Blogging You will be expected to maintain a blog throughout the semester. Your blog will be located in Wordpress. This is a free and public blogging platform that people around the world use.Keep in mind that your blog will be a public blog, and anyone, anywhere, can read it.Therefore, it is important that you not use the name of your school, students, or parents on your blog. You do not need to share your real name if you do not wish.
The Basics You will be expected to blog throughout the semester. This means that you will blog on weeks that we meet and weeks that we do not meet. Blogging will start the week of 8/31 and will end on 11/29. A week starts on Monday and ends on Sunday. For example, week one begins on 8/31 and ends on 9/6. To get credit for blogging on week one, you must post to your blog at least once anytime between 8/31 and 9/6. The rest of the rules are as follows:
You can blog as many times as you wish, but you should post once per week.
You are expected to blog 10 times between 8/31 and 11/29. There are 13 weeks during this time. This means that there are three weeks you do not have to blog. You decide which weeks you do/do not blog. I strongly suggest you save these weeks for the end of the semester or for a true emergency.
Because you only have to blog 10/13 weeks, and you get to select the weeks, you will not be allowed to make up blogs or submit posts late.
Each post should be between 500-1500 words. Wordpress automatically counts your words for you.
Commenting An important part of blogging is engaging with the posts other's write. You are required to comment on two posts each week for 10 weeks during the semester. As with the blogs, you get three weeks off and you can select the weeks. You must post two comments during the week in order to get credit. The same rules about blogging applying to commenting (except your comments will be much shorter in length!) Additionally, when you comment you must post one comment to a classmate and one comment on a blog of someone who is not a member of this class. The comments you post to others can be any educational blog. It does not have to be a new blog each time.
Documenting Your Work In order to get credit for your work, you must complete a worksheet. It is your responsibility to keep this worksheet updated. If you fail to update your worksheet, and you cannot find your work, then you will lose credit for what you have done. I will not go through the web to locate your work, particularly your comments.
You should save a copy of the worksheet where it will be most accessible. DO NOT make edits directly to the document as it is a public document. Save the worksheet in the following manner: LASTNAMEFIRSTNAMEBLOG (or hallleighblog). Then you will need to share the document back with me on goggle docs.
You will need to share by adding my email address to those you share documents with (lahall@email.unc.edu). DO NOT send me a link to your document. I will not keep track of links. DO NOT email me the sheet as an attachment. The document needs to appear in my list of goggle docs.
What Do You Blog About? This semester, you will be introduced to a range of ideas and perspectives about literacy instruction. Your blog will literally be about exploring ideas in literacy instruction - so feel free to explore whatever you wish! As long as it can be connected back to literacy instruction it is fine.
What Makes a Good Blog Post? Some tips to keep in mind for crafting a good blog post:
(a) Have a purpose. Your post cannot talk about everything. You might have many things to share, but what is the main message you are trying to get across with your post? Decide that first and then start writing. Know you may have to leave interesting things out. Save those interesting things for a different blog post. It's better to have a clear, focused post than a list of random interesting things.
(b) Remember your audience. Yes, you are a part of this class and program. However, your audience is not solely this class. Your primary audience is likely teachers and educators. When you write a post, add information that will help your audience be able to understand you. Read the blogs of members who are not in this class. Find the ones you like. Use them as a model.
(c) Craft an interesting title. While this last tip is not always possible, it is a good one to keep in mind. At the very least, try to write a title that captures the overall point of your post. It will help orient your readers so they know what to expect.
What Makes a Good Comment? It's easy to write a comment that praises a person. However, good comments will push the writer to think more deeply about their writing. Keep the following in mind:
1. If you praise someone, do more than say, "I like that!" or "Great idea!" Tell the author specifically what you like.
2. Leave a question or thought behind that pushes the author to think more about the post. For example, "I really like that you let the students choose their own books to read. However, I am wondering how you might get students to pick books in genres they are less familiar with."
3. Make a suggestion. If the author is sharing an issue or concern, offer specific ideas for how to address it.
4. Pay attention to previous comments. In a long thread, you may not read every comment. However, most threads are easy to read and digest. When relevant, make connections to what others have said. You are having a discussion with the author but also with those who have left previous comments.
What Do You Do with Comments? The answer is, "It depends." In general, you want to acknowledge 90% or more of the comments that are left for you. Acknowledging comments is not required for this class. However, in blogging it is considered good manners to do so. It is also considered good form to read that person's blog and leave a comment when it is appropriate. Not all comments will be substantive. You do not need to respond to comments that do little more than say, "Great post," or you can acknowledge them in one sweeping response such as, "Thanks for the support! So glad everyone enjoyed this." The people who deserve a response are the ones who put thought and effort into their comment regardless of the length of the comment.
