Blog Requirements

Posting to a blog is an easy way to publish your ideas online, and it can support your professional development as a teacher. People use blogs to share their ideas and reflections on a vast array of topics. By exploring timely topics related to education and publishing your ideas relevant to the field, you can demonstrate personal growth and demonstrate that you actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally (see related INTASC standard #9).

As a social platform, blogs provide an outlet for expression and invite readers to post their own reactions and comments. Teachers can use classroom blogs to share information about what is happening in the classroom and solicit feedback from parents and other stakeholders. Students can also be engaged through a blog as a platform for expression and to encourage development of their writing skills. Publishing a class blog can provide students with a broader audience for their work, and that can be very motivating! To learn more about blogging, take a quick tour.

Assignment

Create your own professional blog using Blogger. To use your UNI Google account, first sign-in to one of the services at google.uni.edu, then proceed to blogger.com

Publish at least four posts, each on a topic related to technology in education. Each post should demonstrate that you seek out opportunities to grow professionally with regard to the topic. You must go beyond simply recounting activities in the course. Explore related resources or dig further into the topic to post your findings and reactions. For inspiration, follow related links from class lectures, RWLDs, or any other source.

Examples by previous students

Requirements

You can certainly go beyond the following minimum requirements. Actually, we hope you do! Use your blog to publish your ideas related to other aspects of your professional development. Use labels to organize your posts by topics.

• Publish at least four posts to the same blog on topics related to technology in education beyond simply recounting activities in class or referencing RWLDs previously assigned.
• The four posts for this assignment should be published on different days.
• Include descriptive labels with each post.
• Each post must be at least 75 words (that’s about 7 sentences).
• Each post must include at least one hyperlink to a related web site.
• Each post must incorporate an image.
• The source of any images used must be cited at the end of the post. Images must be used with permission, within the terms of a creative commons license, or used within the guidelines for fair use as it pertains to critical comment.
• At least one post must include an embedded video (embedded in the post, not just a hyperlink).
• Blog layout should include both the Labels and Subscription Links gadgets

Submit the address (URL) of your blog home page to the drop box in eLearning by the due date. Do not attach any files to your submission.

Resources

• Blogger Help
• Copyright Law: 12 Dos and Don'ts for Bloggers
• Examples by previous students

If you need inspiration for your blog posts, explore some of the links below or along the right. Just be sure the topics you post about relate to technology in education.

• edutopia.org (George Lucas Educational Foundation)
• Edublogs We Love (from edutopia.org)
• Learning in Hand
• iEARN - International Education and Resource Network
• FutureLab
• The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Project
• 2011 Horizon Report

Point Structure (40 points)

Special Notes:

• Submit the address (URL) of your blog home page to the drop box in eLearning by the due date. Copy and paste that address to avoid any errors. Do not attach any files to your submission.
• 10% of points possible will be deducted If you submit the wrong URL or your blog is not public and your instructor cannot view it as a result.