Hi all
Last week was a busy session and I was surprised by the intensity of the blogging tutorial. Thankfully from what I could see everyone who attended this session managed to access the course blog and set up their own blogspot. It was a very productive (sometimes frustrating) process which reflected both the complexity and joys of learning something new - felt great once we've mastered it! One of the things I was very impressed by was the way members of the class scaffolded each others' learning. Lots of paraellels here between children's and adults' learning...
As you know I am new to blogging too so I learnt a lot by seeing how members of the class set up and used their blogspots and we helped each other trouble shoot as problems arose. What tips would you have for newcomers to blogging based on last week's session? e.g. has anyone found out how to make their photo available for all followers to see?
Tip 1 - whereever possible use your real name for your online name as it makes it much easier to find you!
ReplyDeleteTip 2 - make sure you have registered to be a follower of the course blog so that you can keep up to date with new postings
Tip 3 - Register with other members of the class so that you can read what other members are posting and respond, remember this is a requirement for this assessment.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent blogging session where I left feeling like I knew the basics. I loved the way that everyone was helping one another out as we are all at different levels.
ReplyDeleteTip 4 do not forget all of our wonderful classmates and colleagues who are a source of information and help if we are unsure about blogging.
As for adding photos on to a blog, for me that is still a work in progress.
Hi Tamar, am officially blogging !! I look forward to learning new technology skills !! I really enjoyed martins visit, he is a clever and creative man
ReplyDeleteHurray you made it Julie! Thanks for your tips Nicole and Leanne - any other suggestions out there in cyberspace?
ReplyDeleteTip 5- Adding references into blog, use word document and use margin shifter to create the indent for second line of reference then cut and copy into blog (don’t use space bar to create indent). I have found this to be the easiest way to correctly place references into my blog, I know from class last Thursday a lot of people are having trouble with this:) I was too impressed by how the class facilitated each other in learning the blogging process, ensuring no one was left behind. I feel this is because as educators we see firsthand how effective scaffolding can be when used with children. Were we are then able to apply such knowledge and understanding into other contexts such as class blogging tutorials, which worked as an effective way to foster our use of technology as adults.
ReplyDeleteBy now we have no doubt all become efficient bloggers!!! The one thing I would say is that support and guidance from each other is important. I think that this has been the case in our class. I think that it’s cool to share our knowledge with each other as it is a journey we are taking together. I have been very grateful for all the support I have received. It also highlights the importance of respectful learning environments where we are able to scaffold each other as we face new challenges. This is an important role that we have as educators when we guide and support our children in their learning in our teaching environments.
ReplyDeleteOften our fear of technology comes from the unknown how ever once we have overcome our fears by learning the practical knowledge needed to overcome the challenges we find technology not quite so terrifying and mostly very enjoyable. I still feel a little apprehensive when up loading a blog this tells me I have not entirely mastered the art of blogging or trust that technology will not let me down!!
Therefore my tips would be, to be optimistic and to keep bridging the gap by keeping up to date with new technology so that it does not become too overwhelming or intimidating!
Julie I agree about overcoming our fears. I also like how you say "efficient bloggers". I certainly don't feel expert yet!!! And the amount of time one can waste trying to work it all out certainly takes perseverance for me anyway.
ReplyDeleteMarc Prensky writes about digital immigrants and digital natives. When I first heard this I laughed and thought it was exactly how I was feeling - like I speak a foreign language lost and even fearful of all this technology. http://www.wisdompage.com/Prensky01.html
The way Marc speaks he is absolutly excited by how these youg people are learning and will be learning. Can we keep up? that is why we have to learn all this - so we can keep up with our students. certainly, we musn't fear it or ignore it.
the best thing I find when I am learning new stuff on the computer, particulary is to find a digital native. Someone who speaks the language, and is familiar with the computer world, who doesn't get scared about clicking in the wrong place!!
Hmmm how come the comment I just posted has yesterdays date, and the wrong time? It is the 22nd April and the time is 5:31 How do we fix that?
