[CALIBK12] Blog Advice

[Miranda Doyle]

Hi Sarah,

Just to expand on what Doug said about the blogs, there is a way to moderate the posts as well as the comments on Blogger. You can set up your blog so that students email their posts to the blog, instead of posting directly with a login and password. 

I describe how to do that at:
http://libraryweb.weebly.com/idea-1.html

Here's a summary:

Under "Settings", choose "Email". Under "Mail-to-Blogger", choose an easy word and type it into the box. Copy the new address you've created -- yourname.sendposts at blogger.com, or something similar. IMPORTANT: If you intend to give out the email address to students, so that they can submit posts to your blog, be sure to choose "Save Emails as Draft Posts". This way, you approve them first, then publish them.

Of course, it depends on whether you think students will post something inappropriate or not. It would be wonderful if they are able to be responsible about what they say on the blog. I work at a middle school, and 99% of the posts to the blogs I've used with classes have been fine, but for those few that have been offensive I've been glad I'm moderating them. 

Hope that helps!

Miranda Doyle
Teacher-Librarian
Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Middle School
San Francisco, CA






Message: 1
Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 12:02:18 -0800
From: "Daydream Queen" <daydream.queen at gmail.com>
Subject: [CALIBK12] Blog Advice
To: CALIBk12 <calibk12 at listproc.sjsu.edu>
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    <6ef06e940802041202h196af9e0gd9e111b2674eb82d at mail.gmail.com>
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I'm experimenting with using a blog with a class. I'm using Blogger. The
object is to have students post 10 short assignments and for others to post
comments on these assignments. I'm exploring what would be the easiest way
to approach this. What has been your experience?

Options:

1. Teacher set up main blog, students create their own blogs and teacher
adds these blogs as links to the main page so students can access other
students' blogs and comment on them. Students would post assignments to
their own blogs.

2. Teacher set up main blog and adds students as authors. (So far in
experimenting, it seems that posts cannot be moderated, only comments) so
unless you know otherwise this may not work if teacher needs moderation of
student posts. If it can work then students can add posts and also comment
on posts on teacher blog.

3. A Wiki. Teacher creates a wiki and students can add content and post
comments I suppose. Is ther a moderation feature to this or just an email
the teacher would get that there has been something aded to the wiki. I
admit I have yet to create one so I will play with it today.

I appreciate your advice. I attended Doug Achterman's session on using wikis
and blogs at CSLA and was impressed!


-- 
Sarah Bosler, Teacher Librarian
Montclair High School
Chaffey Joint Union High School District
http://mohigh.com