To Blog or Not to Blog… To Podcast or not to Podcast…
That is a Question Answered by You and Your Teaching Style

When incorporating technology into your curriculum you have to make sure it works for you and your class.

A weblog or blog is a personal journal on the web and it can be for use by the whole world or just intended for a small group of people. A blog looks like a webpage on your computer.

A podcast is an audio file, typically an MP3file, which is made available online for downloading via an automatic feed. You are then able to listen to it at anytime from your computer or portable media player. Think of it as a radio show that is taped and ready to listen to. You can create a podcast or use others in your classroom.

You can also create a blog which has podcasts (audio files link within it).

You can subscribe to both Blogs and Podcasts using a technology call a RSS Feed which will allow your computer to automatically download a blog or a podcast after it has been published on the web.

Wikipedia Definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rss_feed

 

Blogging is good if..

  • You have something to say
    • Reminders, reflections, notices, summaries, discussions
  • You want to give and get commentary, reviews
  • You want to read what your students have to say
  • You want your students to collaborate, journal, research
  • You want the world as your audience
  • Your want to give your students a large audience
  • You are willing to be creative

Podcasting & Podcasts are good if..

  • You are creative
  • You are an advanced planner
  • You are willing to play with technology
  • You are willing to sort through the large amount of resources available.
  • You remember that if you are bored so are your students.

 

 

Wikipedia Definition of a Blog http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

 

My Experience with Blogs

Great Chicago Libraries
http://www.greatchicagolibraries.blogspot.com/

ACI Associated Colleges of Illinois Center for Success in High Needs Schools
http://www.successinhighneedschools.org/blog/

EDU112 Educational Technology
http://www.edu112.blogspot.com/

 

 

Examples of blogs out there in the land of higher education.

Weblogs in Higher Education
http://www.mchron.net/site/edublog.php

Death Penalty Course Blog
http://lsi.typepad.com/death_penalty_moritz/

Dennis Jerz Seton Hill University
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DennisJerz/EL312/2007/class_topics/
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DennisJerz/EL312/018596.php#502900

Principles of Public Relations
http://www.ricjensen.blogspot.com/

Beth Ritter-Guth's College English
http://lccccollegeenglish.blogspot.com/


Places you can go to create a blog or two:

Blogger.com We will create a blog together using this free service
https://www.blogger.com/start

Wordpress
http://wordpress.org/

Blogsome
http://blogsome.com/

LiveJournal
http://www.livejournal.com/

Xanga
http://www.xanga.com/


Blog Aggregators allow you to organize and keep track of your blogs

Bloglines
http://www.bloglines.com/

Blogbridge
http://www.blogbridge.com/


Podcasting & Podcasts

Wikipedia Definition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting

Finding Podcasts:

Podcasts for Professors From Fordham University
http://www.podcastforteachers.org/pfprof/

Indiana University
http://www.indiana.edu/~icy/podcast/

Podcasting News
http://www.podcastingnews.com/forum/links.php

Podcast Directory
http://www.podcastdirectory.com/

Podcast Alley
http://www.podcastalley.com/

NPR Directory
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php

Learn Out Loud
http://www.learnoutloud.com/Podcast-Directory

iTunes Podcasts
http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcasts.html

Podcast Directory
http://podcastdirectory.org/

Pod Feed Net
http://www.podfeed.net/


Making Podcasts:

Apple iLife Garage Band Podcasts
http://www.apple.com/support/garageband/podcasts/

How to Podcast http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/22-free-podcast-hosting.htm

Make Your First Podcast with a PC
http://www.podcastingnews.com/articles/How-to-Podcast.html

Make a Podcast with Blogger
http://www.podcastingnews.com/articles/Make_Podcast_Blogger.html

Easy Podcasts
http://www.easypodcast.com/

 

Below are a number of great links where you can create images for online documents.

Fodey.com Newspaper Generator http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp

Fodey.com can also make talking squirrels, tomatoes, cats, flowers.

Image Chef http://www.imagechef.com is another great place to create some really cool images to put into online blogs, myspace accounts, and emails.

Public Domains sites and free clip art sites exist but always read the use policy before putting any picture you have not created up onto the web.

PD Photo.org http://pdphoto.org/

U.S. Government Photos Online http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Graphics.shtml

Pics4Learning http://pics.tech4learning.com/

School Clip Art http://www.school-clip-art.com/

Discovery School.com http://school.discovery.com/clipart/

The Teachers Guide http://www.theteachersguide.com/Edgraphicscolor.html

Awesome Clipart for Educators http://www.awesomeclipartforeducators.com/

Math Clip Art Symbols http://208.183.128.3/instruct/math-symbols.html