Communication+and+Collaboration+Through+Blogging

[|Blogger.com]

Using [|Blogger.com] and/or another blog facilitating site, students were required to create a blog to be used as part of their Online Web Course Design project. The Blog must be related to the content in the Blackboard unit, include a translator, 3 types of media, an RSS feed, an introduction to the blog a user profile, and allow for feedback from other users. They were then required to participate in the class blog located at [|EDT6020EmergingTrendsBlog] by posting feedback to classmates on at least 2 separate occasions. To begin, students were required to created their own blog account on Blogger.com. This was required in order to leave comments. If a student already had a gmail account, their gmail username and password would work for Blogger.com.
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__ **Process** __ Using [|Blogger.com] or a blogging site of choice, students were required to design a blog that would align with the curriculum included in their Blackboard project. I logged in using my gmail account, chose a background, changed my settings to suit me, added several RSS feeds and gadgets, and posted my first posting. I then made the site available for others to post feedback and invited a few friends to my blog. I also set up my blog for other authors to share. Finally, I did add a Google Translate. I found this somewhat difficult but after a little trial and error it was successfully added. I also wanted to add audio to my page so I created an .mp3 but after conducting some research found that adding audio was not an available feature with Blogger.com (at least, not at this time). After putting the finishing touches on my blog, I left a sample comment for my students. I also uploaded the link to our class [|PBWiki] Finally, I left 2 comments over the course of 2 days on the different blog postings that our instructor had listed.

I was thrilled with how easy it was to manipulate and use [|Blogger.com]. I was also extremely happy that I was able to use my gmail email address and password. (Anything to remember one less password!) I felt it was a useful activity and it certainly enhanced my Blackboard project. The only issue I had with Blogger.com was the inability to add audio. Hopefully this will be a feature that Blogger.com chooses to add in the future. As a result of the ease of this website, I am hoping to introduce a blog at the start of the next school year that I can use as an additional forum of communication to use with my students’ families. __
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Blogger Logo - []
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Links __ ** [|EDT6020EmergingTrendsBlog] [|Blogger.com] [|PBWiki]