Activity+3-Blog

=Thing 3 (Week 1): You will become a Blogger!=



**Introduction**
A blog is one of the core publishing/communication tools of Web 2.0. A blog, at its simplest, is a website containing an archived series of posts (e.g. articles, news items, commentaries, journal entries, stories, reviews, summaries, etc...), organized by categories (or tags), with a place for readers to leave comments. Readers can subscribe to the blog using a special type of code called an RSS (or similar) feed. A blog may have one or many authors, and can be about any topic, from personal to political to professional.

**Blogs connect ideas and people.**
Blogging can provide teachers and students with an authentic opportunity to express themselves, synthesize ideas from many sources, engage in discussion and debate, write for an audience beyond the classroom, reflect on their own learning, teach and mentor others, and connect with peers and experts around the globe. As you work through the next few "Things," and the remainder of the course, you will begin to learn more about blogs and their powerful potential for personal and professional learning, reflection and communication.

**Today, the primary goal is to get you "up and blogging."**
Your personal blog is the most important component of the D36Learning 2.0 course. You will use your blog to document your learning, discoveries and experimentation throughout the course. It will also serve as your course portfolio, or record of completion. For tips on using Blogger and maximizing your D36 Learning 2.0 blogging experience, visit the Blogger Getting Started page or view this blog post for step-by-step instructions with screen shots.

As you watch the video below, consider the term "NEWS" as meaning any content or topic that is relevant to you and/or your students.
 * Discovery Exercise **

**Blogs in Plain English** (3:00)
media type="custom" key="3672391"

Register your blog at Blogger. You may choose to blog under your real name or a pseudonym/username, but your blog content should always be school appropriate. When choosing a username, be mindful of your brand. You want yourself out there, you want to make a positive digital footprint.
 * Getting started:**


 * ‡ HELP Page: ** Signing up for Blogger
 * ‡ More HELP: ** Step-by-step with screenshots
 * ‡ Even more HELP: ** Tour of Blogger
 * ‡ Video Help: ** Blogger Basics(short tutorial) and Blogger Video Tutorial (longer tutorial)


 * Advanced blogger users**: Use this resource to make your blog stand out from the others

**¤ NOTE:** ** Your blog will serve as the record of your learning in this course and will determine whether or not you have earned the credit for completing the course. **

If you are wondering how long your blog posts need to be:
 * ===== Your blog posts should be //as long as they need to be// for you to **meaningfully express your thoughts and reflect on your learning**. You will get out of the course what you put in. Others will //read and learn from// what you post. What would you want your own students to do? =====
 * ===== More is better than less, but don't get to the point of "Blah, Blah, Blah" rather than "Blog, Blog, Blog". If you have not posted enough, you will be asked to provide more details or deeper reflection. =====
 * ===== If none of these guidelines are working for you, keep in mind that this course will earn you the equivalent of two semester hour of graduate credit. If you haven't put forth the effort, you will not earn the 2 Winnetka University credits. =====

**Tips for a richer D36 Learning 2.0 Blogging Experience**

 * ====Your blog will be as meaningful as you make it. Invest in your reflections and spend a little time crafting your posts. **Take time to link**, **format your text** and **possibly add images**. Feel free go beyond the minimum posting requirements.* The blog is truly yours.====
 * ====**Be brave when posting** and **celebrate your learning**. We all struggle and experience frustration and can benefit from hearing about others' experiences. We also want to hear about your discoveries and problem-solving triumphs!====
 * ====__**Be generous in commenting on other participants blogs**__. Blogging is meant to engage readers in two-way communication. We are a community of learners. If you take a little time to encourage and respond to others' posts, they will respond in kind. Commenting on other course participant blogs is a requirement of this course. You should try for **at least three comments** per week. ====

Task 1
After you have set up your blog, write the following **three posts**. Be sure to include the **Thing # in the Post Title**.


 * POST 1: From Thing 1 - Reflections on Lifelong Learning**

Write a reflective blog post based on the //7 1/2 Habits of Effective Lifelong Learners//. You may write about anything related to your own experiences or beliefs about Lifelong Learning, and your thoughts about this course. The three things you were asked to consider were:
 * Which habit(s) may be __most challenging for you__ to employ as part of your **D36 Learning 2.0** experience?
 * Which habit(s) will be __easiest, or are most resonant for you__ as a lifelong learner?
 * Which habit do you think will be __most important for you__ as you work through this course, and why?

Complete a blog post reflecting on your initial thoughts about Web 2.0 and its role in 21st Century teaching and learning. Consider the ways in which Web 2.0 tools might change (or have already changed) your professional practice. How might you be able to use these new tools to to engage today's "digital learners?" Why would you want to? How might you be able to use these tools to support your own learning?
 * POST 2: From Thing 2 - Thoughts about Web 2.0**

(If you like a challenge, embed the video right into your blog!)
 * POST 3: From **** Thing 2 **
 * Post a link to the video you found for Thing 2.**

Task 2
Blogging is //meant to be a conversation// and we are a //community of learners//. Check the Summer 2016 Participants page and visit the blogs of **at least** three colleagues. Read their **Thing 1 and** **Thing** **2** posts and leave a comment in response! If you are one of the early finishers, you may have to check back later in the week to make your comments.



To save everyone the frustration, please be sure to turn verification OFF
 * Important note about our blogs: I will be commenting on most blog posts, so will your classmates.

Task 3
"Register" your blog by returning to the Google tracking spreadsheet from Thing 0 and **add your blog address to your spreadsheet listing**. While you are there, __check off__ Things 1-3! Once I have received your blog address, I will add it to the to our blog list. That's how you can find other participants to cheer on and connect with throughout the course.


 * ‡ HELP Videos: **

**HELP Video:** How to leave a comment on someone's blog **HELP Video:** Managing comments on your own blog
 * HELP Video**: How to write and publish a basic blog post

Stretch Task
Read this blog, including the comments. Blog about it, be sure to title your post- **Thing 3- Stretch**. []