This presentation is

1. USING BLOGS EFFECTIVELY
Wendy Grojean
College of Education
IDEAS Room Coordinator
wgrojean@unomaha.edu

2. “Replace a paper and pencil with a laptop and
online discussion and you may find that even the
most reserved students are strong writing
contributors. It is not the student. It is the tool.
Find the right technological tool and writing now
becomes fun, rather than a chore” (Rosen, 2010).

3. WHAT IS A BLOG?
• A 21st Century journal
• A tool for online communication and discussion
• Topics are time-sensitive
• Can be teacher led or teacher facilitated
• Can be public or protected

4. GOALS OF BLOGS
-Add depth to in-class discussion
-Give voice to quiet students
-Engage students throughout reading and writing
process
-Communication
-Others?

5. STUDIES SHOW:
• Blogs (and social media) increase student
participation and engagement

6. BLOGS & PEDAGOGY
Tools are not effective without good pedagogy.
Eight Tips for Facilitating Effective Online
Discussion Forums

7. EXAMPLES OF EXPECTATIONS
1. The Do’s and Don’t of Online Communication –
Collaborize Classroom
2. The Core Rules of Netiquette-Albion.com
3. Netiquette Guidelines-Paradigm Publishing
4. How can you get students involved in setting
expectations?

8. GOOD QUESTIONING
-Eliminates plagiarism
-Facilitates good discussion
-Leads to Higher-Order thinking and analysis

9. “We never stop investigating. We are never
satisfied that we know enough to get by. Every
question we answer leads on to another question.
This has become the greatest survival trick of our
species.”
~Desmond Morris

10. QUESTIONING RESOURCES
• McKenzie “Questioning Tool Kit”
 Jamie Mckenzie questioning research article:
"Questioning as Technology”
 Teach your students to become good question
writers. Model good questioning, then have them
lead discussions.

11. IMPORTANCE OF QUESTIONING
“North American Schools are spending billions bringing
networked computers into schools while neglecting the
most important technology of all-the ability of students to
make meaning by applying sharply honed questioning
skills” (McKenzie, 2002).

12. BE PREPARED FOR THE QUESTION
STUDENTS WILL ASK:
• “Will we be graded on this?”
• Have assessment tools in place:
-Rubrics
-Participation Points

13. RUBRIC RESOURCES
Sample Rubric –University of Pittsburgh
Tips and Rubrics-Middle Tennessee State
University
Rubric example-University of Wisconsin-Stout

14. GET TO KNOW YOUR TOOLS…
Edublogs
Tumblr
Blogger

15. TOOL CONSIDERATIONS
-Cost?
-Ad free?
-Public and private settings?
-Do participants need email addresses?
-Can you moderate posts?
-Can you embed videos, pictures?

16. REFERENCES
Christopher, M., Thomas, J., & Tallent-Runnels, M. (2004, Spring). Raising the bar:
Encouraging high level thinking in online discussion forums. Roeper
Review, 26(3), 166-171. Retrieved from Teacher Reference Center database.
Discussion board tips and pedagogy [Information Sheet]. (n.d.). Retrieved September
7, 2011, from Middle Tennessee State University website:
http://frank.mtsu.edu/~webctsup/faculty/manual/
WebCT_DiscussionBoard_Tips-Pedagogy.pdf
Frey, B. (n.d.). Rubric for asynchronous discussion participation [Rubric]. Retrieved
September 9, 2011, from http://www.udel.edu/janet/MARC2006/
ric.html
Im, Y., & Lee, O. (2003-2004, Winter). Pedagogical implications of online discussion
for preservice teacher training. Journal of Research Technology in Education,
36(2), 155-170. Retrieved from Teacher Reference Center database.
McKenzie, J. (1997, November/December). A questioning tookit. From Now On: The
Educational Technology Journal, 7(3). Retrieved from http://fno.org/nov97/
toolkit.html
McKenzie, J. (2003, April). Questioning as technology. From Now On: The
Educational Technology Journal. Retrieved from
http://questioning.org/qtech.html

17. REFERENCES (CONT’D)
Nielsen, L. E. (2010). Discussion rubric for online class [Rubric]. Retrieved
September 9, 2011, from University of Wisconsin-Stout website:
www2.uwstout.edu/content/profdev/rubrics/discussionrubric.html
Owens, R. (2009, July 23). Eight tips for facilitating effective online discussion
forums. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from http://www.facultyfocus.com/
articles/asynchronous-learning-and-trends/eight-tips-for-facilitating-
effective-online-discussion-forums/
Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy [Guide]. (n.d.). Retrieved September 7, 2011, from
Wayne County Schools website:
http://www.waynecountyschools.org/147210622111220523/lib/
147210622111220523/Revised_Blooms_Info.pdf
Rosen, L. D., Ph.D. (2010). Rewired. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ross, S. (2011). The core rules of netiquette [Guidelines]. Retrieved September 10,
2011, from Albion website: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/
corerules.html

18. REFERENCES (CONT’D)
Rutkosky, N., & Seguin, D. (n.d.). Following netiquette guidelines [Guidelines].
Retrieved September 7, 2011, from Paradigm Publishing website:
http://www.emcp.com/college_resource_centers/listonline.php?
GroupID=6168
Tucker, C. (n.d.). The do’s and don’ts of online student communication
[Guidelines]. Retrieved September 8, 2011, from Collaborize
Classroom website: www.wecollaborize.com/pdf/student-
communication-online.pdf