Our Blog Assignment this semester is coming to a close. Your last post is due this week, and comments are due next week. Make sure that you have your blogroll posted by the blog due date as well.
I'll most likely begin grading blogs late next week.
CCM
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Blogroll Handout Now Available
The "All About Blogrolls" handout is now available in Moodle - Week 12. You can begin creating your blogroll any time that you like. Just make sure that you're finished with it by the due date for your last blog post.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Adding a Blogroll
To add a "Blogroll" (also known as a "Blog List") to your blog, follow these instructions:
- Go to your blog Dashboard and click on the "Design" link.
- Click on "Add a Gadget."
- Click on "Blog List."
- Once the Blog List box comes up, you can customize some of the settings. For example, you can change the title of the blogroll from "My Blog List" to whatever you like. Then, click in the "Add a blog to your list" link in the white box. Enter the URL for the blog that you want to include and click "Add."
- Click on "Save".
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Blog Post #5: Clarifications
Class,
The prompt for Blog Post #5 is in the Blog Assignment document on Moodle - Week 2.
However, here are a few additional clarifications:
1. For this prompt, please analyze posts from outside blogs rather than peer blogs. Good places to start include John Palfrey's blog and danah boyd's blog as well as Digital Natives and jill/txt.
2. The posts can be relevant to ANY topic within your inquiry area so long as both posts address similar topics (privacy, safety, piracy, social networking, etc)
3. In your analysis, you should use rhetorical terms (ethos, pathos, tone, etc).
CCM
The prompt for Blog Post #5 is in the Blog Assignment document on Moodle - Week 2.
However, here are a few additional clarifications:
1. For this prompt, please analyze posts from outside blogs rather than peer blogs. Good places to start include John Palfrey's blog and danah boyd's blog as well as Digital Natives and jill/txt.
2. The posts can be relevant to ANY topic within your inquiry area so long as both posts address similar topics (privacy, safety, piracy, social networking, etc)
3. In your analysis, you should use rhetorical terms (ethos, pathos, tone, etc).
CCM
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Weekly Post Topics
On p. 5-6 of the "Blog Assignment" (Moodle - Week 2) there is a schedule of the weekly post prompts. Make sure that you are following this schedule. For example, last week's post should have addressed visual rhetoric, and this week's post can be about anything that you want so long as it relates to your inquiry area.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Writing Effective Blog Posts
So, how do you go about writing effective blog posts?
Although each blog/blogger is different, the most common issue that I see in student blogs concerns development or elaboration within posts. It's certainly fine to provide some summary in your posts, but it's also a good idea to go beyond summary. Provide a brief summary, and then move on to offer personal insight, commentary or even examples which correspond with the information that you summarized. This type of elaboration adds "depth" to your posts and is likely to appeal to readers. Afterall, part of the rhetorical appeal of blogging is the individual perspective that blogs provide.
Another issue that occurs frequently is a lack of closure at the end of posts. Generally, a blog post should provide closure for the reader in some form. Common means of providing closure include summarizing your main point(s), asking the readers questions, or adding a forward-looking statement ("In future posts . . .").
Keep in mind that different sub-genres of blogs will require different conventions, but for the types of blogs (academically-oriented) that are written in composition courses, these guidelines are generally applicable.
For more information on effective blogging practices, check out this handout from Agnes Scott College Writing Center.
Although each blog/blogger is different, the most common issue that I see in student blogs concerns development or elaboration within posts. It's certainly fine to provide some summary in your posts, but it's also a good idea to go beyond summary. Provide a brief summary, and then move on to offer personal insight, commentary or even examples which correspond with the information that you summarized. This type of elaboration adds "depth" to your posts and is likely to appeal to readers. Afterall, part of the rhetorical appeal of blogging is the individual perspective that blogs provide.
Another issue that occurs frequently is a lack of closure at the end of posts. Generally, a blog post should provide closure for the reader in some form. Common means of providing closure include summarizing your main point(s), asking the readers questions, or adding a forward-looking statement ("In future posts . . .").
Keep in mind that different sub-genres of blogs will require different conventions, but for the types of blogs (academically-oriented) that are written in composition courses, these guidelines are generally applicable.
