V02s: Blogs: skills for subject specialists

Course information

You will need access to:

• a computer with a web browser
• a class/group of students – groups could be within classes, whole classes, or groups across classes (e.g. clubs) and schools (e.g. clusters of schools or in collaborative projects).

Duration of the course: 20 hours over eight weeks

• Online total: 12 hours
• Offline total: 8 hours
  • face-to-face: none
  • workplace: 8 hours (setting up and using blogs with learners, making and recording observations about their use)

Learning outcomes

Professional and reflective practitioner skills

At the completion of this course, you should be able to:

• identify opportunities for the effective use of blog supported learning activities linked to your curriculum plans
• reflect on, and discuss, the impact of the use of a blog on learning.

Practical skills

At the completion of this course, you should be able to:

• set up a blog including options for comments and syndicating feeds
• publish a blog entry and comment on other blogs
• incorporate text and other media on a blog page
• manage users (authors, reviewers etc) of a blog.

Knowledge and understanding

At the completion of this course, you should be able to demonstrate an understanding of:

• the issues involved in selecting the appropriate blog tool for your context and intended learning purpose
• key copyright and e-safety issues when creating and sharing content on a blog.

Cognitive skills

At the completion of this course, you should be able to:

• critically review the use of blogs in educational contexts and share these reviews with others
• discuss different ways in which blogs might be used in learning contexts in schools.

Course schedule

Introduction

The course takes a reflective practice model to look at how blogs allow for individual and shared reflection online. You will be introduced to some theory and practice of how blogs are used in schools, plan for their use in your school and reflect and discuss their use in learning and teaching

The course begins by looking at existing blogs with an emphasis on those used in educational contexts.

You will discuss the issues raised by the use of blogs in terms of e-safety and learning and teaching.

The course will provide guidance on creating and using blogs and you will set up your own and trial it with some students, either using a blog on your school’s learning platform or, if this is not available, on one of the free online blog services.

Throughout the course, and especially after you have used your blog with pupils, you will share experiences with other participants.

The reflective cycle

Vital courses are based on a cycle of professional reflective practice as shown in the diagram below.

This cycle draws on, and develops, personal and professional knowledge bases. The latter may be seen in the literature, resources, policies and other materials that are used to inform practice.

Throughout the course small icons will indicate the stage of the cycle being addressed.

NB Prof/Pers KB = Professional/Personal knowledge base

Introducing ourselves through a blog

In this part of the course we will introduce ourselves and find out about blogs by using the course blog. We will clarify our understanding of what a blog is and why you might use a blog in teaching and learning. Now let's find out who else is on the course.

Introducing blogs

Most people have heard of blogs and many will have read them, although not always realising that is what they are doing. The term 'blog' is shortened from the term 'weblog' and can be thought of as a website with a set of tools that make to easy to publish. They are called ‘logs’ because the posts are organised chronologically like a diary.

Often, blogs are maintained by an individual person who posts a message, maybe with images etc, online. Others can comment on these posts as you did in the previous activity. Alternatively, multiple users can publish content in shared blogs or a collection of individual blogs can be 'pulled together' (aggregated) to make it easier to manage group communications.

Don't worry if this sounds a bit complicated, as you progress through the course and see the different types of blogs and you will get to understand how the world of blogging works.

E-safety when using blogs

E-safety is a topic of common concern with children using the internet. In this part of the course you will think about how a blog can be used safely and ethically. You will identify e-safety issues related to the use of blogs in schools and share your thoughts with others. You will have an opportunity to reflect on the responsibilities of authors and how to ethically use content developed by others.

Safety tips for students and teachers when using blogs (adapted from Next Generation Learning’s Safeguarding section (2010b)):

Students:

• are responsible for anything that they post
• should not include personal information about themselves (including photos and videos), other pupils, staff or family members that can allow someone to be identified or located geographically
• should always use appropriate language and respect other peoples' opinions when writing or responding to a post
• should check with others before posting videos or photos of other students or staff
• need to know what to do if they are being bullied online. Who do they need to inform at your school? Where can they go online for help?

Teachers:

• should be clear as to the purpose of their blog, and the intended audience
• consider what password restrictions are needed – there is usually an option to password protect a blog so that access is restricted to specified users
• consider whether you want to allow comments to posts and if you want to moderate or approve comments before they are visible
• consider the use of anti-spam tools if they are available in the blogging software.

