Part I: Identity and Voice

Blogs provide a forum for everyone to have a voice. It can be a personal place where they can easily express their opinions, enter into debates, have conversations, seek responses and gain feedback. Everyone can have access to this on-line forum, where views and expertise can be shared on any topic for any purpose. Blogs can be used to make a statement about themselves, used as an ‘on-line soapbox’ (21) or just an opportunity to “let off steam” about an issue. The confident vocal student and quiet timid student both have equal opportunity to express their opinion.[1]

Blogs can provide a means by which a person can document their life while living it, such as a travel blog which records experiences, photographs etc. Blogs can document information over any period of time, provide an opportunity to revist experiences, and monitor changes in views over time. Blogs can also provide a forum for creative expression through the design of their own webpage. Through the look and feel of the page a person can express elements of their individual personality.

According to Danah Boyd, blogs can also become a “virtual space to try our new concepts that do not fit within a hierachical or topic-based discussion forum”.[2] They are therefore more fluid, without restraint, and conversations and information is driven by the users. Current and instant information is easily accessible as soon as it is posted on a blog, without the time delay of editorial or technical restraints of print based materials. It gives the blogger full control and ownership over their on-line posts.

But what is the attraction of blogs and why would people want to share their sometimes very private thoughts publicly? According to Dana Boyd, people like to perform in public to try out ideas, to gain a reaction from others, figure out the barriers, and work out what is acceptable. It is a part of developing their personal identity, a way for finding out who they are, and whom they may have something in common with[3].

However as the Internet increases our public identity we become more visible. This could have negative consequences, for example when potential employers decision to hire a person may be influenced by information found on the web, “The successful will become more successful, and the unsuccessful will have fewer second chances.” [4] This easily accessible public domain has the potential for social humiliation and negative consequences if inappropriate material is made available through the use of blogs. It is important therefore to be careful to not publish anything that is inappropriate for viewing by friends, parents, teachers or future employers.

Social and Educational Implications

Blogs can be found everywhere when searching for information on the Internet, and it appears to be having a major influence on the way we interact with each other or access information. There have been major social and educational implications that have impacted on our society since the introduction of blogs in relation to the following:
Part 1 Identity and Voice
Part 2 Communication and connection
Part 3 Knowledge sharing and control over learning
Part 4 Reflective learning
Part 5 Collaboration

Tips for getting started

1. Instruction
Undertake some on-line instruction into how to use blogs, or enrol in a workshop to on how to use this tool, providing step by step instructions, guidelines and examples. University of Leeds provides some useful online resources http://www.sddu.leeds.ac.uk/online_resources/blogging/index.php

2. Create your own blog
To commence your new blog visit Create a blog and sign up for a free account. To help get started visit youtube video on how to start a blog http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU4gXHkejMo

There are many resources available to assist with developing your own personal blog or selecting other blogs to visit. The main points to ensure that the blog provides a focul point, is easy to navigate, loads quickly, stands out from the rest, not overrun with adds, easy to read, good use of colour and draw attention to important features.

How to start blogging: http://michelemartin.typepad.com/thebambooprojectblog/a_newbie_guide_to_the_bam.html

Tips for effecive writing for the web:
http://www.vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/effective-writing-for-the-web/

Characteristics of successful bloggers:
http://www.icvet.tafensw.edu.au/ezine/year_2007/jan_feb/documents/guidelines_blogs_wikis.doc

Evaluating blogs: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Weblogs:An_Introduction#Evaluating_blogs

3. Features and tools
After investigating the type of blogs being used there are a number of features and tools that can be used.

How to design your blog page:
http://www.vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/what-makes-good-blog-design/

How to use blogs to communicate:
http://edublogs.org/how-you-can-use-your-edublog-to-communicate

Creating an open or closed community
For example in a educational environment teachers and students can control who views or can contribute to their weblog. The following options are available:
a. Closed – only users approved by the owner can read
b. Semi-closed – only users approved by the owner can read and/or post
c. Semi-open – anyone can read, but only approved users can post
d. Open – anyone can read and/or post (including the general public)[1]

4. Policies and procedures
It is important to be familiar with the guideslines for using blogs including code of conduct, privacy, copyright, cybercrime, anti discrimination. etc. Users may also create their own rules for their particular blog.

5. Connecting with others
Blogs can provide a link to other feeds or you can use your own providers to be notified of updated posts. Eg.
RSS/Atom Feeds
Add to My MSN
Add to My Yahoo
Subscribe on NewsGator
Subscribe on Bloglines

5. Coaching & technical support
It is useful to establish a support network with people who can provide coaching or the necessary technical support and guidance that may be needed to help with building skills and confidence while learning to use and create blogs.

