Blogging Workshop

By Geoff Taylor -
Hi Geoff here!

This post is about "blogging", or "web logging", or using a "web journal".

What is a blog?
  • A blog is just a web-page or set of web-pages that are published and presented in reverse chronological order, from the top of the page down.
  • A blog could have one author, or shared authorship.
  • It can include text, images, hyperlinks, and other types of media.
For further info, see Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog>.

Some example blogs:
Baghdad Burning
OxBlog
Veronica's Diary

Is it difficult to start a blog?

No, blogs are relatively easy to get to grips with in a very short time.
  • to create a blog
  • to change the design
  • to maintain and archive old posts (normally done automatically)
  • to add pages/posts, e.g. on a daily basis
One really cool thing is that one can in many cases either compose posts on the Web, or in a desktop software program, or by emailing to an automated service.

This ease of use of blogs makes possible Tim Berners-Lee's original idea of the Web as a 2-way publishing media, both read and write.

How can I start my own blog?

Free hosted blogging services include:
What can we at Bardwell Road Centre do with a blog?

Teachers:
1. communicate with self
2. communicate with colleagues
  • share ideas and resources, especially with blogs.
  • This one you are currently reading is for the EFL teachers at the Bardwell Road Centre: Bardwell Road Centre Blog
2. communicate with students
  • set up a class journal, photo album, etc, that each student can read/contribute to 24/7
  • publish tasksheet for Web-based lesson with instructions, hyperlinks
    • Example: this current post you are reading
  • post descriptions of homework assignments, further study or self access resources. Examples:
Students:
1. communicate with self
  • personal journal & notes to self of useful resources, links, online photo galleries, etc.
2. communicate with teacher
3. communicate with other students
  • class journal, intended as social networking tool, with other students enabled as contributors
Any cool blog add-ons?

QuickTopic: free message board hosting (bulletin boards).
Free message board hosting fully email-enabled. Start a new board in 20 seconds. Public or private. For any quick group discussion, use QuickTopic free message boards instead of just email. Your messages will be in a private central place. Your friends can participate by email or use the web forum, because QuickTopic's super-easy web message boards let you get and post messages by email.

Where can I learn more about blogging?

Web Logs - A Comprehensive Resource on Web Logs. "This site on web logs (or blog / blogs / weblog / weblogs) here at About.com is your entry page to learning all about blogging and bloggers. You can find the meaning of the term 'blog' and other web log related words. There are web log tutorials, blog articles, blog reviews, web logs glossary and more on blog software, weblog tools, RSS, RSS feeds, and other blog-related topics."

Use of Weblogs in (EFL) education LTUG workshop by James Farmer, 11 May 2005.
Spoken lecture on audio files with six slides. Very good value - free!

Free Blog Software/Hosting at About.com.

Blog (Wikipedia)

Blogging 101 - Web logs go to school Article at CNET news.com

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