing new ideas in a real world classroom. Educators also have the option to locate, subscribe, and follow other blogs that are relevant to their curriculum. Blogs also provide a means for conducting an assignment and the ability to respond to student comments and questions concerning the presented material. Maintaining a blog also allows teachers and experts to continue researching topics that are important to them while publishing their knowledge and being able to send and receive feedback from their readers.

Part 2

Five Blogs for Educators

Mind Shift

Mind Shift is a blog website that is maintained by journalist Tina Bareghian and is intended to provide information on future technology tools, cultural trends, and new educational research and policies. The website blog is divided into five categories: stories teachers share, growth mindset, teaching strategies, big ideas, and games and learning. (MindShift, 2017) According to Feedspot, the frequency of posts is about four posts per week. The type of content provided includes topics such as, "Using Music And Rhythm To Help Kids With Grammar And Language" and "How A Gene-Editing Tool Went From Labs To A Middle-School Classroom" (MindShift, 2017). These topics are relevant to educators, as they provide insight into how learning is being impacted by technology, discoveries about how the brain works, and understanding the processes of thinking and music. The blog promotes audience engagement by encouraging readers to post comments and provides options to share content on social media such as Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. A noteworthy indication that the blog is reputable is the KQED logo which is a public media station in Northern California that is sponsored by NPR News and PBS.

Teach Thought

Teach Thought is a blog website that was founded and is directed by Terry Heick with an assortment of topics separated into four categories: critical thinking, learning, teaching and the future of education. Teach thought is intended to help teachers integrate technology into the classroom. The promoted technology is expected to create learning spaces that are custom, independent, and accurate. According to Feedspot, the frequency of posts is typically once daily with an average of about seven posts per week. The type of content provided includes topics such as "How To Motivate Students That Struggle" and "12 Curriculum Planning Tips For Any Grade Level Or Content Area" (Heick, 2017). These topics are relevant to educators, as they provide a unique overview of the learning process by observing the connection of culture and community to specific classroom practices, models, and curriculum. The blog promotes audience engagement by encouraging readers to post stories of past experiences when using new learning models, curriculums, and activities in their classroom and share what ideas worked and what needed to be improved. The blog offers options to share content on LinkeIn, Buffer, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter in the website's top navigation bar. A noteworthy indication that the blog is credible is the number of shares each post has. For example, the post, "30 Of the Best Books to Teach Children Empathy" has 136,400 shares.

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning is a blog website that is maintained by a collection of teachers from Canada and is intended to provide ideas for introducing mobile learning technology into the classroom. Content includes various tips, tutorials, and guides to integrate new technology into a course. (Feedspot, 2017) Posts are very frequent, according to Feedspot, at an average of roughly 18 posts per week. Some of the topics posted are, "9 Google Docs Add-Ons Teachers Should Try Out" and "9 Great Apps for Teaching Kids Cursive Writing". These blog articles are designed to be utilized immediately for teachers looking for short tutorials or newly available app tools to enhance an existing class. The blog promotes viewer engagement by providing options to leave comments; however, the majority of posts from 2017 do not have comments. Options are given to share content with four major social media sites, Facebook, Twitter Google+ and Pinterest. The blog displays a straightforward and professional layout and has a current date regarding copy write updates. Another indication that the blog is reputable is the fact that the contact info from the authors is provided and the few comments submitted by readers are all presented in a professional tone.

Edudemic

Edudemic is a blog website Created by JeffDunn in 2010 and is intended to provide networking options to help connect instructional faculty and students from around the globe. The site boasts more than 500,000 monthly visitors who partake in the sharing of ideas, discussions, experiences, and resources. The blog is designed for teachers who wish to distribute and review new tools, tips, resources, and visuals concerning education. Some of the topics posted on this blog include "6 Tips For Keeping Your Students Engaged in Class" and "Study Tips Backed by Science." These blog articles are designed specifically to help teachers increase motivation, engagement, and interest in the class. The majority of articles in the Edudemic blog are tips for teachers to help students overcome common and unique problems. Most comments praise articles with statements such as "everyone should read" but very few reader comments add to the topic. The Website provides indications of their credibility by proudly listing their recognition from reputable brands such as achieving a top 5 ranking from the Teach100 and references from other blogs such as Mindshift, Edutopia, and Edsurge.

The Learning Network

The learning network is a free blog for teachers provided by the New York Times. The blog provides teaching and learning material based on the New York Times articles and content. Questions about the materials are presented in the blog for classroom discussion. Teachers are encouraged to use or augment the provided lesson plans, and students can participate in contests, news quizzes, word of the day sections, or comment on interactive sections such as, "What's going on in this picture?" (The Learning Network, 2017). Post are typically very frequent as the website usually publishes new content every weekday and majority of comments are from students. The site is reputable in that it is owned by the New York Times company and maintains the professional layout and neutral journalism tone throughout the blog.

Reputation

A blog's content and reader comments can significantly affect the blogger's reputation. A blog can have a "voice" as long as it maintains a professional and accurate tone. This helps discourage comments from viewers that are based upon emotional conflict. Cyber bullying can be hurtful especially on a professional blog in that it discourages further communication from all involved members. Comments that are irrelevant to the content or hurtful to other commenters can damage the reputation of the overall website. It is important that author's handle the comments correctly by either avoiding responses that "fan the flames" or consider presenting a policy in which they will ban any bloggers that are abusive and go against the blog's terms of use. If a viewer posts a comment in a professional tone that adds to or elaborates on the content then the overall blog will be viewed as a positive and professional blog. It is important to portray a professional learning community in which like-minded individuals enjoy collaborating with others of the same interest.

PART 3

Best Practices for Individuals New to Blogs:

Before creating your blog, research professional blogs that you find interesting and wish to imitate. Make yourself acquainted with the environment, layout, and overall blogging process before starting your own. Find popular articles that provide a list of top blogging sites that are related to your interests. An example would be the "Top 100 Education Blogs for Educators and Teachers" article from Feedspot. Network with other bloggers who are active and helpful to answer questions and willing to collaborate.

Resources

Common Craft. (2007, Nov 29). Blogs in plain english. [Video file]. Retrieved from YouTube website:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI

Dunn, J. (2017). Edudemic connecting education and technology. Edudemic Inc. Retrieved from http://www.edudemic.com/

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. (2017). Ed Tech. Retrieved from http://www.educatorstechnology.com/

Feedspot. (2017). Top 100 Education Blogs for Educators and Teachers. Retrieved from http://blog.feedspot.com/top-50-education-blogs-for-educators-and-teachers/

Heick, T. (2017). Teach thought we grow teachers. Teach Thought. Retrieved from http://www.teachthought.com/

MindShift. (2017). How we will learn (p. 1). KQED Inc. Retrieved from https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/

The Learning Network. (2017). New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/section/learning

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