Thursday, January 30, 2003
A student in my Intro to Writing Studies class has already blogged "I didn't think I would find the blog useful, but I can already see what a great research tool this is" (that really shouldn't be in quotes--my paraphrase). He has made 4 or 5 entries already, many long and very informative. Admittedly, he is out in the lead, but I have a feeling that English majors should take to this blogging thing -- it all adds up. It helps that there is great material related to the course online (although there is great "new literacy" mateial online too!).
I have just a class blog this semester (easier on students, easy for me to keep up with), but they have the option to create their own individual one if they want to place commentary- more personal commentary- online. So far, it's been great. Most post once a week (I ask that they blog at least once every two weeks about issues they want to talk about in class, any problems they are having with a paper, and general questions about class, etc. = They get 5 pts. everytime they blog and hopefully they will blog at least 10 or more times during the semester... total pts=50. Plus I may use the class blog for them to post in-class activities which are in another pt. category too) and have nice sized, well-thought out reponses and comments. I also use it as a announcement board for things that are coming up in class rather than e-mailing them.
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
Kevin, I will describe what I am doing blog-wise soon.. tomorrow perhaps. Plus, (note to us) we should get together sometime in May-ish and talk about changes to 110. Heck, I'll put some ideas up on here tomorrow too if I remember. Off to Hippie Lit I go.
Saturday, January 25, 2003
Long time, not blog on this old screen. Are you two intereseted in keeping the research project alive? I have emailed Linda Charlton at the GDC, and she is going to make survey #1 active again. I think we are all doing some new and different things with weblogs this semester, and I would like to have a record of it.
I'm using a class blog in Introduction to Writing Studies. I haven't explained very well what a blog is or why they might use it, but I just checked it a minute ago and three people have logged in and contributed since Friday's class. One of the entries is simply a link to useful resource that one of my students found while doing some work for class. I hope his lead might get the ball rolling on that blog.
I'm also using a blog in Composition Theory. I've filtered a site or two, and the students are contributing their weekly writings to the blog. Might end up being mor e of a notebook blog than a filter blog, which is fine. Great material from the first week, and I noticed that people really self-consciously respond to the posts that come before their own.
I'm hosting the blogs on the NDSU server, rather than the Blogger server. Don't know if that makes any difference--I hope it makes the blogs feel more "connected" to the class. I also hope to learn how to control the templates better--my goal is to use the same template for the blog as I do for the class website.
A different wrinkle: Jim Ross showed me how to use the RSS feed from my TeachingBlog ; I now keep my blog, but feed the headlines to my course websites. I like the concept alot--I just need to make more time to blog.
Can you two post, for our records, how you are using blogs this semester? Do we have a good set of "instructions" on how and why to blog posted online? We should definitely just be sharing one page, and not re-creating our instructions each semester.
I'm using a class blog in Introduction to Writing Studies. I haven't explained very well what a blog is or why they might use it, but I just checked it a minute ago and three people have logged in and contributed since Friday's class. One of the entries is simply a link to useful resource that one of my students found while doing some work for class. I hope his lead might get the ball rolling on that blog.
I'm also using a blog in Composition Theory. I've filtered a site or two, and the students are contributing their weekly writings to the blog. Might end up being mor e of a notebook blog than a filter blog, which is fine. Great material from the first week, and I noticed that people really self-consciously respond to the posts that come before their own.
I'm hosting the blogs on the NDSU server, rather than the Blogger server. Don't know if that makes any difference--I hope it makes the blogs feel more "connected" to the class. I also hope to learn how to control the templates better--my goal is to use the same template for the blog as I do for the class website.
A different wrinkle: Jim Ross showed me how to use the RSS feed from my TeachingBlog ; I now keep my blog, but feed the headlines to my course websites. I like the concept alot--I just need to make more time to blog.
Can you two post, for our records, how you are using blogs this semester? Do we have a good set of "instructions" on how and why to blog posted online? We should definitely just be sharing one page, and not re-creating our instructions each semester.
