Pat's Help Page

This Google Site gives you not only an explanation of many great applications, but also a demonstration of how a Google Site can be used.

Google Docs Explained

This Common Craft video explains Google Docs so well:

Are you catering for the learners in your classroom?

Many of you may have seen this video before, as it is in teachertube's top 100 list. See http://t4.jordandistrict.org/payattention to learn how you can become a better teacher.

Continuing the Conversation

If we think of a weblog (blog) as an online journal, we need to clarify some matters before our blog can sustain itself. In other words, after the initial excitement of creating the blog has worn off, what will motivate and focus us to keep the blog going? Remember that blogging isn't a one-time publication - it's an ongoing reflection, explanation or conversation.

Here are some questions to ask ourselves (again):

• Why am I blogging? Is the overall focus that I have chosen important enough to warrant setting up and sustaining this blog? Do I need a broader focus?
  
• Why am I asking my students to blog? What are the 'big ideas' or learning outcomes that I wish for them to derive from blogging?
  
• Who is the intended audience? (remembering that the blog is 'public')
• How can I gradually expand my audience (e.g. getting parents involved)?
  
• How can I best cater for my audience to encourage them to read and engage with my blog on a regular basis?
• How can I commit to 'feeding' and 'nurturing' my blog? (given that it will die if left unattended)
• What are some ground rules that I need to set for myself (minimum length for posts, number of posts per week/month, number of blogs from other people that I will read each week, etc.)?
• Which blogs will I model my own upon? Do I read other blogs?
• How can I make my blog and each post more visually engaging?
• How can I keep this process simple so that it will be self-sustaining?

When we first start blogging, it's like getting going with a story idea. We might be reluctant to start writing initially, or we could be very enthusiastic about exploring an idea that we have. Either way though, soon after starting we often experience self-doubts, as this creation will be viewed by others. Students will often discard a story draft, claiming that their story 'stinks' (or using other expressions). It's our job as the teacher to help the student nurture the story, and show them ways to refine their work. Similarly with blogging, you need to be ready to experience the lows of dealing with your creation, and have strategies to work past these self-doubts.

The other motivator for continued blogging is getting a reaction from an audience and interacting with your readers. Somehow, you need to encourage ongoing comments (a comment thread) on your blog, otherwise you'll soon get a sense that you are essentially talking to yourself and only yourself. In order to sustain your enthusiasm (and that of your students), you need to schedule time for commenting. By commenting on other people's blogs, you will start to reap the rewards for sowing connections elsewhere.

The big thing to remember is that, like writing a story, no-one gets it right the first time. So too, keep in mind that blogging is more than just a communication tool - it's a growth opportunity, and you can't grow if you don't sow.

Using Google Reader

Google Reader can be used to search for blogs of interest and to gather these in one location via RSS. Google Reader is essential if you wish to track a large number of student or teacher blogs.

Possible Uses for Blogs

When it comes to using blogs in schools, you are limited only by your own imagination.

Beta Blogging

While too much discussion about 'blogging etiquette' makes me a little uneasy, two recent blog posts from Silvia Tolisano and Sue Waters set out some useful tips for improving your blogging experience.

I only say that an emphasis on 'blogging etiquette' makes me uneasy because I worry that instead of a socializing experience, we run the risk of normalizing the blogging practice, which runs counter to being reflective and creative.

Therefore, any advice offered up about blogging should probably be viewed as a helpful 'guide' rather than a 'given'.

Sharing our details

Hi everyone,

Please fill out the survey when you have created your gmail account.

If you click on this link, it will take you to a survey for you to fill out. The responses on this survey will only be viewable by teachers from 219, and the spreadsheet will be shared with you, so that you have everyone else's contact details.

An Intro from Pat Wagner

Hi everyone, sorry about the crackling in the audio. This is just a brief video introduction so that you can see with whom you'll be working. I'd recommend that you create a gmail account for yourself before this week is out so that we can get straight into blogs upon your return from the break.

If the video on the attached link doesn't start playing properly, just restart it.

In the Beginning: A Bit About Blogs

What are blogs?

• Short for 'weblog' - online journal that archives chronologically (although Google has something in the wings for changing the order of blog posts)
• Individual or shared authorship
• Portal for online, ongoing conversation - the best blogs are those that attract an ebb of conversation
• Source of connection with educators/students internationally
  

Who are the potential users?

• Principal / administration - e.g. Daily Notes (remembering that you're publishing for an open community)
• School newspaper group or monthly newsletter
• Teacher/Classes - transmitting class information for individual lessons or for a unit (teachers can post Do Nows, writing prompts, mini-lessons, assessment tasks, rubrics, unit outlines, shout outs, etc.)
• Book Clubs or teacher study groups - shared learning
• Students (group or individual) within a class - blogs provide an authentic publication context for student writing and reflection
  

Who are potential audiences?

• Students within the school - looking at each other's work within and across classes
• Partner school - simply making connections or working collaboratively on a project
• Staff (eportfolios) - reflecting upon own learning throughout the year
• School reviewers/visitors - can leave comments on class blogs
• Parents - can leave comments or be guest bloggers, or use individual student blogs as a talking point for parent-teacher conferences
• Open Community - can share in the learning taking place, and exchange ideas

Using Gmail

Having a Gmail account is your access into so many other Google applications, such as iGoogle, Google Docs, Google Groups, Google Calendar, Google Talk, Blogger, Google Reader, Google Analytics, and so on.

In addition, Gmail provides a great email service with integrated chat and other features. The slideshow below shows you more of what Gmail can do:

Enabling Comment Moderation

There are a number of ways for you to deter people from leaving inappropriate comments on your blog.

Firstly, under the Settings tab, go to Comments.

What you see in this picture are recommended selections. You will not get the most out of blogging and the ensuing conversations if you disallow comments. These selections ensure that comments can't be left anonymously.

To provide further protection for yourself (and your students), you can enable comment moderation. This means that before a comment can be published, you are sent an email alerting you to a comment that has been left for your moderation. You can then choose to either accept, reject or moderate the comment before it is published.

The slideshow below shows you how to do this:

Adding a Clustrmap

The world map on the sidebar of this blog is called a clustrmap. A clustrmap indicates where in the world your blog has been viewed, and gives a rough indication of the number of views per location by the size of the red dot.

The purpose of a clustrmap is to demonstrate to the blog author the global nature of blogging, and to show where interest exists for this blog's content. The clustrmap also gives some indication to the reader of the blog's age, and its appeal to an international audience.

You can add a clustrmap to your blog by following the steps in the slideshow below: