Educational uses of Blogging

Learning Collaboratively With Technology. By: Hirsch, Jim. School
Administrator, Aug2005, Vol. 62 Issue 7, p10-15, 6p, 2c;
Abstract:
Calls for educators to understand high technology tools that students already
access and find ways to leverage such tools in schools. Examples of high
technology tools being used by students; Support for an increase in
student technology access; Disadvantages of the total cost of ownership
of laptops as a solution to technology use in classrooms;
Recommendations for enabling student collaboration using technology.
INSETS: The Education Blogosphere: Blogs and Wikis; Keeping Clean in
Technology Use. (AN 17962129)


Using Weblogs in Scholarship and Teaching. By: Martindale, Trey; Wiley,
David A.. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning,
Mar/Apr2005, Vol. 49 Issue 2, p55-61, 7p;

Abstract: This article focuses
on the use of weblogs in scholarships and training. The web has become
an important resource for teaching and learning because it allows almost
anyone to contribute to its holdings. Tools like HTML editors and FTP
clients have made web publishing available to many teachers and
students. Weblogs are also one example of such tools which reduce the
technical barriers to effective web publishing significantly. A weblog
is a website with a certain collection of distinctive features. In 2005
these features generally include automatic formatting of content, time
and date stamp of entries, a search function to search through all
entries, and a section associated with each entry where readers can post
comments or the entry. From 2003 to 2005 the number of blogs on the web
has increased at a very rapid rate, as commercial services like
Blogger.com have made creating a weblog both free and simple. Without
possessing any special technical skills or owning any expensive
equipment, anyone can publish news about his work to a very widely
dispersed network of supporters around the world at a very low cost. (AN
17039138)


Blogs, Threaded Discussions Accentuate Constructivist Teaching. Distance
Education Report, 12/15/2004, Vol. 8 Issue 24, p4-4, 1p;
Abstract: The article reports on beginning the use of blogs and threaded discussions
in Santa Clara University's teacher preparation program. The program has
three goals in mind: to introduce his students to a tool they may use in
the classes they will teach in the future; to help students develop a
sense of themselves as creators of knowledge; to connect students to a
network of peers. The threaded discussions were more structured.
Students were asked to provide "timely and insightful" responses to
three discussion questions during the semester. (AN 15514755)

Blogs Move Student Learning Beyond the Classroom: An Interview With Alex
Halavais. Online Classroom, Dec2004, p4-8, 2p;
Abstract: Presents an interview with Alex Halavais, assistant professor of communication and
graduate director of informatics at the University of Buffalo, on the
use of weblogs in education. Differences between blogs and threaded
discussions; How Halavais prepares his students to use blogs in a
course; Types of materials posted by students; Importance of
demonstrating the value of blogs to students; How the instructor's role
has changed when using blogs with students; Effects on students'
learning outcomes. (AN 15232346)

The impact of web-logs (blogs) on student perceptions of isolation and
alienation in a web-based distance-learning environment. By: Dickey,
Michele. Open Learning, Nov2004, Vol. 19 Issue 3, p279-291, 13p;
In the rush to promote the use of computer-mediated technologies for both
traditional and distance learning, relatively little research has been
conducted about learner feelings of isolation, alienation and
frustration. More recent technologies such as web-logs (blogs) may
provide a wider range of tools for bridging learners' feelings of
isolation. The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of
using blogs in a web-based learning environment. This qualitative
investigation presents an interpretive case study of student perceptions
of using blogs in a web-based technology integration course for K-12
pre-service teacher education students. Findings indicate that the use
of blogs helped prevent feelings of isolation and alienation for
distance learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; DOI:
10.1080/0268051042000280138; (AN 15751846)


Blending by Blogging: weblogs in blended learning initiatives. By:
Oravec, Jo Ann. Journal of Educational Media, Oct2003, Vol. 28 Issue
2/3, p225-233, 9p; Weblogs ('blogs') are emerging in many educational
contexts as vehicles for personal expression and the dissemination and
critique of Internet materials. The study of the weblog phenomenon in
itself can convey important insights about social construction; hundreds
of thousands of blogs emerged worldwide within a fairly short time span
without considerable direction from corporations or other institutions.
Strategic approaches toward blended learning environments are often
instructor-centered, with control of the mix of educational approaches
in the instructor's hands. In contrast, weblogs are a flexible medium
that can be used in approaches that provide educational participants
with a 'middle space' of options as to how to integrate face-to-face and
online modes. Weblog construction encourages the development of
individual, critical voices within the broader context of classroom
interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; DOI: 10.1080/1358165032000165671;
(AN 12057770)

Bringing blogs into the classroom. By: Beeson, Patrick. Quill, Aug2005,
Vol. 93 Issue 6, p27-29, 3p;

Abstract: This article features the use of weblogs in journalism programs in the U.S. in 2005. Despite the mainstream media blitz on blogs, they actually have been used in
journalism programs since their widespread introduction in 1999. Since
that time, blogs have jumped from a media niche to the syllabi of core
classes. The Annenberg School for Communication of the University of
Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles began its use of blogs in its
online journalism course in fall 1999. The content of the blog consists
of both mainstream media and blog coverage. The students working on the
blog mostly are freshman and sophomore journalism majors. Paid graduate
students edit the content, which gets wide, daily exposure to a variety
of audiences including professional journalists. While USC blazes a path
in the use of blogs in college journalism courses, other schools are
just leaving the trailhead. But technology-savvy students at either end
appear to be adapting without many problems. Leslie-Jean Thornton, a
journalism instructor at the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass
Communications of the Arizona State University, teaches online media and
advanced editing courses, both using blogs. Though Thornton's classes
use blogs only for discussion, rather than a true publishing outlet, she
still believes it gives students a more realistic view of the
profession. It also seems to be more in tune with the way of thinking of
the younger generation. INSET: UNIVERSITY CLASS BLOGS.; (AN 17783155)