blogs

=Blogs= media type="custom" key="5498"

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A **weblog**, or **blog** for short, is a type of website where entries are made (such as in a journal), displayed in a reverse chronological order.[|(Wikipedia)]. Typically they are personal and informal in style either providing commentary or news/information on a particular subject, acting as a discussion community, or functioning more as personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. While most blogs are primarily text based some focus on photos particularly those uploaded from mobile devices (moblogs), audio (podcasts) or video (vblogs)


 * weblog + RSS = Blog**



Weblogs as they emerged in the late 1990’s were little more than web forums which where updated by their authors and commented upon by their subscribers. The defining moment for the emergence of the blog is RSS. Depending on who you talk to RSS strands for Really Simple Syndication, Rich Site Summary or RDF Site summary. RSS is a syndication and distribution model which allows users to subscribe to their favorite blogs using what is referred to as an aggregator or feed reader. Aggregators funnel the content for a large number of web services such as blogs into one central location. This frees the user from having to visit every website to check for new posts and/or read the content; rather the content is send to their feed reader for their review.

Since 2003, RSS has expanded far beyond blogs and now forms the connecting fabric of a wide array of web2.0 services, providing the conduit for information flows between distributed networks. Content syndication or the re-use of information from others on the network, often characterised as mash-ups, is what sets web2.0 services apart from the preceding phase of the web, comprising static pages linked by url’s.

In this sense RSS is intrinsically collaborative as it allows information to be endlessly re purposed anywhere on the network. As educators within learning networks we need to learn how to utilise the power of rss to connect and collaborate with our learners.

For example, the content below is originates from the social bookmarking service [|del.icio.us]. It comprises an rss feed derived from the tag RSS such that everytime a del.icio.us user tags a site with rss it will appear in this window of the most recent 5 taged sites.

rss url="http://del.icio.us/rss/tag/rss" title="The latest 5 resources tagged in del.icio.us with "rss"" format="list" number="5" description="true" length="250" date="true"

A **news reader** is a tool for aggregating RSS feeds from multiple sources and displaying them in one place.


 * Types of News Readers/Aggregators**
 * Stand-alone desktop applications - e.g. [|RSSOwl], [|SharpReader]
 * Plug-ins for desktop email applications - e.g. [|Newsgator for Outlook]
 * Plug-ins for web browsers - e.g. [|Pluck for Internet Explorer]
 * Personal start pages - e.g. [|Netvibes], [|Protopage], [|My Yahoo!]
 * Web-based - e.g. [|Bloglines], [|Newsgator]
 * [|List of News Aggregators]

Sean Fitzgerald, "Social Software Tools and their Application in VET Teaching & Learning", 2006


 * Links and Resources**
 * [|Blogger]
 * [|How to set up a blogger account?]

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 * [|Blogs in Education]
 * [|Log On To a Blog]
 * [|Bloggers Blog: Education]
 * [|Web 2.0 and Student Blogging]
 * Creating Your Own Blog
 * Blogging, RSS Feeds and Podcasting for Libraries Sean Fitzgerald
 * [|RSS: A Quick Start Guide for Educators] (pdf) from Will Richardson
 * [|RSS Ideas for Educators] (pdf)


 * Sample educational blogs:**
 * [|St George TAFE ESL Blog]
 * [|2 Cents Worth - David Warlick]
 * [|Connectivism Blog - George Siemens]
 * [|Ed Tech Talk - podcast home]
 * [|MHetherington.net]
 * [|NSW LearnScope]
 * [|Metal ED - Jo Kay]

rss url="http://del.icio.us/rss/tag/blogging" title="The latest 5 resources tagged in del.icio.us with "blogging"" format="list" number="5" description="true" length="250" date="true"

1. Go to [|http://www.blogger.com] and set up an account. Add some detail to your PROFILE. NOTE - Any blog address of the type http:// {name] .blogspot.com indicates a Blogger blog and requires registration for commenting as well as for blog ownership.
 * Blogger activity**

2. Go to http://www.nswlearnscope.com/?p=136 and leave your thoughts as a comment on Robyn’s post (note – this is a Wordpress blog that does not require any form of registration)

3. Visit some of the blogs listed on the wiki page above

How is the blog used? How many people post to it? What features (widgets) have been added to the template to increase functionality and connectivity? How many comments do you see on posts? Why do you think this might be?

4. If interested, return to [|http://www.blogger.com] and set up your own blog. Choose a template that you like Do your first post – try out the formatting features and find how to upload an image. Note that Blogger blogs have two points of entry: a) [|http://www.blogger.com] where you go to post, edit and change your profile b) Your blog address which is the public face of your blog – this is the address you give to friends If you do a post and view your blog but want to make changes you must return to [|http://www.blogger.com], click on your blog, the EDIT POSTS tab, and the EDIT button next to the post to make the changes. REPUBLISH your post and refresh your blog page after viewing.


 * Uses in education**
 * capturing student critical reflections and processes over time allowing comment from teacher and peers