Either for themselves of for their classes they might be about to start their "blogging adventures"- putting New Year's Resolutions into practice ? Perhaps.
A few points to bear in mind if you are one of those professionals seeking new goals :
* Always read as many blogs as you can related to the topic you are dealing with - There are some great web directories that may lead you
* Try to join a network . Facebook is great - despite what everybody says about its privacy, it's the one which offers the best alternatives- but I will go deep into that topic in another post later this month- Nings are the most commonly used /exploited. Interaction with people following your interests /likes is essential to learn new online skills
* Consider what you are going to do with comments. Will you open them for everybody? Will you moderate them? It all depends on yourself. So think what's the best for your circumstances.
* Read, read and read other blogs. Consider using RSS readers (Google Reader or Bloglines have always offered me great stuff)
Last but not least, check this pic
It is an adaptation of a piece of material taken from Mark Fletcher's Activating Vocabulary 1 Book (from the Brain friendly series) in which he provides hints for the teaching of Vocab.
It can very well be used to provide blogging hints.
The more Web 2.0 tools in your blog the more learning skills it will match. And the more attractive it will be! The attrativeness of a blog is not based on beautiful widgets (though they do count, of course)but on interesting and motivating content. Undoubtedly, motivation has ups and downs, but with audio or / and visual sources such as listening productions (podcasts) or videos your blog will be more appealing than simple text (of course it depends on the type of output you will show and the type of readers you address)
Let's focus on the pic above:
By recycling, no material (neither real nor virtual) is wasted. When it appears to have lost learning potential, it can turn out new again! Impossible? Try this activity based on The Beatles - do you want sth a little older? - my students would comment... :< -active listening we may offer interactive tasks such as this one or this one.
Quiet listening? Posts like this offer it, and so many endless podcasts directories or even video sites - Have you heard The Queen's beautiful English when she did her Xmas Greeting last December? Worth a try. Or...should I say "a tune in"? :>
(the great thing about quiet listening is that you don't need to deal with exercises when you access them ;-)
Colours and cool visuals are essential elements within a learning blog (like coursebooks !!)
The linking in of posts (from other blogs and within your own one) provides wonderful exploring possibilities for students -which promote independent research - It is a way of indirectly (or...directly????) invite them to further surfing: Once directed to a certain site, why not having a look at it? They may come across interesting stuff.
Dramatization. What does this have to do with blogging? Well, by no means do I want to answer with a question but the temptation cannot be controlled: Why not promoting a representation (in class) of different multimedia productions that were hosted in YouTube or similar sites?
Then you have storing (and , why not...also SORTING), top of the rank for any blogging practice: You don't use everything you find online as you don't like everything. But you won't be able to access them when they are needed if the moment arises. A good hint here is the use of bookmarks.
And, above everything , YOUR PERSONAL INTEREST as a blogger.
Easy?
No.
Quick results?
You'd better become patient.
Blogging involves hard work but commitment. Should you start, don't give up.
Don't set up new blogs if you are unhappy with the one you had started. Keep working on the original one. Find your way. Search for your style. You will make it.
Keep posting. That will help you get on your track. Submitting posts onto blogs leads you to different roads and TEACHING ROADS are worth walking, aren't they?
Keep posting. That will help you get on your track. Submitting posts onto blogs leads you to different roads and TEACHING ROADS are worth walking, aren't they?
The variety of WEB 2.0 tools on a blog will, sooner or later, promote the "revisit" of posts from time to time.
Personalise each topic, and look out for any opportunity to bring in colour, sound, humour and the bizarre.________________________________________________
Like teaching and learning interaction in the real -not virtual- contexts
this theory also works for good blogging practice / habits
this theory also works for good blogging practice / habits
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