What Is My Role in Commenting? A central purpose to blogging is to engage in conversations with those who read your blog. I will read your blogs, and I will leave comments, but I will not comment on every post. The purpose of blogging is to connect with a wide audience. This is not an assignment where you do a piece of writing and then the teacher writes on it and gives you a grade. Doing so would detract from the authenticity of the experience.
You will be expected to maintain a blog throughout the semester. Your blog will be located in Wordpress. This is a free and public blogging platform that people around the world use.Keep in mind that your blog will be a public blog, and anyone, anywhere, can read it.Therefore, it is important that you not use the name of your school, students, or parents on your blog. You do not need to share your real name if you do not wish.
Why Should You Blog?
Why Educators Have to Blog
The Basics
You will be expected to blog throughout the semester. This means that you will blog on weeks that we meet and weeks that we do not meet. Blogging will start the week of 8/31 and will end on 11/29. A week starts on Monday and ends on Sunday. For example, week one begins on 8/31 and ends on 9/6. To get credit for blogging on week one, you must post to your blog at least once anytime between 8/31 and 9/6. The rest of the rules are as follows:
Commenting
An important part of blogging is engaging with the posts other's write. You are required to comment on two posts each week for 10 weeks during the semester. As with the blogs, you get three weeks off and you can select the weeks. You must post two comments during the week in order to get credit. The same rules about blogging applying to commenting (except your comments will be much shorter in length!) Additionally, when you comment you must post one comment to a classmate and one comment on a blog of someone who is not a member of this class. The comments you post to others can be any educational blog. It does not have to be a new blog each time.
Documenting Your Work
In order to get credit for your work, you must complete a worksheet. It is your responsibility to keep this worksheet updated. If you fail to update your worksheet, and you cannot find your work, then you will lose credit for what you have done. I will not go through the web to locate your work, particularly your comments.
You should save a copy of the worksheet where it will be most accessible. DO NOT make edits directly to the document as it is a public document. Save the worksheet in the following manner: LASTNAMEFIRSTNAMEBLOG (or hallleighblog). Then you will need to share the document back with me on goggle docs.
You will need to share by adding my email address to those you share documents with (lahall@email.unc.edu). DO NOT send me a link to your document. I will not keep track of links. DO NOT email me the sheet as an attachment. The document needs to appear in my list of goggle docs.
What Do You Blog About?
This semester, you will be introduced to a range of ideas and perspectives about literacy instruction. Your blog will literally be about exploring ideas in literacy instruction - so feel free to explore whatever you wish! As long as it can be connected back to literacy instruction it is fine.
What Makes a Good Blog Post?
Some tips to keep in mind for crafting a good blog post:
(a) Have a purpose. Your post cannot talk about everything. You might have many things to share, but what is the main message you are trying to get across with your post? Decide that first and then start writing. Know you may have to leave interesting things out. Save those interesting things for a different blog post. It's better to have a clear, focused post than a list of random interesting things.
(b) Remember your audience. Yes, you are a part of this class and program. However, your audience is not solely this class. Your primary audience is likely teachers and educators. When you write a post, add information that will help your audience be able to understand you. Read the blogs of members who are not in this class. Find the ones you like. Use them as a model.
(c) Craft an interesting title. While this last tip is not always possible, it is a good one to keep in mind. At the very least, try to write a title that captures the overall point of your post. It will help orient your readers so they know what to expect.
What Makes a Good Comment?
It's easy to write a comment that praises a person. However, good comments will push the writer to think more deeply about their writing. Keep the following in mind:
1. If you praise someone, do more than say, "I like that!" or "Great idea!" Tell the author specifically what you like.
2. Leave a question or thought behind that pushes the author to think more about the post. For example, "I really like that you let the students choose their own books to read. However, I am wondering how you might get students to pick books in genres they are less familiar with."
3. Make a suggestion. If the author is sharing an issue or concern, offer specific ideas for how to address it.
4. Pay attention to previous comments. In a long thread, you may not read every comment. However, most threads are easy to read and digest. When relevant, make connections to what others have said. You are having a discussion with the author but also with those who have left previous comments.
*see more about how to write quality comments here*
What Do You Do with Comments?
The answer is, "It depends." In general, you want to acknowledge 90% or more of the comments that are left for you. Acknowledging comments is not required for this class. However, in blogging it is considered good manners to do so. It is also considered good form to read that person's blog and leave a comment when it is appropriate. Not all comments will be substantive. You do not need to respond to comments that do little more than say, "Great post," or you can acknowledge them in one sweeping response such as, "Thanks for the support! So glad everyone enjoyed this." The people who deserve a response are the ones who put thought and effort into their comment regardless of the length of the comment.
What Is My Role in Commenting?
A central purpose to blogging is to engage in conversations with those who read your blog. I will read your blogs, and I will leave comments, but I will not comment on every post. The purpose of blogging is to connect with a wide audience. This is not an assignment where you do a piece of writing and then the teacher writes on it and gives you a grade. Doing so would detract from the authenticity of the experience.