6. Suggestions for use of blogs
Students Use:
a) Personal development portfolios
b) Project logs.
c) Placement journals(feedback and support can be provided via the post comments facility).
d) Group blogs can be used to organise regular seminar sessions for students to share summaries of readings (see Farrell 2003 example applications 3 & 4)
d) Gathering open and honest feedback from students through reviewing their posts.
d) Building an Alumni community through hosting blogs for graduates
e) Peer assessment and review
f) Support and reflection for students during placement or working on projects.
g) Group blogs

Teachers use:
a) Post course notices and course information or news.
b) Organise seminars and in-class discussion.
c) Provide records of own research activity as reference material for students.
d) Provide opinions on published research in your fielf as a continually updated reading list.
e) Provide discussion of course relatd topics linking to real world implications.
f) Building a resource for frequently asked questions. Students can use the comment facility to publicly ask questions of the staff member. The staff member can also use the comments facility to answer so providing the answer to the whole class of students. [2]

Blogging Tools

There are many free systems on the web dedicated to developing your own blog. Suggestions for what to look for in using and designing blogs can be found on
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Weblogs:An_Introduction#Evaluating_blogs

The following are examples of hosting systems:

Blogger

Blogger launched in 1999 is owned by Google provides some easy to follow step, a range of templates and additional features such as Audioblogger for posting audio recordings.


Moveabletype

This is free to schools and needs more server space and technical support on site. It has a number of plug-ins and extra features that are appealing to teachers and students.


WordPress

Wordpress is an alternative free system, where comments or links can be filtered, or moderated before publishing


Edublogs

Edublogs largest education free community on the internet designed in Australia in 2005 for teachers with a focus on teaching and learning, powered by WordPress, It is safe, secure and provides an opportunity to embed video, create podcasts and customise your space.


Bloglines

Bloglines is a free aggregator that offers blogging along with search and personalised subscriptions to blogs and news sources that you can access from any Internet connection


TypePad

TypePad is a hosted subscription based blogging service provided by Six Apart, targeting commercial uses

Ellg

Ellg is a non-commercial service used atLeeds university to host a community of blogs for the purpose of providing social networking

RSS Feeds

RSS otherwise known as Rich Site Summary or Real Simple Syndication, is another tool built into most blogging software. This useful tool provides a link or feed from a website that can be viewed regularly. By subscribing to an aggregator, or news feeder collector, the website subscribed to can be collected and stored in a folder ready to view.

Technical barriers or issues.

Everyone has the potential to create and maintain a blogs, with the only requirement being that you need access to a computer and internet. There is now no need to have programming knowledge or skills, as was the case with the first blogs in 1992. There are some excellent resources available on-line to assist in the creation of a blog, and provide step by step guides for the novice.

There are some negative aspects to using blogs as an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tool for teaching and learning. Firstly users need to learn how to use the tool and develop confidence in using the technology. Many teachers still use computers for the basics, and may benefit form professional development, and access to a mentor to encourage them to use these tools on a daily basis.

Once blogs are set up there is still the problem of identifying and establishing networks to enable the user to connect with others, share information or make comments to others blogs. There is also the uncertainty of knowing how much information users will be prepared to make public, and whether they have the confidence to do this.

Key Players

Bloggers, or people who blog, can potentially be anyone who has something that they want to say on the Internet. This includes students, teachers, politicians, employees, companies, customers, and journalists. With over 50,000 created every day just about everyone can use a blog. Blog users can generally be categorised as primary users or creators of the web page; and secondary users including people visiting to read or commenting on the blog.

Search Engines specialise in searching for weblogs and help locate blogs on topics of interest including my favourites:

http://blogsearch.google.com/

http://portal.eatonweb.com/

http://deepblog.com/index.html

This blog lists all the searchs for weblogs. http://www.aripaparo.com/archive/000632.html

Case Studies

Blogs can be used in a variety of ways and the following provide some excellent examples of how they can be used and what they can look like in their design
Personal diaries: Over 7000 personal journals can be found on http://www.diarist.net/registry/

CASE STUDY 1

URL: http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/bestof.html

Title of Weblog: Apophenia: making connections where none previously existed.

Description: Danah Boyd’s is a prolific blogger and has used this blog to organise all her blogs topics. They include recent essays and blog posts that deal with particular issues in depth.

Content: Photographs and details, calendar, categories of blog topics, titles and dates, academic papers titles.

Comments: This blog combines the personal comments and views with her professional papers, presentations, thus using it as a means of sharing information and inviting comments. This provides an example of how an academic or educator can collate and comment on issues related to their area of interest.

Other examples:
Technology Twitter: http://www.technologytwitter.typepad.com/

CASE STUDY 2

URL: http://belindasboulesbowlsnballs.blogspot.com/

Title of Weblog: Belindas Boules Bowls n Balls

Description: A personal blog to keep in touch while competing overseas.

Content: Photo, personal details, topic categories, photographs, comments for readers, subscribe feeds.

Comments: This is a great example of how to keep in touch with people through travel or competing overseas.

CASE STUDY 3

URL: http://mlearning.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/online-mlearn-2007-review-tomorrow/

Title of Weblog: Mobile Learning – an online reflective journal on mobile learning practices.

Source: Mlearn 2007 post conference discussion

Author: Leonard Low – Educational Technology Strategist at Canberra Institute of Technology, Departiment of Flexible Learning Solutions.

Content: This blog provids a forum for delegates and m-learning enthusiasts to participate in conversation as part of the Flexible Learning Networks Community.
IT also provides links to wiki site, resources, and other feeds.

CASE STUDY 4

URL: http://weblogs.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/beesbook/about

Title of Weblog: The Secret Life of Bees

Industry: Primary school

Content: This example demonstrates how a class used a blog to carry out a conversation about a book being studied and collaborate with a broad network of participants. The blog obtained 2,300 word responses from the world wide web, as well as creating a weblog for parents interested in reading the book.