Teacher voice

Want to find out more? (optional activities)

Acceptable Use Policy

If using a blog at school, it is a important that it is covered by the schools acceptable use policy (AUP). You might want to refer to your schools AUP. What does it say about the use of self-authoring tools such as blogs? Does it need to be amended in light of this activity? Who might you need to talk to at your school about this?

If your school doesn't have a relevant AUP you might want to inform the person responsible about this Becta (2009a) publication AUPs in Context: Establishing Safe and Responsible Online Behaviours. This resource provides a number of prompts and action points to help schools to develop effective AUPs.

e-Safety in your local area

Your local authority will include information about e-safety. Visit the National Education Network to see what is happening in your area.

Connecting with other e-safety educators

Safetynet is a community for anyone who wants to discuss and share information to support the development of e-safety good practice within the education sector.

Curriculum Links

Becta (2007) Signposts to safety. This booklet contains background information, advice and guidance for secondary teachers relating to e-safety issues. It signposts appropriate opportunities to embed e-safety within the curriculum and relevant resources.

Copyright and blogs

Lively discussions on forums, such as John Connell's blog demonstrate that some teachers are still struggling with issues related to copyright and plagiarism. John's blog provides several practical examples of how a teacher might introduce copyright to their students. 

It's good practice when authoring content to provide details about what rights are attached to your work or a shared website, such as a blog. This makes it clear to others, what they can and can not do with this content.

Most schools include a copyright statement on their school website, which is useful. However if staff and students at your school believe that content (that they have created), should be shared freely, remixed and re-used with others within the school and wider community, then you might also want to use a copyright license.There are several copyright licences that are suitable for school use but one of the most popular is Creative Commons.

It is also important to note that, when using content developed by others, it is good practice to check the copyright permissions, reference the source and encourage your students to do the same.

Teacher voice

This extract was copied from a discussion about animation on the Yorkshire and Humberside Grid for Learning.

Exploring classroom blogs 

In this part of the course you will go on an online field trip and evaluate classroom blogs using a checklist. Reflect on what you have learnt from this activity when engaged in this task.

Blogs are already being used extensively for many different educational purposes and more generally as a source of information and sharing on the web.

The next activity gives you a chance to explore some examples of how teachers are using blogs and at the same time think about how they are structured.

Blogs can be made to look very different. For example they can be embedded in a website like the BBC or they can be stand alone like the blogs we have looked at so far. However, the principle behind them is the same. They provide an easy interface based on form filling that enables us to publish content without the need to learn how to write web pages.

The basic blogging process is shown by the diagram below and explained by this video from Russell Stannard. Browse relevant sections on the menu bar.

Figure 1 the basic blogging process

A key point to remember about blogs is that they allow for learning and sharing to go on over time, not constrained by ‘the lesson or session’, and to go on over space not constrained by the physical buildings.

Teacher Voice

During your online field trip you will have noticed that bloggers often use additional tools andWeb 2.0 technologies within their blog posts. It is beyond the scope of this course to cover the full-range of options in detail, but it might be useful to be aware of some of the tools that you might wish to explore in the future. You may have noted some of these down when you completed the Blog evaluation checklist.

Finding relevant examples and generating ideas 

Building on the activities in the previous part of the course, you will now need to clarify your own ideas as to how you might use blogs in your own context. Your task is to search on the internet and to locate relevant blogs and/or case studies that will help you with planning your own classroom blog.

Planning to use a blog

In this part of the course you plan the ways in which a blog might be used for learning and teaching in your context and share your plans with others. You will also look at a range of blog tools and select the most suitable tool for your learning purpose.

Setting up and using the blog for teaching and learning

Having developed your plan on how to use a blog in your classroom you now need to set up a blog and implement your plan. In this part of the course you will spend time in your school setting up and using a blog with your students. You will reflect on the ways in which the use of the technology has changed the learning and teaching experience of both students and teachers. At a practical level you will observe what the learners do with the blog and record your reflections.

Please note: Activity 10 and 11 in this section will be carried out in your school. You will be asked to report back in four weeks.

Reflect, evaluate and share with others

Having planned what you were to do with a blog, and then carried this out with learners, you will report back on your reflections of what you learnt by using blogs in the classroom and share feedback with others.

Activity 12 Reflection and reporting back

Timing: 1 hour (online) and 1 hour (offline), 2 hours total, during the eighth, and final, week of the course.

The objectives of this course activity are to:

• share your reflections on the use of a blog in the classroom
• give feedback to others as they reflect on their uses.

