Thing+3+-+Beginning+Blogging

=**Thing 3 (Week 2): Become a Blogger**=

Introduction**|| [[image:http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2230/2047040339_8d834d228d.jpg caption="Illustration by Howdy, I'm H. Michael Karshis" link="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmk/2047040339/"]]**
A blog is one of the core publishing/communication tools of Web 2.0. A blog, at its simplest, is a website containing an archived series of posts (e.g. articles, news items, commentaries, journal entries, stories, reviews, summaries, etc...), organized by categories (or tags), with a place for readers to leave comments. Readers can subscribe to the blog using a special type of code called an RSS (or similar) feed. A blog may have one or many authors, and can be about any topic, from personal to political to professional.

Blogs connect ideas and people.
Blogging can provide teachers and students with an authentic opportunity to express themselves, synthesize ideas from many sources, engage in discussion and debate, write for an audience beyond the classroom, reflect on their own learning, teach and mentor others, and connect with peers and experts around the globe. As you work through the next few "Things," and the remainder of the course, you will begin to learn more about blogs and their powerful potential for personal and professional learning, reflection and communication.

Today, the primary goal is to get you "up and blogging."
Your personal blog is the most important component of the K12 Learning 2.0 course. You will use your blog to document your learning, discoveries and experimentation throughout the course. It will also serve as your course portfolio, or record of completion.

Discovery Exercise
As you watch the video below, consider the term "NEWS" as meaning any content or topic that is relevant to you and/or your students.

Blogs in Plain English **(3:00)**
Please click here to watch this video that explains blogs in easy to understand language.

Create your blog site at @http://edublogs.org/. When you've finished setting it up, be sure to record your blog address in our Shared Document Space in Google Docs for the rest of our cohort to have access to. You may choose to blog under your real name or a pseudonym/username, but your blog content should always be school appropriate.
 * Getting started:**


 * ‡ HELP Page ****:** More help resources available on the Edublogs "Getting Started Page"

**¤ NOTE:** ** Your blog will serve as the record of your learning in this course. **

If you are wondering how long your blog posts need to be:
 * Your blog posts should be //as long as they need to be// for you to **meaningfully express your thoughts and reflect on your learning**. You will get out of the course what you put in. Others will //read and learn from// what you post. What would you want your own students to do?
 * If none of those guidelines are working for you... aim for **at least a solid paragraph that addresses the main questions/points of the task**.

Tips for a Richer Learning 2.0 Blogging Experience

 * Your blog will be as meaningful as you make it. Invest in your reflections and spend a little time crafting your posts. **Take time to link**, **format your text** and **possibly add images**. Feel free go beyond the minimum posting requirements. The blog is truly yours.
 * **Be brave when posting** and **celebrate your learning**. We all struggle and experience frustration and can benefit from hearing about others' experiences. We also want to hear about your discoveries and problem-solving triumphs!
 * **Be generous in commenting on other participants blogs**. Blogging is meant to engage readers in two-way communication. We are a community of learners. If you take a little time to encourage and respond to others' posts, they will respond in kind.

Task
After you have set up your blog, write the following **two posts**. Be sure to include the **Thing # in the Post Title**.

Write a reflective blog post based on the //7 1/2 Habits of Effective Lifelong Learners//. You may write about anything related to your own experiences or beliefs about Lifelong Learning, and your thoughts about this course. The three things you were asked to consider were:
 * POST 1: From Thing 1 - Reflections on Lifelong Learning**
 * Which habit(s) may be __most challenging for you__ to employ as part of your **K12 Learning 2.0** experience?
 * Which habit(s) will be __easiest, or are most resonant for you__ as a lifelong learner?
 * Which habit do you think will be __most important for you__ as you work through this course, and why?

Complete a blog post reflecting on your initial thoughts about Web 2.0 and its role in 21st Century teaching and learning. Consider the ways in which Web 2.0 tools might change (or have already changed) your professional practice. How might you be able to use these new tools to to engage today's "digital learners?" Why would you want to? How might you be able to use these tools to support your own learning?
 * POST 2: From Thing 2 - Thoughts about Web 2.0**


 * ‡ HELP Videos: **
 * [|Write and publish a basic blog post] (2:10)
 * [|Edit or delete a published blog post] (1:05)

** Stretch Task **

 * (P. S. I hope __everyone__ does this one!)** Blogging is //meant to be a conversation// and we are a //community of learners//. Check the **Blog-list** for our group at the Google Shared Spread Sheet and visit the blogs of **two** **colleagues** -- one from your department at least. Read their **Thing 1** or **Thing 2** posts and leave a comment in response! If you are commenting on a blog //from another portal//, paste the URL of your own blog in the "Blog Address" field so that they know where to find you. Early finishers may have to check back later in the week to find blogs to post to.

** ‡ HELP Videos: ** > Reviews commenting on a blog in your own portal, or one of the other portals (where you are not a member).
 * [|Read a post and leave a comment on someone's blog] (3:35)
 * [|Managing comments on your own blog] (2:30)