1. Blogging
Through the Week
Academic Commenting and
Writing a Blog Post
A Weekly Outline
Mrs. Ilko

2. Journal Warm Up Selecting a New
Topic
In your journal, please write 3 possible blog topics
for the week. Star your favorite choice. It will be your
exit slip by the end of the period today. I will
conference with each of you today to check it off.

3. Day 1
• Responding to Blogs
• Today you will be responding to 4-5 other
blog posts from our class.
• Remember the focus is academic
commenting.
• You will need to read each blog post, and
then post an academic comment.
Arby and I blogging together, Daisy was at my feet.

4. Academic Comments:
• In our classroom blog space we are aiming for a more
academic tone in our work.
• Our comments should:
• Relate to the content of the post
• Continue the conversation by adding a statement or
asking a question
• Add something to the authors post like a
link, connection, idea, reminder or new perspective.
• Challenge someone’s point of view

5. Academic Comment Stems…
• You are not limited to these starters, but they are here to
give you some ideas on how to begin your comment.
• This made me think about…
• I wonder why…
• I can relate to this…
• I discovered…
• I found myself wondering…
• Another thing to consider…
• Your post is relevant
because..http://langwitches.org/blog/2008/12/25/blogging-lesson-plan-commenting/
• http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/how-to-write-a-blog-comment.aspx

6. Finding an Article or Source
• Today you will be finding an article to support your
research on your topic. Please divide your note page into
3 sections with the following headings in your journal:
• The title, author, and site from your source.
• My source:
• http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/07/can-learning-
how-to-blog-change-makeals-life/
• Summary of key ideas
• Quote:

7. It Says, I Say, and So…
• When reading your article and taking notes, divide your
notes page with the following headings
It says I Say
It Says… I say… And so…
• Here is my source for the week:
• http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/08/six-reasons-why-
kids-should-know-how-to-blog/
Jeff Anderson, What Every Writer Needs to Know
San Diego Area Writing Project Demi Brown

8. Finding a Quote
• Go back to your article from your previous research. This
week you will be adding a quote to your blog post and it
will need to be written in the correct format and cited
correctly.
• Copy the chart on the next slide into your journal.

9. The Only Three Questions That Matter
Important Quote What is the What does it Why does it
from the Article Author Saying? mean? What matter?
does the author
Include Put it in your mean by saying Why is this
Title, Source and own words this? significant to
Author what you are
Interpret it. saying?
Read, write think.org

10. Using Quotes in Your Post
• Make sure you include the quote, but then also state why
it supports your piece, It should not just stand out there
on its own. Use your chart to help you.
• Example:
• “And the fact that Makeal was given free rein to choose
the topic of his blog made the experience more
meaningful…. The freedom to choose has the potential
to ignite a transformative identity shift.” (Ito)
• The author is saying that having choice is important to
students. If students feel they can write about what they
know, they will write more and do a better job. I agree.

11. Writing Your Article
• Today you need to write the draft of your blog post.
Make sure you include:
• Title of your Post
• A blog post 3 to 4 paragraphs in length.
• The first paragraph defining your topic
• Paragraph 2 and 3, giving the information
• Include a quote citing correctly
• Paragraph 4, asking a question or defining a prompt for
your readers to respond.
• At the end of your post, put the link to the article you
read.

12. Blog Post Check List
• By the end of the period, make sure you have had a
partner edit your work. Use your Blog Post Checklist to
make sure your blog has all the basic elements.
• Mrs. Ilko will be reading all blog posts over the weekend
and writing a response. Comments will be shared and
posted on Monday.