Paul Chenowith links to a new Perseus survey of the blogosphere with some numbers that seem strangely out of whack, at least to me. First, Perseus expects around 55 million blogs to have been created by year’s end, which is like six or seven times more than any other estimates I’ve seen. It says MSN Spaces has like 4.5 million sites, of which maybe I’ve seen three. And what the heck is Greatest Journal anyway?
Oy.
Tags: Blog, Numbers, NumbingI’m a geek, I know. But I just loved this post on “blogging restructures consciousness?” by Ben Vershbow at if:book. I mean really, really loved it for a lot of geeky reasons, not the least of which is that it models everything I love about blogging. It’s a topic that I have a deep affinity for and probably would never connect to in physical space or through traditional publishing. It’s a topic that resonates with my own search…does blogging literally change who we are? It’s a post that synthesizes a lot of different ideas from disparate sources, all linked of course. And it’s a post that challenges my brain; these ideas are just out of my reach without doing some mental stretching. Ben’s obviously crafted this essay with a great deal of thought from a bloggers’ perspective.
Tags: Blog, ThereforeWorking as the customer support lead for the company Generation YES I hear comments and questions from a variety of teachers. Many times I am asked the question ” What is the big deal about blogging?” and ” How do I use a blog with my classroom?”
I understand how it is hard for some teachers to know how to use these newer forms of communication effectivly. Since most of today’s students are acustomed to blogging and use blogs on a daily basis it is important for teachers to learn how to use blogging as a classroom tool. For those of us who where in school before the word “blog” was even in existance here is a short, and entertaining video may bring you up to speed.
Tags: BlogAbout Generation YES
We believe that technology in schools is critical to bringing 21st century educational opportunities to everyone. However, we see that traditional approaches to integrating real technology into classrooms have largely failed. Even though visionary educators have seen the potential for decades, and there are a few bright and shining examples of students having amazing experiences, more often than not there is a failure of implementation between the vision and the action.
Tags: About, Blog, ThisThe
use of Internet technology to facilitate interaction, communication,
and collaboration is well documented but its use in establishing and
developing “personal voice” as part of learning is also now being
addressed through the use of blogs. Finding personal voice as a
pedagogical method is important to establish learner identity and
focus, and journaling has long been recognized as an effective way to
Tags: Blog, StudiesOpening Keynote Part 2 - the main guy
He took the stage, MAKING BAD JOKES ABOUT HIMSELF
He is a founding partner of Z+ partners, is an explorer with National Geographic, Popular Science, American Demographics, and NPR’s marketplace.
He is also the creator of poptech.org
He says we’re all in the communications. History of communications, MORE JOKES, IN sign that says not an entrance.
Sign about caution water on road in rain. He asks why we need signs to tell us there’s water on the road when it rains.
Tags: Andrew, Blog, Keynote, live, Notes, Opening, ZoliI’m happy to report that my old school won a New Jersey Best Practices award for an ESL Literature Circle Weblog that we started last year with the ESL classes and the library. From the press release:
The ESL Literature Circle includes the selection and discussion of reading material in a Literature Circle format and is designed to increase students’ English language skills through reading, listening and writing activities. Students also write and post summaries of their reading on a Weblog, which includes online discussions.
Tags: Award, Best, Blog, PracticesDid I know this? Technology and Learning’s School Site of the Month for March is Anne’s “Write Weblog“. Well deserved.
It can’t be said enough…Anne does such great work with blogs and elementary school kids, and she’s really giving them a passion for writing. I can think of few better models for the technology. She works hard to highlight their best work, to celebrate their successes, and to capitalize on the teachable moments. It’s inspiring!
Read the rest of this entry »
This is why students should be taught to blog. A Georgia high school principal decides to pull the plug on the journalism class because the stories in the paper it was producing were too controversial. (Guns in schools and teen mothers…shocking!) Then he also pulls the school magazine and cancels an introductory journalism class that the same teacher had proposed. So, the students start a blog “Speaking Underground”:
We believe students’ rights to exercise responsible free speech should be encouraged and not stifled. The Speaking Underground forum was created in an effort to keep students’ voices from being silenced by school authorities. We invite you to study the documents on this website. Please contact the Pebblebrook administration, as well as Cobb County School District officials and encourage them to rescind the decision to remove journalism classes at Pebblebrook High School.
Tags: Back, Blog, Journalists, StudentBelow an entire story from today’s The Wired Campus is quoted. As the first sentence says, this report is for skeptics about the role blog posts can have in emergent scholarship.
January 14, 2008Blogs Are Increasingly Venues for Scholarship, Librarians Are Told
For those who are skeptical that blogs can really change the face of publishing and scholarship, consider the case of Reed A. Cartwright. A postdoctoral geneticist at the University of Georgia, Mr. Cartwright posted his random thoughts on a mutant plant gene on his blog in March 2005.
Tags: Blog, gold, Posts, Swamp