For more information on effective blogging practices, check out this handout from Agnes Scott College Writing Center.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Problems Making Comments in Blogger
It appears that over the last few days many of us have experienced problems when trying post comments in Blogger while using Internet Explorer. A number of students have received the message that they didn't have "access" to comment on the blog. In fact, I received this error yesterday afternoon, but today I was able to comment using the same computer and browser without issue.
My advice: Keep trying. If you keep having issues, try using a different browser (Firefox instead of Explorer or vice versa). Or, you could try downloading a new browser. Several students have used Google Chrome with success.
In the meantime, don't worry if the comments are late. I will not deduct points since it was a technology problem, but do try to have your comments for Post #2 up by midnight on Friday.
Email me through my university account if you continue to experience problems.
CCM
My advice: Keep trying. If you keep having issues, try using a different browser (Firefox instead of Explorer or vice versa). Or, you could try downloading a new browser. Several students have used Google Chrome with success.
In the meantime, don't worry if the comments are late. I will not deduct points since it was a technology problem, but do try to have your comments for Post #2 up by midnight on Friday.
Email me through my university account if you continue to experience problems.
CCM
Friday, September 16, 2011
First Post Feedback and Blogroll Information
It looks like most students were able to set up their blogs and to make comments without too many issues. I was especialy excited to see some actual conversations going on in the comments sections of the blogs. That's the exact purpose of the comments section - it's a space for dialogue. If a reader asks you a question in the comments section of your blog, be sure to respond.
Several students have asked about the blogroll, so I'm going to address some questions here.
A blogroll (also known as a blog list) is a list of links to blogs that you find interesting and/or relevant to your blog, and it usually appears on the side column of your blog. I will post a handout in Moodle in a week or two which explains the mechanics of setting up a blogroll. In the meantime, be perusing blogs to find some that you believe are most relevant to your blog and will be good candidates for your blogroll.
Congratulations on getting your blog set up and on making your first post!
CCM
Several students have asked about the blogroll, so I'm going to address some questions here.
A blogroll (also known as a blog list) is a list of links to blogs that you find interesting and/or relevant to your blog, and it usually appears on the side column of your blog. I will post a handout in Moodle in a week or two which explains the mechanics of setting up a blogroll. In the meantime, be perusing blogs to find some that you believe are most relevant to your blog and will be good candidates for your blogroll.
Congratulations on getting your blog set up and on making your first post!
CCM
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Blogging Resources
Hi Class,
Here are some resources to help you to get you started on your blog:
Blogger Video Tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA4s3wN_vK8
Blogger Help Site: http://www.google.com/support/blogger/?hl=en
There are also a couple of handouts available under Week 2 in our Moodle course.
Just let me know if you have any questions.
CCM
Here are some resources to help you to get you started on your blog:
Blogger Video Tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA4s3wN_vK8
Blogger Help Site: http://www.google.com/support/blogger/?hl=en
There are also a couple of handouts available under Week 2 in our Moodle course.
Just let me know if you have any questions.
CCM
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Welcome
Greetings, class. You are about to embark upon your blogging journey!
Overall, your blog for this course will consist of 10 weekly posts. Each post should be approximately 200-400 words in length and should follow the conventions of blog writing as discussed in class. See the Blog Assignment prompt in our Moodle course for more specific instructions.
In your first post, you should introduce your inquiry area and discuss how you feel about it, why you chose it, etc. Beyond this, include anything else you want to include. Hint: You could outline the variety of topics which exist within the inquiry area and note the ones in which you are particularly interested. Or, you could outline a variety of perspectives on a select topic within the inquiry area.
Happy blogging!
Overall, your blog for this course will consist of 10 weekly posts. Each post should be approximately 200-400 words in length and should follow the conventions of blog writing as discussed in class. See the Blog Assignment prompt in our Moodle course for more specific instructions.
In your first post, you should introduce your inquiry area and discuss how you feel about it, why you chose it, etc. Beyond this, include anything else you want to include. Hint: You could outline the variety of topics which exist within the inquiry area and note the ones in which you are particularly interested. Or, you could outline a variety of perspectives on a select topic within the inquiry area.
Happy blogging!
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