Why a blog?

 

Why a blog?  Maybe you are skeptical as Minnie was about her hedgehog in this photo.  I will tell you that today, Minnie brings her hedgehog with her all over the house.  We all experience new ways of communicating and building community.  I hope you find some fun and friendship in blogging. A blog is your writing spot to share and be open to replies.  It is your conversation.
 
Why not a discussion board?  Well that is topic driven, which is good for a class, but it is not a collection of one's ideas and interactions.   This is your place to post when you are a discussant.  Your classmates will reply and get to monitor the conversation. This is also great for developing your teacher practice.  

Why in Blogger?  Canvas offers a discussion board and google pages (collaborate), but these are not the same.  The blogging function is not available. Not to worry. We can link it in Canvas and I will share these instructions.  There are some options for doing this. 
Blogger is really easy to use. I first used it in 2008.

How is writing a blog different from a paper?  You have an audience! It is not only for the teacher. It is for all your classmates.  You are a creator of media! I suggest that you type your posts and replies in a Word document then paste into your blog.  The Word file is your backup.
 
What to expect? Give yourself a few minutes of peace and patience with new tools.  As teachers, we get new technology almost every year! I still remember teachers resisting email.  Your blog design is up to you. The writing is the focus. I look forward to our blogging community.

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