5. Your First Blog Post

Today we will begin blogging.
Please remember that all of your posts should go on your own blog rather than the class blog. The class blog will be used only for instructional purposes.

A few words about your blog posts. Because we are dealing with an online audience, your posts should be concise and relatively short (between 100-150 words). This will mean that you will have to be very precise in your writing. Get to your point quickly, adding only those details necessary to describe or explain the main focus for your entry. Before you begin writing, take a look at the following website which will link you to a number of blogs written by teens about books and reading (look in the sidebar for "Book Review Websites & Blogs for Teens").

NOW, find a quote on the internet that displays well your feelings about books, or your relationship with books. Once you have found a perfect quote, make it the DESCRIPTION (subheading) of your blog with the author's name included.

NOTE: To do this you will need to go your dashboard where you will find your 'SETTINGS' button. This will allow you to change your title and add the quote as the blog's DESCRIPTION.

THEN as your first blog post explain why you selected the quote you did. Make a personal connection to the quote and what it tells your readers about you and your relationship to reading. Be sure to include the quote itself as well as the author and a link to the source you borrowed it from.

an example of a level four response to this assignment:

"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can get through to you." -Mortimer Adler

I do not read books as if it's a competition to see who can get to the end the fastest. It doesn't even have to be books, they can be articles, myths anything writen. For you can read something quickly countless times but still know nothing of what it is saying. Instead why don't you take a few extra moments, read it slower, then you take in all of what the words are saying to you and then later you don't keep having to flip back to the text saying: I read this in this part, but what did it say? Then you have to spend more time on it. I know people who race through many books a week and enjoy them, but then you ask them what it meant, they don't know. Some people are okay with not knowing exactly what the book was trying to convey, but that's not me. I would rather read one book and take it apart word for word. If I don't do that, then I don't see a point. Books are writen to serve a purpose. If books don't tell you something or if they don't give you that feeling that hits you deep down, then it's not the author's fault, it's yours. So search for it. And let the meaning get through you .

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/22395.Mortimer_J_Adler

E. M. 2011

4. Create your own blog

NOW..... Follow the steps as instructed

in the youtube video below to create your own blog.

Keep the following in mind as you create your own blog:

1. Come up with a creative title for your blog. This title should reflect in some ways your ideas about reading, but not necessarily limit your topic choices.

2. Find an interesting subheading to include under your title (you will need to use the design button and then go into Settings to add this). You may choose to search on the internet for a good quote about books or reading, just be sure you include the name of the author who has written it.

3. Choose a user name that will make you easy to identify (your first name and last initial) in your blog posts. Do not choose your first and last name for this - for safety reasons.

When you have created your blog, I will post a link to each of them on the class blog so everyone in the class may have access to it. Links to your classmates' blogs will be found by clicking on their names in the sidebar of the class blog.

(note: to find your blog address after you have created it go to

customize - settings - publishing)

When you are done all of this, and you have selected your novel from the library go to. . . 5. Your first post . . . found in the blog archive and follow the instructions given.

3. Classoom Rules - Creating your own Blog

Read through the following rules before you create your own blog. These rules of etiquette are based on our school community and the expectations of our classroom.

1. No last names, school names, or addresses, even in your profile will be stated

2. Do not link to your personal blog/journal from your school blog; you may reveal information on your personal blog that you don't want to reveal on your school blog.

3. Always make sure you check over your post for spelling and grammar errors. Part of your evaluation is for communication, attempt each time to organize your writing so that it communicates clearly to the audience.

4. Never disrespect someone else in your blog, whether it's a person, a group of people, or a recognized organization.

5. Don't write about other non-public figures without their permission; if you can't get their permission, use first names only. Never share someone else's last name. This is not a venue for school or celebrity gossip.

6. Watch your language! This is a school assignment. It must be polite and professional; use appropriate language. Do not use short forms or emoticons. Speak in full sentences, even when leaving a comment for a classmate. remember the audience and purpose of this assignment.

7. Make sure things you write about are factual. If in doubt - check the accuracy and reliability of your sources.

8. When you are commenting on others’ blogs, be sensitive to the fact that they are stating their feelings, ideas and opinions. You may disagree, but do not be rude or hurtful in your comments.

9. When you comment on someone else’s blog, be positive, but not empty. Do not comment if all you have to say is "I totally agree." or "Great comment!" Make sure your commentary has substance related to the improvement of their writing or reflection skills.

