Web Log (Blog)
Tutorial and Assignment
What is a blog?
What does a blog look like?
Goals of the assignment
Jo Ann Oravec provides a nice description of weblogs:
"Weblogs provide a format for critiques of
other Web materials along with various personal touches.
structured like journals, with their segments identified by
time and date. . . . The weblog format
allows developers (often known as "bloggers") to work either alone or
in teams. It supports a wide range of personal expression and
interaction as individuals
comment on one another's weblogs.. . . Along with
critiques of various articles and web sites, weblog development can
also incorporate "day-in-the-life" narratives and other forms of
What does a blog look
Blogs take a variety of forms depending on who is blogging and why.
Here are a few examples:
Given these examples, note that that blogs
consist primarily of plain text and relevant links although
pictures seem to be increasingly used as the software makes embedding
To take a look at a wide variety
of blogs, some of which are interesting and valuable, some of which are
trash, go to http://www.salon.com/blogs/
(see left frame, and click "recently updated blogs") and explore.
There are numerous reasons to create a blog:
- Personal expression, primarily
- Control of information
- Exploration of a topic
- Initiate interaction with others
To see a short video extolling the value of blogs as educational
here. [This video stream lasts about 17 minutes. It is
also pitched mostly to k-12 teachers, but the topics and information
are all relevant to our concerns.]
The goals of
the assignment are:
- To explore the presentation of self in an online environment
- To create a weblog that has a clear focus of interest
- To analyze the nature of the persona you created in the blog
- To analyze how others make sense of and use the net.
1) Create a blog with a specific
focus: some dimension of communication; a political or
ideological view; a specific professional interest; etc. Be sure to
articulate the focus of the blog precisely as you create it. [See
my goal statements on my blogs as an examples]
- Go to http://blogger.com/
and follow the directions to create your blog.
- Once completed, visit www.haloscan.com
to install a comment/trackback capability on your blog. This is
essential for inviting dialogue with your readers.
2) Once you have created your blog and
installed the comment capability, post the name, URL and link to WebCT
so the class knows about it. Send me a notice by email.
3) You must post a minimum
of once a week but to
receive credit, your blog must show at least 13 entries with no more
than three in any week. These conditions are absolute--no
credit for less than 13; no credit if any week has more than three in a
week. (This is to discourage cramming in a bunch of stuff to complete
the assignment "on a technicality.")
4) Each entry must
include commentary and live links to one or more relevant
sites. (Dead links are not allowed!)
5) Each entry must cite sources of ideas clearly.
6) Your final entry (13 or
provide a summary and notice that the
blog is ending
a summary and stated plan for future blogging (if you intend to
Jo Ann. “Bookmarking the world: weblog applications in education.” Journal
of Adolescent & Adult Literacy
45 (April 2002): 616-621.