1. Blogging in the Classroom
Wordpress
Blogging in the Classroom
Have my blog open, Sarah Hill blog, Wordpress, Google Reader,
By: Kristine Kreklewich

2. Does anyone have their own blog?
Introduced to blogging by Alec Couros in ECMP355.
My own blog at
Example of a blog portfolio:
What motivated you to get a blog ... Do you blog regularly/what about? I was first introduced to blogging this last semester by Alec Couros in my ECMP355 class.. At first I was hesitant about blogging because I was not sure I wanted to have my own personal articles on the Internet for everyone to see. Since my first day of class I have posted 26 posts and developed 5 pages have 31 comments and have had 718 views to my blog. Our assignment was to design our own blog and then we were evaluated by the content of our blog, commenting of other students pages, and development of pages. The goal of our assignment was to help us develop our own blog portfolio which you could use to showcase your educational growth throughout university. An excellent example was Sarah Hill who used her blog portfolio to help her with job applications after she completed her education degree.

3. What exactly is a blog?
Blog comes from the term “web log” and it is a type of website maintained by an individual with regular entries which can be written or graphics and videos.
Some blogs inform about news or subjects while others are personal online diaries.
Wikipedia has noted that Technorati has tracked more than 112,000,000 blogs as of December 2007.
Blogs come from the term web log. It is a type of website that is maintained by an individual who regularly “posts” entries which can be written text, images, videos, or links to other blogs.
There are many reasons why people choose to blog, some blogs inform us about news or subjects while others are personal online diaries. Many people read and respond to blogs regularly. More than 112,000,000 blogs have been tracked as of December 2007.

4. Terminology
A “blog” is basically an online journal with regular entries from an individual.
A “post” is when you output your entry onto the Internet.
“Comments” are received from viewers or from the author.
“Pages” are used to organize your blog entries into topics and themes.
Blogs are posted in reverse-chronological order.
A “blog” is basically an online journal with regular entries from an individual. The individual can post their own opinions through text, graphics, videos, and links.
A “post” is when you output your entry onto the Internet. This is when you physically are placing your post onto your blog page.
“Comments” are received from viewers or from the author. The author can choose to delete comments they find offensive.
“Pages” are used to organize your blog entries into topics and themes. An individual may make an About Me Page, or a Page for displaying their documents they have made.
Blogs are posted in reverse-chronological order. Which means that their newest post would be displayed at the top of the page.

5. Wordpress
Wordpress is a free blog tool in which you can sign up to start your own blog.
Updated daily and can download apps and widgets for your blog.
Almost everything is FREE!
Blogs can be public or private.
Stats system to show you how many posts, comments, viewers, pages, etc. are on your blog.
Wordpress is one of the many different websites in which you can sign up to start your own blog. Wordpress is full of widgets and apps that you can download for your blog and is constantly being updated. Some examples is an app for your iPhone and iPod touch, and widgets like Twitter and Flickr. The best thing is that almost everything on it is free so it would be a free resources for students and teachers to use at school and at home. All you need is a valid address to sign up. Wordpress also has a spam filter and privacy options which allow you to have either a public or private blog. The private blogs could be “member-only” or your could have a public blog and post something private by putting a password to the post. Wordpress also comes with a stats system which allows you to see how many posts, comments, viewers, pages, etc. are on your blog.

6. Blogs in the Classroom
Students can view blogs by adding each other as a subscription at
Used as an assignment which practices students writing skills as well as keyboarding.
Teachers can use a blog to post class activities and directions.
Teachers can also use blogs to connect to parents by posting their students work online.
Blogs would work well in the classroom. From my experience in ECMP355 I had a first-hand look at how students can interconnect with each other by reading and commenting on their blogs. Every student in my class subscribed to each others blogs through Google reader which is another free resource. All Google reader is a Google account that you can use to access Google applications such as reader. Reader organizes the subscriptions you wish to read and organizes them into read and unread. A teacher can use a blog as an assignment throughout the year and then evaluate students on their blog posts, commenting on their peers blogs, and developing web pages. At first you can assign topics for students to blog about once or twice a week for 5 to 10 minutes or allow them to blog about something of their choice. This would help students develop their writing skills and it could be used as their keyboarding practice for the day.
A teacher could also have their own class blog in which you could post hyperlinks and resources the students will need for their IP class. Teachers could also use a blog to showcase the work of their students in which parents could see this work. Parents also could view their children's own blogs online.

7. Advantages
Expanding a student‘s knowledge of the Internet and its uses. Gives students a “voice.”
Encourages class participation through interacting with peers blogs.
Increase relationships with classmates and teachers.
Gives students a sense of ownership.
Connect with others around the world.
Can blog at any Internet connection.
Blogs have many advantages in the classroom such as expanding a students knowledge of the Internet and its uses. A student can learn how to use the Internet safely and effectively. Students are given a voice and a chance to participate with the large audience of the Internet. Some students are shy and uncomfortable expressing themselves so they may find it easier to do so in a blog where they are not actually forced to speak their opinions. Blogs also increase relationships with classmates and teachers as part of their blogging experience will involve reading their classmates and teachers opinions and giving each other feedback. Students also may feel a sense of ownership as their blog is something they own and only they can post to it. Blogs also encourage participation in learning because of the interaction between peers and each others blogs through commenting. Teachers can also share blogs with other classrooms throughout the world, students can receive feedback and comments from students outside of their classroom. Another advantage is that students do not need any specific software meaning that they can blog from home or any internet connection so they can blog and comment outside of class time too! and its also a free resource!

8. Drawbacks and Solutions
Everyone can have access to your blog.
Monitor content, make blogs private, and teach students how to use the Internet safely.
School district may have rules prohibiting students from posting information to the Internet.
Get students and parents to sign consent forms allowing students to blog.
A major drawback to blogging is if you have a public blog anyone can have access to your blog and read what you post. It is important to keep in your students minds that they should not post offensive or disrespectful posts and they should monitor their personal content on their blog for example where they live, there full name, etc. A solution to this problem would be making your students blogs private or adding a password to a public blog. Teachers also can teach students the rules of Internet safety.   Some school districts may try and prevent students and teachers from posting blogs onto the Internet, this may be avoided by having the parents and students sign a consent form to avoid any privacy policies.  Since students are being encouraged to comment on their peers blogs its important to remind them that everyone can see there comments and that the goal of the assignment is not to put others down. To prevent this we can remind students that you, the teacher, are viewing all of the comments too and can see who wrote each comment. The teacher can also do a lesson on the dangers of cyber bullying and threats. Wordpress also has you fill out your name and in order to comment on a post and the author of the post can delete comments as well.    
Cyber bullying and threats.
Informing the class the consequences of cyber bullying and threats and not accepting it in the classroom. Author able to delete comments and commenter needs to list name and address.

9. Conclusion
Wordpress would work in classrooms for both students and teachers.
Free resource that should be taken advantage of.
Internet is evolving and Wordpress blends perfectly together with Information Processing.
Overall, I believe that Wordpress would work well in a classroom for both the students and the teacher. Teachers can use blogs to organize their class by having links to the resources needed and by showcasing their students work. This not only helps the teacher connect to their students but you can reach out to the parents as well. Students can learn how to blog and will see how technology is evolving and changing. A blog can give students a voice in the classroom and allow them to participate. A blog is something students can call their own and can be a major project in Information Processing which also allows them to practice their keyboarding skills. Wordpress and Information Processing will go hand and hand.

10. Wordpress in the Classroom
Kristine Kreklewich Tracy Houk EBUS270 Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010