ICT Training – Blogs and Wikis

This session will explore the potential uses of an educational weblog (blog) and will give staff an opportunity to set up and start to use their own blog using wordpress.

An Introduction to Blogs and Wikis:

 

Training Session Handout Booklet – “Starting your own Blog” – a teacher’s guide to setting up and running and educational blog using wordpress.

There are other free blogging tools online as well as wordpress, including the excellent Blogger, which I have used both for www.geobytesgcse.blogspot.com and www.geobytesadvancedextension.blogspot.com – John Barlow has kindly agreed to me hosting a copy of his great guide to setting a Blogger weblog for those that would also like to try blogger!

Other blogging tools online include edublogs (makes use of wordpress), 21classes and typepad (this is a subscription service) amongst others.

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EXAMPLES OF SUBJECT BLOGS

Examples of Subject Specific Weblogs to explore during the session (look at the different uses of the blogs – consider how they could be applied in your subject – how could you make best use of a blog?)

GEOGRAPHY

• GeoBlogBytes (St Ivo) – www.geoblogbytes.wordpress.com
• GeoBytesGCSE (St Ivo) – www.geobytesgcse.blogspot.com
• GeoBytes Coursework (St Ivo) – www.geobytescoursework.wordpress.com
• Geobytes Advanced Extension (St Ivo) – http://www.geobytesadvancedextension.blogspot.com
• Gorgeous Geography http://gorgeousgeography.wordpress.com/
• Pilot GCSE (Tony Cassidy) – http://www.pilotgcseradicalgeography.co.uk/
• Geography and all that Jazz (Alan Parkinson) – http://geographyjazz.blogspot.com/
• The Higher Geog (Val Vannet) – http://highergeogblog.blogspot.com/
• Geography: My Place and Yours (Val Vannet) – http://www.gmpay.blogspot.com/
• Geogtastic (Victoria Ellis) http://www.geogtastic.blogspot.com
• Geography Schemes of Work – http://geographysow.blogspot.com/
• Geog Animations http://geoganimations.blogspot.com/

ICT

• ICT Blog http://ictblog.bsaseniors.net/
• ICT at Shrewsbury High School http://ictatshr.wordpress.com/blog/
• Lacon Childe ICT Weblog http://lacon.ethink.org.uk/
• Thomas Adams ICT Blog http://adamsict.ethink.org.uk/

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

• Joe Dale – inspirational blog – looks at practical tips and advice on using ICT to enhance the teaching and learning of MFL. http://www.joedale.typepad.com/
• Two Stars and a Wish – French Department Blog – nodehillfrench http://www.nodehillfrench.typepad.com/
• Spectacular Spanish and Fabulous French http://misssimmonds.typepad.com/spectacularspanishandfabu/
• MFL@Northgate – The Blog http://northgatemfl.blogspot.com/
• Edgehill College Spanish Blog http://edgehillcollege.typepad.com/
• EggDeutsch http://eggdeutsch.typepad.com/
• A ship in the country http://dfslanguages.co.uk/

ENGLISH

• http://www.ictinenglishnz.blogspot.com/
• http://thediaryofannefrank.blogspot.com/ – students studying Anne Frank part of a literature circle – having discussed and debated points from different perspectives – results here.
• GWS English Faculty http://gwsenglish.wordpress.com/
• Meole Brace English http://meoleenglish.ethink.org.uk/
• St Mary’s High – English http://stmarysrchigh.co.uk/blogs/english/
• http://ncowie.wordpress.com/ – Blog run by an English Teacher for her students
• http://sheehy.21classes.com/ – with this blog- the teacher controls it and students contribute – they can have their own logins and blogs as part of the class blog
• Great English Work http://edronglish.blogspot.com/
• http://andrewleggett.wordpress.com – Ramblings of an English Teacher
• Fernhill Book Worm Site http://fernhillbookworm.blogspot.com

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WIKIS IN EDUCATION

Due to time constraints we may not have much time to cover wikis – so here are some follow up links to help you find out more:

Wiki Articles:

• 7 things you should know about wikis http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI 7004.pdf
• Using wiki in Education – http://www.ikiw.org/
• Web page creation – blogs and wikis – http://www.ibritt.com/resources/wp_blogs.htm
• The Art of Using Wiki to Teach – http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2005/12/wiki-wiki-teaching-art-of-using-wiki.html
• 20 Ideas! Setting up a learning and teaching wiki (Doug Belshaw) http://www.teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk/index.php/2006/10/03/20-ideas-setting-up-a-teaching-and-learning-wiki/
• Wikis in Education (Doug Belshaw) http://teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk/index.php/2007/02/06/taking-the-wiki-plunge/

Free Wiki Hosting Sites:

• Pbwiki – http://pbwiki.com
• Wikispaces – http://www.wikispaces.com
• Wikidot – http://www.wikidot.com
• Wetpaint – http://www.wetpaint.com

Examples of Educational Wikis

• Courtfields School – Year 8 Personal Geographies (Noel Jenkins) http://juicygeography.wikispaces.com
• GeoLinks (SLN collaborative project) http://geolinks.pbwiki.com
  
• Examples of Educational Wikis http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+Educational+Wikis

If you have any feedback or further questions regarding the session, please use the comment function below or email me.