ReplyDeleteI guess it doesn't matter but I'm just curious
Thanks very much Tamar, for allocating time in class on Thursday the14th April, 2011, that enabled us to share tips on how to go about blogging. I benefited a lot from the discussions, and the scaffolding I received from students who practically showed me how to go about blogging on the computer. Whenever I am stuck I ring fellow students who have given me tips over the phone. As you can see my learning process in blogging includes various types of technologies. Yes, technology is about helping people and solving problems (Smorti, 1999).
ReplyDeleteOne of the tips I would advice new comers to blogging is to always save their work on a USB. My saved work on my USB was helpful because I kept losing my work whenever I tried to post my work on the blog.
My next task is to learn how to make my photo available for all followers to see, at the moment I have no idea at all.
Reference:
Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No. 19 Autumn 1999.
Hello Lovely ladies,
ReplyDeleteYes I have to agree this blogging concept has been very tricky but I am very thankful we have had the opportunity to use this form of technology. I have found that class on 14th April, was very beneficial for me as I was able to recognise that we are all in the same waka, and this is a journey for all of us together. In this class I have found that we are all scaffolding one another’s learning here, as we do with children and children do with each other. This has been evident as I have I needed help in class with my blog, on my laptop and someone who has more knowledge has guided and enabled me to become successful and understand what I am doing. This has also been visible with other people and I have watched others do the same. We are a wonderful bunch of people and I have seen this first hand as we have all supported each other during this blogging journey. Just remember none of this has been possible without one another. This has been my thought anyway.
I also have another tip, like Krista, is that if you find some information on YouTube or the internet such as articles about technology with children; you are able to share this as a post on your blog by simply clicking the share button and following the simple steps to adding it to your blog. Have a try I was really proud of myself as this was a first for me.
Hi everyone
ReplyDeleteGreat to see that people are continuing to share their blogging experiences and knowledge with each other. I like the concept Hester introduced of 'digital immigrant' - it makes sense that for many of us learning to blog has been similar to learning to speak a new language and function effectively in a different culture!
As the course facilitator I have been very impressed at how people in the class have been supporting each other and sharing information. People have had to come to grips with using a new comunication tool and at times that has been scarey and involved being out of our comfort zones. However now that more people have posted their blogs and become involved in discussions I can also see that the process is coming together nicely. It was interesting for me to hear that people found the last session very useful as class members shared questions and tips they had worked out through experience with each other. I loved the way the whole class was engaged in the co-construction of knowledge as we worked out the most effective way for students to submit their assignments. It's certainly been a learning curve - for me too. Marking your work is going to provide me with additional new challenges but on the whole I think this assignment is appropriate for the content of the course and it was great to hear that while blogging has had its challenges, students also see value in the experience. Blog on!
Hi Tamar, Finaly Iam blogging. I got the hang of it after I got help from some of my class mates. I am so thankful to them. It was great to catch up with you at the PD. I agree with Julie regarding Martin's visit.
ReplyDeleteHi Tamar, When I first found out that we had to use blog for our assignment. I was not very happy and when you said that if we face book we will be okay. Well I felt unsure of this assignment, it made me feel that now I will use face book. I could not bring my laptop to class as my family is sharing my laptop because our computer broke down. I have to confess my son showed me how to post my first blog. Then I got him to show me step by step how to post. My problem is that I panic and so this blogging has been beneficial for me. I am enjoying it and find it helpful for future uses. I was frustrated at times but people have helped along the way. Thank you Hester for your help with placing photos in. During this course I have learned that it is important for us as educators to be aware of more technology uses such as the blogging. The more knowledge we have the better teachers we become. That doesn't sound corny does it?. Thanks Tamar for your patience and offering more time for us to learn.
ReplyDeleteHi Tamar,
ReplyDeleteI have found the class times that we spent co-constructing our knowledge together very helpful. Once again it is in the actual practice of doing something that I find helps my learning development the best. If all I was given was a list of instructions I would have done it but co-construction was so much better, more fun, and more rewarding working together as a team. In my teaching practice I scaffold children from one level to the next and this session was a great opportunity for the members of the class to scaffold each other. This type of experience offers teachers an insight into how we scaffold children’s learning, with respect being an important component that needs to be shown. It was amazing when you got stuck and you asked for help how many people responded, so thanks for all your help. My tip would be to remain calm, and ask a friend for help if you are unsure.
