Week 1: Blogging

13 January 2010: Introductions and Blogging

Welcome to T4T for Spring 2009!

Use the breadcrumb links at the top of each page to return to the T4T homepage.

1- Overview

Hyperlinked writing is the most powerful form of writing, and forms a cornerstone of literacy our hyper-connected information and communications landscape. We will explore how educators and students are using blogs for a variety of constructive purposes, how microblogging with Twitter differs from blogging with other tools, and how blogs can be used to share professional reflections for this course. We will discuss the importance of building and maintaining a professional digital footprint, and explore the free K-12 Online Conference.

• 1. Students will be introduced to the T4T course.

  2. Students will learn about educational blogs and blogging.

  3. Students will learn about Professional Learning Communities (PLCs.)

  4. Students will learn about the K-12 Online Conference and join the K12Online Ning.

  5. Students will create a T4T professional reflections blog.

  6. Students will create a professional Twitter account.

2- Lesson

Archived video of today's lesson is available on our T4T Scribes blog. Weekly lecturecasts are accessible from t4t.blip.tv.

• 1. What I Hope to Model as Your Instructor (SlideShare link coming)

  2. Review the Course Overview and Course Syllabus (printable version)

     1. Discuss course communication tools and guidelines.

     2. Discuss digital footprints and professionalism

     3. Discuss digital citizenship

  3. Aug 2003 NYT article: "Can Johnny Blog?" (he isn't likely to be able to based on experiences in Oklahoma schools)

  4. View and discuss weekly videos:

• • 1. Digital Generation Project Youth Portrait: Cameron (9:48)

    2. Optional:

    3. Digital Footprints – Digital Dossier

    4. The Machine is Us/ing Us (Final Version)

1. Discuss personal learning networks.

2. Discuss and learn how to create a professional reflection blog.

3. Discuss and learn how to create a professional twitter account.

3- Assignments

• 1. Read the Course Overview and Course Syllabus (printable version)

  2. Read Powerful Ingredients for Blended Learning (PI) Chapter 1: Blogging

  3. Join the Spring 2010 T4T Textmarks SMS Channel (send the text "t4t2010" (without quotation marks) to 41411 on your cell phone.

  4. Create a T4T Personal Learning blog, which will be used to share reflections on course assignments throughout the T4T course. Blogger is recommended. You must open Blogger in a new tab or window, you cannot use it in a WebCT/Blackboard "frame." (A Screencast available)

• 1. Share an initial post on your T4T Personal Learning blog, sharing a short bio about yourself and/or some information about your professional goals as an education student. What do you want to teach? Why do you want to become a teacher?

  2. Create a professional twitter account, and follow AT LEAST ten educators using the Twitter lists provided under RESOURCES below.

  3. Join the K12Online Ning.

  4. Post a T4T reflection on Digital Generation Project Youth Portrait: Cameron (9:48), following the video reflection rubric.

  5. Watch and post a T4T reflection on We Like Our Blogging Buddies: The Write Stuff with Blogging Mentors (K12Online08 - 18:04), following the video reflection rubric.

  6. Accept the invitation you should receive to join the T4T Scribes (Shared Learning Blog)

  7. OPTIONAL THIS WEEK ONLY: Select an active classroom blog (using the classroom blog finder) and leave at least 1 constructive comment on a student post. Link your comment in a new post on your T4T blog.

  8. OPTIONAL but highly recommended: Join the Spring 2010 T4T Course Facebook Group (if you are on Facebook)

  9. LAST OF ALL: Submit the T4T Week1 Accounts Form NLT (no later than) 0600 GMT 16 Jan 2010

4- Resources

1. Course Overview

2. PI Chapter: Blogging

   1. This 7 min / 30 second video gives a thorough overview of how to get started blogging with Blogger.

• 1. Screencasts

     1. Blogger 101: How to create a blog with Blogger, turn on comment moderation, and share your first post

  2. Options for Personal Learning Blog creation:

• • 1. Blogger (recommended for this class)

• 3. EduBlogs

  4. Wordpress.com

  5. Options for Class Student Blog creation:

  6. KidBlog

  7. Class Blogmeister

  8. EduBlogs

  9. Blogger Help (from Google)

1. Twitter

   1. Twitter lists to find educators to follow

   2. Twitter for Teachers wiki

   3. @wfryer/yodas

   4. @kernkelley/edtech

   5. @imagemonki/ade

5- Review

These are questions you should be able to readily answer, based on your completion of this week's assignments.

What is the URL / website for your T4T reflection blog?

What is your Google account ID? (not your password - this is the email address you use to log into Google)

What is your Twitter ID?

What is the direct URL / link to the people / other educators you are following on Twitter? (There should be at least 10 on this list)

What is your K-12 Online Conference Ning profile URL / website?

What is the direct URL / link to your introductory blog post?

What is the direct URL / link to your blog reflection about Cameron's video?

What is the direct URL / link to your blog reflection about the Blogging Buddies video?

Be sure to submit the T4T Week1 Accounts Form NLT (no later than) 0600 GMT 16 Jan 2010. If your blog is not listed here by Saturday, 22 Jan 2010, please send a WebCT mail message to your instructor.

Content licensed

by Wesley Fryer and Karen Montgomery