ONLINE ASSIGNMENT II

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ONLINE ASSIGNMENT II

ASWATHY B.K ENGLISH

EDUCATIONAL BLOGSBLOGSA blog is frequently updated online personal journal or diary. It is a place to express yourself to the world. That means it is a place to share your thoughts and your passions. For our purposes we will say that a blog is your own website that you are going to update on an ongoing basis. Blog is a short form for the word weblog and the two words are used interchangeably.Weblogs are personal web pages written in chronological order and maintained through a specific software that helps their administration. From an educational point of view weblogs are the development of traditional learning logs for students and teachers, whether as a complement to traditional lectures or as a e-lg tool. The importance of these applications has increased due to the changes in the classrooms dynamics. There are many uses for weblogs in many fields. Lets analyze what is an educational blog.EDUCATIONAL BLOGSAn educational blog or edublog is a blog created for educational purposes. Edublogs archive and support student and teacher learning by facilitating reflection, questioning by self and others, collaboration and by providing context for engaging in higher order thinking. Edublogs proliferated when blogging architecture became more simplified and teachers perceived the instructional potential of blogs as an online resource. The use of blogs has become popular in educational institutions including public schools and colleges.Blogs can be useful tools for sharing information and tips among co-workers, providing information for students, or keeping in contact with parents. Common examples include blogs written by or for teachers, blogs maintained for the purpose of classroom instruction, or blogs written by educational policy. Educators whose bolgs are sometimes called edubloggers.HISTORYWeblogs have existed for close to two decades. However it was not until the second half of the 1990s that weblogs began to grow in popularity. In 1998, there were just a handful of sites of the type that are now identified as weblogs (so named by James Barger in December 1997). In 1999, there were 23 known weblogs and Pitas http:// www.pitas.com/ , the first free build your own weblog tool was launched. Also in 1999, weblogs changed from a mix of links, commentary and thoughts to short for journal entries. An early recorded use of the term edublog can be traced to a webring called the Edublog WebRing, founded on January 30, 2002. The new use of weblogs are largely interest driven and attract readers who have similar interests. In 2004, there were an estimated 3 million blogs and as of July, there are an estimated 164 million blogs.The Edublog Awards, the international and community based awards program for the use of blogs and social media to support education , runs annually online across a range of platforms. The Awards were founded by James N .Farmer in 2004.USES OF BLOGSThere are several uses of edublogs. Some bloggers use their blogs as a learning journal or a knowledge log to gather relevant information and ideas and communicate with other people. Some teachers use blogs to keep in contact with students parents. Some bloggers use blogs to record their own personal life, and express emotions or feelings. Some instructors use blogs as an instructional and assessment tool and blogs can be used as a task management tool. Blogs are used to teach individuals about writing for an audience as they can be made public, and blogging software makes it easier to create content for the web without knowing much HTML.TEACHER BLOGSThere are many teacher related blogs on the internet where teachers can share information with one another. Teachers familiarize themselves with edublogs before implementing them with their students. Many teachers share materials and ideas to meet the diverse needs of all learners in their classrooms. Teachers can often rely on these sources to communicate with one another regarding any issues in education that they may be having, including classroom management techniques and policies. In this way, the blog often act as a support system for teachers where they can access ideas, tools and gain support and recognition from other professionals in their field. weblogs can provide a forum for reading, writing and collaborating.Edublogs can be used as instructional resources, in which teachers can post tips, samples or explanations to help students learning. The use of blogs in the classroom allows both the teacher and students the ability to edit and add content at any time. The ability for both the teacher and student to edit content allows for study to take place outside the classroom environment, since blogs can usually be accessed by using the URL of the blog on any computer. Blogs increase exposure to other students from around the country or world, while improving writing and communication skills. Teachers are using blogs as a way to post important information such as homework, important dates, missed lessons, projects, discussion boards and other useful classroom information that is accessible by all. As noted, students can access information form home or form any computer that is connected to the internet.Teachers and parents use blogs in order to communicate with one another. They can be used to post class announcements for parents or providing schedule reminders. Connecting to a teachers blog is also a convenient way for parents to find out daily assignments so that they can monitor their childrens progress and understand classroom expectations.STUDENT BLOGGING IN THE K-12 CLASSStudent blogging describes students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 who are using blogs in some way in a formal classroom context. Blogs are digital platforms that provide students with a medium for sharing knowledge and experiences that go beyond the traditional means of reading and writing in classrooms. Student blogging is a relative newcomer to the digital writing scene, and appears to have gained ground only in the past 7-8 years. In the past 5 years , however, student blogging has become a relatively common phenomenon in classrooms around the world. This may be attributable to the increase in free blog hosting services that have adjustable privacy settings, and the opening up of school internet filters to a greater range of social media.The use of blogs in education gives students a global perspective. Teachers and students from different states, countries, and continents are able to collaborate on different projects and ideas. A classroom in China can collaborate with classrooms in Germany, Mexico, Australia with just a few clicks of a button. Learning through blogs allows students to take control of their own learning and steer it to their own needs. Students are able to see that opinion and even strategies vary based on location and culture. Children are all different, but a common thread of learning can unite them. The use of blogs in the classroom engages children in learning and using technological literacy that will help them in adulthood.There has not been a significant amount of research conducted on K-12 students regarding the efficacy of edublogs in enhancing learning. However , anecdotal results discussed by educators have given a glimpse into their utility or promise. There is a general consensus that edublogs create many opportunities for collaborative learning, as well as enhance the ability to locate and reflect upon work.COMMON PEDAGOGICAL USES OF STUDENT BLOGGING IN THE CLASSROOMAccording to the exact literature, students use blogging in classrooms for different purposes. Blogs are used to showcase individual student work by enabling them to publish texts, video clips, audio clips, maps, photos and other images , projects and suchlike in a potentially accessible forum. Proponents of student blogging argue that blogging can enable contribute directly to improve d writing abilities and argue that classroom blogging enable students to engage with audience s beyond their classroom walls by using blogs as personal journals, as diaries, for story writing, and for making editorial responses to news events. Researchers have also documented teachers using student blogging to promote creativity and self expression.

