As a follow up to April's Breaking down the classroom walls with technology presentation on the learning potential of Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, podcasts and Flashmeeting, I agreed to lead a further practical session this evening for Nodehill staff on how to set up a Typepad blog and start blogging.
To allow colleagues the possibility of trying out the virtues of blogging for themselves I decided to set up a pro level account last night so everyone could log in with the same details and create their own individual blogs. This would give them a fourteen day trial period to see whether blogging was for them and if so they could launch their own blog and have it paid for by the school and not by me!
In preparation for the video tutorials I've been commissioned to make for The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust on blogging and podcasting, I recorded five short clips describing how to:
- create a new weblog
- choose a design theme
- write a blog post and leave a comment
- moderate comments
- use categories
We went through each step in turn and within thirty minutes or so everyone was blogging away and sending each other comments. Only time will tell, if this 'blog workout' produces any more dedicated bloggers in the future. It would be nice to think though that more of us will want to join the growing group of Nodehill bloggers.
On that point, I'm delighted to say that Natalia Garcia, has already signed up to the cause with her Spanish blog launched just after my presentation two months ago. Natalia runs a weekly Spanish lunchtime club which has proven very popular and she felt a blog would be a great way to showcase the club's activities. Check out the blog to find out more. By the way, I'm sure she would love to receive some comments from any Spanish teachers out there.
Natalia is also planning to start a Study Skills blog to help raise awareness amongst our pupils on different strategies they can employ to help them learn more effectively and productively across the curriculum. Another noteworthy blog, I'm sure
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