12.1 Use the key questions for evaluation below to help evaluate the implementation of your blog plan. Use the blog planning sheet and the observations you have captured as a source of data to help you do this.

Key questions for evaluation

What did the learners do?	This is a descriptive activity that explains your action with the learners.
What are they learning and how do you know?	This is an issue of assessment including observation, discussion, question and answer, testing, etc
Was it worthwhile?	This question relates to your purposes and intended learning gains.
What did I do?	Action enquiry is often done by individuals in their own work. There can be a group asking themselves the same questions. This question requires a description of your own actions.
What did I learn?	This requires analysis of your data and reflection on your answers.
What do I intend to do next?	This relates to your next steps for action. This is where you will try to do things to achieve an improvement and to make the work you do with learners more worthwhile in your terms.

Footnotes  

Open University Curriculum in Action materials (1981)

12.2 Discuss and share your reflections with others.

Go to the forum to discuss:

• the extent to which your intended learning outcomes were achieved
• the evidence you have for this
• key reflections emerging from the consideration of the questions in part 1 of this activity.

The use of blogs in learning and teaching will provide you with evidence that may be useful when considering the Professional Standards for Teaching. You will have collected evidence from planning through to your notes and evaluation to discussion in the forum. Such evidence may be useful to you when demonstrating ways in which you have met the Standards.

Shared learning

The reflective practitioner cycle is based on developing the professional knowledge base. We have now come to the end of the personal reflection phase and are to develop a common understanding of what we have learnt. We will share the key learning points as a group so that these may be collated and added to the community knowledge.

Evaluation and certification

This final section allows for evaluation and certification.

References

Videos

• Lefever, L. (2007). ‘Blogs in Plain English’ http://www.youtube.com/ results?search_query=wikis+in+plain+english&aq=1&oq=wikis. Accessed 11 March 2010
• Next Generation Learning http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ 20101102103654/ nextgenerationlearning.org.uk/ At-School/ Technology/ Blogs/ Accessed 15 January 2010.
• Stannard, R. ‘How to Blog’ http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/ blog/ index.html Accessed 14 January 2010.
• Teachers.tv, ‘KS3/4 Music - Teaching Copyright’ http://www.schoolsworld.tv/ videos/ ks3-ks4-music-teaching-copyright Accessed 14 January 2010.
• Teachers.tv (2008) ‘Secondary ICT - Plagiarism - A Cut and Paste Generation’ http://www.schoolsworld.tv/ videos/ secondary-ict-plagiarism-a-cut-and-paste-generation Accessed 14 January 2010.