REASONFOR USING STUDENT BLOGGING IN CLASSROOMSSome researchers claim that student blogs promote learning by proving opportunities for students to take more control of their learning and the content they engage. It is also claimed that student blogging intrinsically motivates students to become better readers and writers.POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS/SOME CRITICISMSThere is very little research on student blogging available. That being said, there is a large amount of published anecdotal evidence regarding criticisms of student blogging or limitations in using blogging in classrooms. For example, commentators claim that student blogs often include uncorrected inaccuracies of information, or can be used to instigate online bullying. Commentators also complain that student blogs are difficult to archive or index.NOTABLE EDUBLOGGERS Stephen Downes James N. Farmer Will Richardson George SiemensPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BLOGS FOR TEACHERSAlthough there are many blogs that teachers can use in the classroom with their students, there is also a multitude of blogs that teachers can use for their own professional developments. Such blogs include hints on ways to be a better teacher in a certain subjects area such as music, mathematics, or ESL, blogs on educational theory , blogs on advice for new teachers, blogs on where to find free technology, and blogs on transforming education, for example. There is much that can be learned from blogs of other teaching professionals and the learning can be done anytime and anywhere.

Education Blogs You Should Follow

If you are a teacher, student, parent, or administrator, you should be following education blogs. Why? Simply because blogs are an ever-increasing way to spark ideas, creativity, and innovation. The following list is a compilation of blogs for those interested in education.Written by parents, administrators, businessmen, teachers, and administrators, these blogs stand out with their unique style and excellent content. Traditional Elementary Education 1. Cathy NelsonCathy Nelsons blog is for educators and library media specialists who are interested in technology integration in the classroom. She offers help, resources, and ideas from her own personal experience. She won the Edu Blog award in 2007 and 2008.

