Objectives
By the end of the workshop, workshop participants will have:
- created a blog
- posted and edited entries
- commented on other blogs
- tried team blogging (inviting members)
- explored options for comment management
- investigated possibilities for template personalization
- compared different blog hosts
- grasped the concept of syndication (RSS)
- compared aggregators and other syndication tools
- discussed the potential of blogging as a teaching tool in the English lesson and as a tool for professional development
Discussions will take place via a Yahoogroup, and at chat sessions (on Skype, yahoo messenger and Alado). Summaries of all these will be made available through the session wiki, collaboratively constructed during the workshop. This wiki is linked to the group blog and will be kept online for future reference.
Weekly readings and blogs by different ELL teachers and researchers will be recommended for modelling and reflection, and participants will be encouraged to discuss these at the group blog. Additionally, suggestions for readings for extension will be announced.
Synchronous communication: Office hours and live presentations will be held to discuss content and pre-defined topics, provide technical support, build rapport and create a sense of community. Chat logs and recordings of the live sessions will be made available through the session wiki.
Weekly content
Week 1: Getting Started
During the first week of the course, participants will:
- exchange introductions and become familiar with the group environments
- try tools for synchronous communication to be used during the workshop
- answer a survey to determine their previous experience with blogging
- add themselves to the group map
- visit the group blog
- discuss the concept of blog (and distinguish it from "website" and "wiki")
Extension: Blogging for ELT - Different kinds of blog
Week 2: Understanding and Starting a Blog
During this week, participants will:
- get to understand blog jargon
- enter a comment to the group blog
- open an account at Blogger
- plan their own blog (defining its purpose and target audience)
- choose a theme for their blog
- create a database of participants' blogs
- explore recommended blogs and reflect upon these models
Extension: Blogging for ELT - Selecting the best bloghost for class blogging
Week 3: Blogging: off we go!
During this week, participants will:
- edit their blog profile
- post their first entry to their own (or the group) blog
- edit and format their entry
- add images and links to their blog entries
- explore options for comment moderation and establish their blog settings according to their preferences
- familiarise themselves with the basics of syndication
- try Feedblitz as a way of keeping track of other participants' blogs.
- explore recommended blogs and reflect upon these models
Extension: Posting to a blog - adding an audio or video file
Week 4: Involving Students in Blogging
During this week, participants will:
- identify the steps involved in getting students to blog
- study several cases of class blogging and reflect upon what determines the success of such experiences
- debate whether teachers should correct students' postings
- compare alternative ways to respond to students' postings
- consider ways in which teachers can find partners and audiences for their blogging classes
Extension: Successful Class Blogging - Blog pedagogy
Week 5: Going Beyond: Make your blog unique
During this week, participants will:
- Add files (audio or other types) to their entries
- Identify the main areas in blog templates
- Learn the basics of HTML so as to get ready to ... personalize their blog templates / ... embed multimedia widgets in their blogs /... embed an aggregator in their blog template
Extension: Useful tips to template customization
Week 6: Rounding Off
During this week participants will:
- Discuss the challenges of blog integration into their teaching contexts
- Share blogging projects for the year 2007
- Ponder over the future of blogging
- Assess their own learning
- Evaluate the workshop
Extension: The Future of Media
Suggested Readings and Weekly Benchmarks
Dates and times for office hours and live presentations will be announced in due time.
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.