Networked Learning/Blogs

A blog (or web-log) is a website in which items are posted on a regular basis and displayed with the newest at the top. Like other media, blogs often focus on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news. Some blogs function as online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. Since its appearance in 1995, blogging has emerged as a popular means of communication, affecting public opinion and mass media around the world.

There are web based services that offer weblogging for free such as the popular Blogger, and free blogging software to install on servers such as WordPress.

Uses for blogs
 * Record, process and reflect on what you learn.
 * Teachers can use blogs to record and process what they teach. For example, a teacher can blog a course - specifying what homework students are required to carry out, including links to Internet resources, and recording day-by-day what is taught.
 * Practitioners blog their work and research to share information and make connections with others working in the field.
 * Flexibility for learners - students can catch-up if they miss a class.
 * Blog as a course plan.
 * A summary of a course that prospective students or new teachers can refer to.
 * Students can refer to each other's blog and support each other's learning.
 * Other faculty can refer to course blogs of their colleagues and improve team teaching.
 * Topical and subject focused blogs can be an engaging learning resource.

How to blog
 * Blogger screencast. Audio, text and screen grabs on setting up a blog with blogger.
 * Adding pictures to blogger. A video demonstrating how to insert images into a blog post.
 * Making Hyperlinks. A video demonstrating how to make hyperlinks.

More information about blogs
 * http://blendedlearning.wikispaces.com/Weblogs+in+Education
 * http://screencasting.blogspot.com/2005/05/everything-you-need-to-teach-and-learn.html
 * http://static.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/gems/edtech/WebLoggingFinal.mov
 * Wikiversity: Category:Blogging