2. Cool Cat TeacherCool Cat is a local teacher, author, and non-profit initiator, dedicated to inspiring fellow teachers with innovative and fresh ideas for reaching students in the classroom. Be sure to check out The Captivating Teacher Manifesto. 3. Principals PageA blog centered on school administration issues. In addition to personal anecdotes, tips, and education philosophy, he writes various articles for other websites that you can find on his site. Examples of his work include The Connection between Teachers and Smart phones, and how Social Media Connects Educators. 4. Teaching Blog AddictA blog dedicated to educators who want a one-stop shop for all the best education blogs and resources on the Web. They arrange posts by categories, so teachers looking for ideas in a certain subject can find content quickly and easily. 5. Learning Is MessyBrian Crosby is the author of this blog and a teacher who specializes in at risk students. He shares his ideas for learning in a personal style and encourages other teachers to understand that sometimes learning isnt linear. 6. The Curriculum CornerThis blog is run by two teachers (who happen to also be neighbors), and gives instructional tips for teaching lessons that meet the Common Core standards. 7. The Organized Classroom BlogThe Organized Classroom is a blog primarily for teachers who need help making their classroom functional and efficient. The website offers free resources, tips, and ideas from local teachers

. 8. Polka Dotted Teacher

A fun and whimsical education site for teachers who need to add some color and creativity into their classroom. Her site is in the style of Dr. Seuss. 9. Educational AdvancementThis blog is part of a larger website that is dedicated to helping gifted youth. It focuses on news, information, and other resources for parents and teachers of talented children. Traditional College 10. Omniac EducationThe Omniac blog is for high school students who are planning to go to college. The site gives tips for taking college entrance exams, as well as ideas for maximizing the success rate of college applications. 11. Study HacksA computer scientist and published author write this blog about what makes students successful. He chronicles some of his controversial thoughts on why pursuing your passion is a bad idea and gives tips and hints found in his numerous books.

12. Parents Countdown To College CoachThis blog is mainly for parents who might need some extra help in getting their child off to school. Expect to find advice on how to help your child succeed in college, tips about transitioning to a dorm room, as well as financial aid and application resources. 13. ProfHackerA blog dedicated to helping educators with their productivity, technology integration, as well as teaching. The latest post is an interesting entry about professionalism on social media, an increasing problem that has only been introduced since the explosion of sites like Face book and Twitter. 14. Thesis WhispererThe Thesis Whisperer is a collaboration of writers and students who talk about the process of writing a dissertation. Everything from planning your writing process, tips, presentation ideas, and dealing with your supervisor, is covered in this group-authored blog. 15. Teen College EducationA blog written by both students and educators! Topics include admissions to college, high school tips for maximizing college potential, and how to score well on college entrance exams. It even gives practical advice about how to survive on a student budget and what to do after graduation. 16. University of VenusThe Inside Higher Ed blog is a large site written by numerous authors. It covers everything from technology, to education philosophy, strategies for admissions, and career advice. 17. NextStepUThis blog is associated with the NextStepU magazine. It offers advice about various colleges and degrees, and offers giveaways from time to time. It also has tools like scholarship search and college match. 18. CheggThis blog is attached to the Chegg website; a student services site for planning and study help. The blog gives advice about finding inexpensive textbooks, study habits, and scholarships. Be sure to check out the post, What Does Your Major Say About You