Other references

• BBC, ‘News feeds from the BBC’ http://news.bbc.co.uk/ 1/ hi/ help/ 3223484.stm Accessed 14 January 2010.
• Becta (2006) ‘Safetynet’ http://www.teachfind.com/ becta/ becta-local-authorities-get-involved-communities-safetynet Accessed 14 January 2010.
• Becta (2007) Signposts to safety: Teaching e-safety at Key Stages 3 and 4 http://archive.teachfind.com/ becta/ publications.becta.org.uk/ display180c.html?resID=32424&page=1835 Accessed 14 January 2010.
• Becta (2009a) AUPs in context: Establishing safe and responsible online behaviours, http://www.teachfind.com/ becta/ becta-local-authorities-get-involved-communities-safetynet Accessed 14 January 2010.
• Becta (2009b) ‘Writing for an audience using blogs’ http://www.teachfind.com/ becta/ becta-schools-curriculum-english-writing-audience-using-blogs Accessed 18 October 2010
• Becta (2010a). What is a blog? http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ 20101102103654/ nextgenerationlearning.org.uk/ At-School/ Technology/ Blogs/. Accessed 11 March 2010.
• Becta (2010b) Safeguarding learners. Next Generation Learning, http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ 20110113101521/ http:/ nextgenerationlearning.org.uk/ At-Home/ Internet-safety/ Accessed 18 October 2010.
• Belfast Model School for Girls http://www.belfastgms.org/ school-life/ news/
• Bing Maps http://www.bing.com/ maps/
• Brennan, M. (2008) Blogging, but not for England: a Year 10 venture http://www.nate.org.uk/ cmsfiles/ ict/ h2t/ 8_Blogging_Y10.pdf Accessed 15 January 2010.
• Centre for Learning and Innovation, New South Wales Department of Education and Training, All Right to Copy? http://www.smartcopying.edu.au/ scw/ all-right-to-copy/ index.htm Accessed 15 January 2010.
• Creative Commons http://creativecommons.org/ about/
• Delicious http://delicious.com/
• Edublog Awards http://edublogs.org/
• Ellis, M. (2008) Blogs and the National Curriculum http://www.nate.org.uk/ cmsfiles/ ict/ h2t/ 9_Blogs_and_NC.pdf Accessed 15 January 2010.
• Flickr http://www.flickr.com/
• Google maps http://maps.google.com/
• Google Presentations https://docs.google.com/ support/ bin/ static.py?page=guide.cs&guide=19431
• Lloyd, P. (2008) ‘Explain yuself wha yu mean when yu say podcast’: GCSE poetry podcasts http://www.nate.org.uk/ cmsfiles/ ict/ h2t/ 17_GCSE_poetry_podcasts.pdf Accessed 15 January 2010.
• McMillan, C. (2008) Using podcasting to improve close analysis of language in poetry http://www.nate.org.uk/ cmsfiles/ ict/ h2t/ 16_Podcasting_poetry.pdf Accessed 15 January 2010.
• National Association for the Teaching of English http://www.nate.org.uk/ index.php?page=43 Accessed 15 January 2010.
• National Education Network http://www.nen.gov.uk/
• NEN Gallery http://gallery.nen.gov.uk/ Accessed 15 January 2010.
• Nightingale, J. (2008) ‘Byron sets boundaries’, The Guardian 6 May 2008, http://www.guardian.co.uk/ education/ 2008/ may/ 06/ link.link3 Accessed 14 January 2010.
• Teachers First (2007) ‘Step by Step’ http://www.teachersfirst.com/ content/ blog/ tools.cfm
• Training and Development Agency for Schools, ‘Professional Standards for Teachers’ http://www.tda.gov.uk/ teacher/ developing-career/ professional-standards-guidance/ professional-standards/ .aspx Accessed 14 January 2010.
• YouTube http://www.youtube.com/ index?gl=GB&hl=en-GB

Blogs

• Baker, S. (2009) Using blogs in science education http://blogging4biology.edublogs.org/ Accessed 15 January 2010.
• Connell, J. John Connell: The Blog http://www.johnconnell.co.uk/ blog/ ?p=601
• Davis, A. (2007) ‘Rationale for educational blogging’, EduBlog Insights http://anne.teachesme.com/ 2007/ 01/ 17/ rationale-for-educational-blogging/ Accessed 4 December 2009.
• Downes, S. (2009) ‘Blogs in Education’, Half an Hour http://halfanhour.blogspot.com/ 2009/ 04/ blogs-in-education.html Accessed 4 December 2009.
• ETC English and Media Review Blog http://etcreviews.wordpress.com/ about/
• Extreme Biology http://missbakersbiologyclass.com/ blog/
• Teaching Tips.com (2008) ‘50 Useful Blogging Tools for Teachers’ http://www.teachingtips.com/ blog/ 2008/ 07/ 21/ 50-useful-blogging-tools-for-teachers/ Accessed 14 January 2010.
• Weald of Kent Grammar School MFL Blog http://www.wok20mfl.blogspot.com/
• Year 10Web 2.0.0 Collaboration for GCSE http://newentenglish.edublogs.org/ about/
• Yorkshire and Humber Grid for Learning (2009) Yhgfl Workshops – Animation http://shareit.yhgfl.net/ enews/ ?tag=animation (accessed 15 January 2010).

Acknowledgements

‘Blogging, but not for England: a Year 10 Venture', Martin Brennan, Eastbourne Technology College, East Sussex, taken from 'Making hard topics in English easier with ICT' © NATE 2008 (find project at www.nate.org.uk/htt)

'Blogs and the National Curriculum', Mark Ellis, Newent Community School, Gloucestershire, from 'Making hard topics in English easier with ICT' © NATE, 2008 (find project at www.nate.org.uk/htt)

'Explain yuself wha yu mean when yu say podcast – GCSE poetry podcasts', Phillip Lloyd, Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College, Bradford, from 'Making hard topics in English easier with ICT' © NATE, 2008 (find project at www.nate.org.uk/htt)

'Using podcasting to improve close analysis of language in poetry', Carrie McMillan, Kingsmead Community School, Somerset, from 'Making hard topics in English easier with ICT', © NATE, 2008 (find project at www.nate.org.uk/htt)