2. Blogging Etiquette

summarized from: http://blogs.suite101.com/article.cfm/blogging_etiquette
by Zona Marie Tan

What is etiquette? Etiquette can be defined as the expectations cultures have about social behaviour. Etiquette rules are created by the people who inhabit the culture, and are agreed upon by the majority. Therefore certain etiquette rules are different because of the expectations of the people. For example: In China, a person who takes the last item of food from a common plate or bowl without first offering it to others at the table may be seen as a glutton and insulting the generosity of the host. In America a guest is expected to eat all of the food given to them, as a compliment to the quality of the cooking.

In order for you to successfully and appropriately communicate with your peers and me, your teacher, you will need to be well versed in the polite and appropriate way to communicate using a blog in the social sphere of the world Wide Web. Read below carefully.

FOR THE BLOG CREATOR:

1. Bear in mind that you’re writing for a global audience. Even though your blog may be a personal one, it’s still public and accessible to anyone.

2. Be creative, don’t steal other people’s content. Just because you don’t have anything to write, does not give you the right to copy and paste other people’s work onto yours. If you do borrow (images, information, vidoes etc....) - be sure to document its original source (through the author's name, "title" and website).

3. Don’t be afraid to have an opinion. It doesn’t hurt to belong to one side of the fence. In fact, it might make your commentary more interesting.

4. Remember the old saying "If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all."

5. Always return credit where possible. If you are going to copy a text, or use an image, please return the credit and link back to where you found the material.

6. If you are going to use an image off a blog, save it on to your own image hosting site. It’s rude to copy the image source and link it directly to your own blog.

7. If you’re emotionally riled by a commenter, pause before you hit submit. You might regret what you wrote.

FOR THE BLOG READER/COMMENTER
8. Post comments that are related to the entry. This is not a facebook site - this is about more than socializing and catching up with one another.

9. Be creative, fresh and unique with your comments - do not just agree with the person who has posted before you.

10.If you’ve accidentally posted repeat comments, apologize, (but be careful not to have your apology posted multiple times).

11. Rude and childish behaviour just because you’re an ‘anonymous’ commenter or are behind a pseudonym is unacceptable. As much as good manners are required in the real world, it works the same in the blogsphere.

OTHER TIPS:
- Bear in mind your reputation. Even if you’re blogging or commenting under a pseudonym, there are possibilities that you will be found out one day. Blogs are not dispensable.

- There will always be differing opinions to yours. Remember to always respect other’s views and opinions. If you want to share your own, do so in a mature debate. But bear in mind that you don’t need to change that person’s viewpoint.


If these are too many things to remember, just keep in mind these 3Rs
Be Responsible, Respect the person behind the other keyboard, and Relax. Open your mind, and you will enjoy the blogsphere’s endless possibilities.

Now continue to the next post . . 3. Classroom rules - Creating your own Blog. . . found in the blog archive to your left, and complete the activities there.

1. Welcome to the world of Blogging

Let's begin with an introduction to blogging and blogging etiquette. Read below and follow the instructions at the bottom to your next reading assignment.

1. WHAT IS A BLOG ANYWAY?

Wikipedia defines a blog as: "a web-based publication consisting primarily of periodic articles, most often in reverse chronological order."

Blogging is the posting of journal-like pages to a website. While these pages can contain photos, videos, links or other forms of media, they are primarily focused on the easy ability to post written thoughts to a website. The postings are organized chronologically. Typically, a blog post can be commented on by others, allowing for a dialogue on a the topic of the post.

2. WATCH THIS CLIP (from the Common Craft show) ABOUT BLOGGING. . .

Teachers and educators have used blogs to allow for what is commonly called "peer review", meaning that students can post writings or assignments to the web, and other students can respond or encourage through the comment feature.

In a broader and more educational system, blogs are about communicating. You perceive an experience, reflect on it, and then write about it. Other people read your reflections, respond from their perspectives by commenting on your blog or posting their own blog comment. You read their perspectives, often learn something through their eyes, and write some more. Blogs can help to create a community of readers and writers.

- Blogging is about reading and writing.
- Literacy is about reading and writing.
- Blogging is about literacy.

3. Go to the blog archive found in the sidebar for your next reading task: Blogging etiquette. Read through this carefully before you go on to create your own blog.