19. The Ivy Coach The author of this blog is Bev Taylor, a well-known counselor who is frequently seen on media sites, giving tips about getting into Ivy League schools. Her blog centers on helping students gain entrance into the school of their dream. She also offers herself for hire! 20. StratedgyThe Stratedgy blog is meant for educators who want to discuss ways to compete in an ever-expanding world of education options. E-Learning and Edtech 21. Tic Tac InteractiveTic Tac interactive is Scandinavias leader in digital education and their blog features some pretty interesting conversations about education. 22. The Daily RiffFrom their About Us page: As provocateur, muse, catalyst and game changer, The Daily Riff will sniff and sift through our edu-culture, curating news and opinion in quick, digest-sized take-aways for you to use and share. I think that says it all. 23. E-learn SpaceThis site is full of solid information regarding open courseware, technology, education philosophy, and networking. There are slide presentations to go with some of the posts as well. 24. Speed of Creativity Wesley Fryer is a keynote speaker and author who own this blog. He explores topics like digital storytelling, creativity and technology integration in education. Many of his presentations, handouts, and other materials are available to read and download25. Beth KnittleBeth Knittle is a technology integration specialist for a K-12 district and blogs about her learning experiences. She has presented at several major education conferences like MassCUE and EduCon. She has an attached Wiki and a scrupulously organized archive page. 26. Edcomp BlogA lecturer in Scotland at the University of Strathclyde authors this blog. Check out his blog post on creating memorable passwords for middle school students, or his review of text online adventure games. He writes in short post form, making it an easy blog to read when you are short on time. 27. The Tech Savvy EducatorThis blog is a practical guide to technology integration. There are posts about using the iPad in the classroom, how to make an inexpensive green screen, as well as starting up an online book club. The owner and author is Ben Rimes, a K-12 technology specialist in Michigan. 28. Will RichardsonWill Richardson is a published author, TED talk presenter, and parent who blogs about technology and its educational potential. His book about web tools for the classroom has sold over 80,000 copies. 29. The Thinking Stick This blog covers all things technology and education. The author is Jeff Utecht, an educator, consultant, and author. Some of his top tweeted posts are 10 Reasons to Trash Word and Use Google Docs, Gmail Tips for Teachers, and Lecture as Content Delivery is Dead. 30. The Rapid E-Learning BlogThis is a blog all about e-learning. It tackles topics such as how to design e-courses, web applications for e-learning, PowerPoint, graphic design, and interactive e-learning.

