So, what’s a blog, and what do I do with it?
Roll over your questions at left to read the details.
I know the basics. Take me to some ideas for how to use a blog in my teaching.
So, what’s a blog, and what do I do with it?
Roll over your questions at left to read the details.
I know the basics. Take me to some ideas for how to use a blog in my teaching.
The term “blog” is short for web log.
Although this sounds like a public diary, it can include more. Blogs not only provide a place for the author to write, they invite readers to COMMENT on what has been said. They can also include LINKS to web sites, other blogs, news articles, or anything on the web. Blog tools today make it easy to include pictures, videos, polls, maps to show where readers come from, and other "widgets."
Blog writers can also "tag" their entries with keywords. For example, if I write a blog entry about the book I am reading, The Cat in the Hat, I could "tag" it with the following tags: Suess, Cat in the Hat, reading. Tags are like categories for my entries, so I can view them by tag/category as well as by date.
Blogs allow people to "share" in unique ways. Instead of simply using the Internet for reading information to "look something up," blogs let people WRITE, REACT, and SHARE, using the web as a participant.
Who Blogs? (yes, it is a verb, too.)
Blogs are very popular with younger people, though Facebook and other "microblogging" tools are increasingly popular. As of the end of 2004, 48% of bloggers were under 30 and have been using the internet for over 8 years (2006 PEW Survey). Blogging especially appeals to people as an avenue for individual expression.
More details: Some blogs are narrowly focused on a specific topic, such as music or politics. Some are strictly personal, such as blogs shared with families or groups of friends to express opinions, tell about trips, or share a wedding. Some blogs are created to promote a product or company. Some blogs are more like op-ed columns in the newspaper, with commentary on events in the news, such as the war in Afghanistan or environmental issues. A few bloggers are paid for their blogs as part of an online magazine or newspaper. News sources routinely use blogs to assess reactions about the goings-on in different parts of the world and learn about public opinions. Newspapers use blogs to build online readership (and ad revenue) by inviting public comments.
What kind of writing do you see in blogs?
Blogs are generally written in a quick, informal style. Many include short quotes with links to other web sites and blogs, instead of reiterating what has already been said. Bloggers, like any writers, need to know their audience. Successful bloggers aim their writing at that target audience, even though other "lurkers" out there may be reading them.