the next new thing: create, communicate and collaborate with blogs will richardson march 11, 2004...
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The Next New Thing: Create, Communicate and
Collaborate With Blogs
Will RichardsonMarch 11, 2004
Internet @ Schools EastWashington, DC
User Warning:
Use of Weblogs and RSS technologies may lead to
sleeplessness, irritability, and the horrible reality that you’ll never being able to know it
all. Use at your own risk.
Weblogs First
What is a Weblog?
A Weblog is an
easily created,
easily updateable Website that allows an author (or authors)
to publish instantly
to the Internet from any Internet
connection.
Weblogs Don’t Require…
• Knowledge of HTML
• Knowledge of FTP
• Webpage creation software
If you can send an e-mail, you can update a Weblog page.
Weblogg-ed
What Weblogs Can Do
• Create Digital Paper—as much of it as you want
• Allow for collaboration from far-flung participants
• Add voices to the conversation
• Archive thoughts and research
• Provide instant audience
• Filter and organize information
So, a Weblog Can Be…
• Online Filing Cabinet
• Photo Album
• Portfolio
• Online Journal
• Collaborative Space
• Much more…
Blogs Get on the Map
How Many Blogs Are There?
• Over 5,000,000 with 10,000,000 expected by year’s end.
• Over 50% are kept by 13-19 year olds.
• Fewer than 50,000 are updated daily. 66.0% of surveyed blogs had not been updated in two months.
• The typical blog is written by a teenage girl who uses it twice a month to update her friends and classmates on happenings in her life.
Nothing Will Stop…the BLOG!
Why Weblogs?
Weblogs have a number of characteristics that make them interesting as classroom/library tools.
Aside from ease of use, archiving of info, audience, access and collaboration, there’s:
1. Multimedia—Weblogs can make use of audio and video, and some can store files of other types for easy retrieval.
Why Weblogs? (Con’t)
2. Hypertext—Weblogs allow for easy linking to research and sources of information.
3. Low cost—Most Weblog software is either free or relatively inexpensive, depending on your needs.
4. Communication—Instant, comprehensive and complete
Weblogs in Schools
More and more teachers and educators are finding that Weblogs provide interesting new ways of communicating with students, parents and colleagues.
Weblogs in the Classroom:Online Filing Cabinet
• Students and teachers can use the Web log as a place to store assignments, plans, handouts, etc.
Claire
• Students can extend conversations outside of the classroom, and collaborate with invited guests from around the world.
Weblogs in the Classroom:Collaborative Learning Space
The Secret Life of Bees /Author
• New (or veteran) teachers can use Weblogs as portfolios or as an archived discussion of their practice with mentors .
Weblogs in the Classroom:Professional Development
Entry Year Teacher
Weblogs in SchoolsWeblog as Website
•Schools can use a distributed content creation model when using Weblogs as Websites.
Little Miami Schools
• School library sites can serve as easily updated research portals and resource sites.
Weblogs in Schools:Library Portal
IMC
Weblogs in SchoolsInformation/Communication
• Weblogs can provide a great way to manage knowledge, from committee work to historical artifacts.
Technology Committee
• Weblogs make for an easy classroom interface for notes, links, homework and conversation.
Weblogs in Schools Classroom Portal
Journalism 2
Considerations
• Privacy and safety
• Cost
• Technical support
• Connectivity of classrooms and homes
• Time to develop
• Web log software
Web Log Options
• Free Web log software on the Internet– Blogger– moTime– Many others
• Software for local installation– Manila--$295 a year for up to 3,000 sites– Moveable Type—Free to schools
• Pay Web logs with hosting– Type Pad--@$30 a year with a limit on space
Helpful Hints
• Start a Web log—If you are going to teach with blogs, you need to be a blogger.
• Read other Web logs—And find other educators using them. Web logs foster community.
• Start small—Create a classroom portal, invite some others into the conversation, build from there
• Web logs are a tool…fit them to your curriculum, not vice versa.
What is RSS?
The behind-the-scenes tool that adds
powerto blogging.
Real Simple Syndication (RSS)
RSS allows writers to automatically syndicate the content they create and
it allows readers to “subscribe” to receive that content when it is
published.
– Most Weblogs have RSS “feeds” built in– Content comes to you instead of you going
to look for it.– Makes it easy to keep track of more
sources of information
Real Simple Syndication (RSS)
• Two parts to RSS
Part 1– An XML “news feed” from the Weblog Part 2--A
“news reader” to translate
and display the feeds
Many Blogs in One Place
You can subscribe to as many news feeds as you can keep track of….
WeblogsNewspapersMagazinesSearches
Amazon.comThousands more
Using RSS Feeds
• Step 1—Look for xml button
George W Bush
Using RSS Feeds
• Step 2—View XML feed and copy address
XML Feed
Using RSS Feeds
• Step 3—Find a news reader (aggregator)Aggregators check the feeds that you tell it to, see if there is any new content, and if so, save the content for you to view when you are ready.
Using RSS Feeds – Part 2
• RSS Feeds can also be displayed as content on a page.
Athletics
RSS in Schools
• Teachers can aggregate content from student Weblogs
• Parents can aggregate news from the school and work from student Weblogs
• Administrators can aggregate news from various school Weblogs
• Librarians (and others) can “push” content simply by posting to a Weblog
• Everyone can use e-mail less, scan more information in less time.
• And much, much, much more…
RSS in Schools
And one more cool application:
Research can come to you!
Claire
First Steps
• Start a Weblog and start publishing to the Internet
• Read some other Webloggers• Go to bloglines.com and sign up for an
account• Subscribe to some feeds• Start thinking and playing
Thanks!
And if you have further questions, or you’d like to join my conversation, please
visit me at
www.weblogg-ed.com
THANK YOU!