31. Life in Perpetual BetaHarold Jarches blog is called Life in Perpetual Beta. His topics center on practical tips for leadership, social networking in business, and collaboration. He tackles ideologies of learning and knowledge from a philosophical perspective, adding technological aspects to his writing. 32. The Online Learning UpdateThe Online Learning Update is a blog about online education news and research. The editor is Ray Schroeder, a University of Illinois professor, and he gathers headlines about university open courseware. 33. E-Learning QueenStop at the E-Learning Queen blog and meet the Queens assistant, Susan Smith Nash. She humorously names her reader the queen of e-learning, since you are reading her site. She focuses on distance learning, e-course design, and social/psychological issues surrounding the online education process. 34. Funny MonkeyFunny Monkey blog is highlights all the news and information related to Funny Monkey, a business dedicated to making educational materials free. In addition to news, the blog also covers major educational issues, technology, and classroom solutions. 35. Cammy Beans Learning Visions Cammy Beans Learning Visions blog is about e-learning design. She hosts webinars about the best ways to effectively design e-courses, tools to use, and how to get started. 36. Dangerously IrrelevantA blog written by Dr. Scott Mcleod that focuses on the problem between exploding technology and the educational system that cannot keep up. Rather than integrating technology into a classroom that is outdated and behind, he offers solutions to these incongruities. 37. The Innovative EducatorThis blog focuses on strategies and technology solutions for education that are way out of the box. Lisa Nielson is the owner and author, having appeared in many well-known publications such as The New York Times and Huffington Post. Education Policies 38. Best of Education BlogThis Best of Education Blog, hosted by the National Education Policy Center, pulls recent posts from various education bloggers. It covers all education issues including teacher unions, curriculum, technology, policy, and even teacher evaluations. 39. EduwonkSponsored by Bethwether Education Partners, this blog is about education policy and politics. The primary author, Andrew J. Rotherham, served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton, and currently writes the weekly School of Thought column for Time magazine. 40. Thoughts On Education PolicyThis blog primarily focuses on urban poverty as it relates to educational policy. The author Corey Bower became frustrated with the education system after trying to teach in an inner city New York school for two years. Now, he is a professor of leadership at Niagara University. Expect to read posts about frustrating classroom conditions, the differences in high and low performing schools, and why everyone should have a liberal arts education. 41. EdwizeEdwize is a blog for education news and opinion. It focuses on New York schools, teachers, and issues. Be sure to check out the section called New Teacher Diaries- real life stories from New Yorks new public school teachers. 42. Education Experts BlogThis blogs tagline is, Debating the future of American education. Expect to read posts about politics, testing problems, and other issues plaguing the current educational system. 43. Edspresso Edspressos clever name highlights the focus of this blog- a daily morning shot of the latest education news and reform. It covers headlines and politics as it relates to education and is updated frequently. 44. Successful SchoolsScott Taylor is an assistant superintendent and professor at the University level. His blog is listed on Edudemics website as one of the top education blogs that you should follow. His casual conversational style is easy to read and still packs a powerful and profound punch. 45. Joanne JacobsJoanne Jacobs, writer and educator, writes a blog about education in general. A diverse range of topics are covered. 46. Campaign K-12A blog focusing on education and politics. Current posts center around the campaign trail leading up to the US election in November, and how it relates to education policy. 47. Stories From SchoolStories from School was labeled as one of the best educational blogs of 2010. It focuses on real life examples and stories of teachers and how they are impacted by the latest educational policy changes. Learning Techniques 48. Thank You BrainThis blog focuses on ways to improve your ability to memorize. Dr. Bill Klemm is a neuroscientist, education consultant, and professor who chronicles some of his research on this personal blog. 49. Cerebral Hacks EducationCerebral Hacks is a blog about the brain and how it functions. It has a section dedicated to learning and education that educators should check out. 50. 2 WorthDavid Warlick cleverly writes his 2 cents worth of education strategy, measuring success, and how to learn. He admits that often his posts spark more questions than answers.

ENGLISH TEACHER BLOGSWhether you need inspiration for creative writing lessons, exam resources or advice on career development here are some of the best English blogs recommended for you Follow the list of bloggers for hints, tips and advice for teaching English. Web of notes Twitter: @johncmurphy7Written by John Murphy, an English and history teacher, Web of Notes contains useful material for those teaching the junior certificate in Ireland. There are also inspiring short film clips, handy links to Shakespeare resources and online literary games.Ed-U-Like Twitter: @murphiegirlFrom dynamite paragraphs to using Lego to explore poetic structure, Ed-U-Like contains lots of practical lesson ideas and professional development inspiration.Learning Spy Twitter: @LearningSpyEducation guru David Didau's blog is full of reflective posts looking at how we teach and assess literacy not to mention reams of advice about Ofsted.Reading all the books Twitter: @readingthebooksAs the title suggests, this blog has a mission: to get teachers and students reading. It contains reviews of education books as well as books that teacher Jo recommends to her students.Learning from my mistakes: an English teacher's blogLearning from my mistakes covers all the big topics language analysis, GCSE prep, creative writing. A letter to an NQT or my NQT self is essential reading for anyone joining the profession.Geoff Barton's Pick 'n' Mix Twitter: @RealGeoffBartonGeoff Barton's Pick 'n' Mix blog (an offshoot of his main site, which can be found here) is a collection of links to articles on language and literacy aimed mostly at teachers of A-level English language and English.

A new way of quenching my thirst Twitter: @DrDawnieDawn blogs about pedagogy for English teachers and professional development.Hunting English Twitter: @HuntingEnglishAlex Quigley, assistant head at a York secondary school, writes a professional and regularly updated blog about teaching strategies, coaching and improvement, "with some political arguments and miscellany along the way".

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