Thing 2 - Become a Blogger

Become a Blogger

Blogs originally came from the terms Web and Log, which meant that they started out as places where people would post their musings about a topic of interest. What made them interactive, was that viewers could post comments on the author's posting. In addition, subsequent readers could comment about other comments. This is known as a thread.

Today's blogs serve as websites containing entries (called “posts”) which appear in reverse chronological order, with the most recent post at the top of the page. Unlike web 1.0 websites which require a bit of tech know-how, blogs are WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get), and tend to operate like popular word processing tools. This makes them a great choice for classroom and educational use. Click the link below to watch a video to learn more about blogs:

If you have trouble seeing the video click here: Blogs in Plain English

---

To complete Thing 2 you must:
A. Create your own blog
B. Register your blog in the Wilton 23 Things project
C. Reflect on Things 1 and 2 on your new blog

---

A. Create Your Blog.

Your blog will become your essential connection to the learning in this course. You will reflect on each of 23 things that you learn on your blog. You will also use the blog to link to your other Web 2.0 creations. It is easy and fun, so let's begin.

First, go to http://www.google.com/ and set up an account with a password.  If you have a google account, log in.   You will use this same password for several applications, so be sure to keep track of it. Make sure you are smart about your passwords! Here are a few reminders:

1.) E-How Website

2.) You Tube Reminder

We will now use your Google account to create a blog. We realize that there are many blog services available (e.g., Blogger, WordPress, Movable Type, TypePad, or LiveJournal). Feel free to explore them, if you wish. We will be using Blogger for our class. Blogger tends to be quite user friendly and meshes well with other applications. It is also part of the Google platform, which prevents you from needing another password. Watch this video to learn how to set up your blog then go to Blogger and create your own.



Be creative when naming your blog --- do not call it "23 Things." Instead consider a name that reflects your personality.

B. Register Your Blog.

Once your blog is created, you must register your blog address by sending an email with a link to your blog to hepferm@wilton.k12.ct.us . Remember, your blog address is "_________.blogspot.com" -- it's a unique address that you created when you created your blog. You can right click on the web address in your browser and choose copy and then paste the address into the body of your email. Your blog will be listed under “Member Blogs” in right-side column of this blog so that others can see what you’re doing – an important part of becoming an online community of learners.

If you are not registered for this program in Protraxx, please indicate that in your email. You may work your way through the Things, but facilitators will not be monitoring your blog for CEUs.

C. Reflect - Blog Prompts for Thing 1 and Thing 2

At the end of each Thing, you are expected to post to your blog. Reflect on what you have learned and share with the facilitators and fellow learners: what worked for you, what did not work, you joys, frustrations, and hooray moments. We will offer some blog prompts that you may use to start your thinking. They should not be seen as a requirement. Make sure that the title of each blog post refers to the Thing that you are writing about (by number) -- give this first post the title: Thing 1 and Thing 2. (I know... you are thinking about the Cat in the Hat!)

Prompts: Why are you participating in Wilton 23 Things? What do you hope to learn? What new insights did you have during Thing 1? How does writing on the internet, knowing anyone could read it, change how you write or feel about writing? Do you consciously or subconsciously edit your posts when you know they may be read by colleagues?