This is all very interesting feedback for me : ) and lots of useful tips being shared. I can see that this assignment has pushed many people outside their comfort zones but you can feel proud of yourselves for mastering something new - if it's hard it's a sign that there is genuine learning going on! I am sure that throughout our lives developments in technology will mean that we will be faced with further challenges regarding our ability to master new technology and you will be able to draw on the many skills you gained from persevering with blogging. Something to celebrate!
ReplyDeleteTips for Newcomers to Blogging
ReplyDeleteWhen we were setting up our blog sites it was scary and frustrating trying to work out what to do. With a lot of help from my class mates I was able to set up my blog so a big thanks to all those who helped me I appreciate it. Through your help my confidence and competence increased as I gained skills and experience with the blog site.
Tips for first time bloggers.
First and foremost perseverance and persistence.
Ask more knowledgeable peers for help.
To guard against losing your work type blog into a word document first save and then copy paste to blog site.
Keep saving drafts as you go.
Before you save photos to flash drive resize to a smaller size first as this will save time when you go to upload photo to blog site.
People may already know this but when saving photos to flash drive click on photo and then send to flash drive.
Go to Design Tab and then template designer and from there you can change your background and colour of your blog.
After you insert photo if you right click photo you can resize photo, change position and add captions.
Hey Everyone
ReplyDeleteI wasn’t even sure what blogging was before this assignment came along so it has been a very interesting process. I remember hating blogging at the beginning of the assignment when my blogging skills were limited. Now I am much more positive about blogging as my understanding of how to use it and how it works is much higher. I think blogging is like any new technology, it takes time and lots of frustration and mistakes before you master the skill of how to use it. I think that it has been such a great opportunity for everyone in the class to co-construct and learn from each other. One of the most important aspects of blogging that I learnt from class discussion is to type up the content for your blog onto a word document and re-size photos before actually typing onto your blog. That way it is much easier to post entries because all you have to do is copy and paste.
Blogging, the concept of this initially seemed easy, I thought to myself, write a technology learning story, link it to theory, add some photographs and post, how hard can it be, right? Well, it has not been the hardest assignment to present throughout my learning journey, but it sure was fraught with challenges and not as easy as I had perceived.
ReplyDeleteLoading the account initially was a nightmare, as I already had a BlogSpot set up from a previous endeavour, and this hindered my creation of new one. However, like so many of my peers I gained useful knowledge and incite of the blogging process from discussing my concerns with other bloggers.
A primary area of technology I have found invaluable to 'survive and complete' my blogging assessment, has been our MIT Class of 2011 page on Facebook. This forum enabled us to ask questions, for example:
• How to insert photographs/links/references
• Announce our completed blogs and request people to comment
• Explanation of the process for adding peers comments to our own blogs
• Reminders to attach cover and marking sheets and to keep a copy of everything in a word document, just in case!
This was particularly helpful for me as I have to leave early each Thursday and I often miss useful titbits and advice. Facebook, definitely bridged the gap for me and I continued blogging at a steady pace. Ironic that so many of us received assistance on our technical issues of blogging, from a forum that is also a technological marvel.
In closing, thank you to my peers for their patience and help,they are the reason I no longer refer to myself as a ‘blogging greenhorn'
i must admit i was expecting it to be a lot easier as i consider myself to be good at technology and computers but i have been surprised as always and same as rachel thought this would be a reflection online but once i got involved i found myself getting swept in by all the amazing things there are to do with blogging. it is more than facebook where people write about their day we were linked by interest and all shared information about our centre's, our passions and we can share our expereinces and help each other grow and learn. once our blogs were set up i found myself checking out other blogs and seeing what people had done with their assignments.
ReplyDeleteIt has really put the idea forward about scaffolding as this is essentially an individual assignment but i have found it more of a class assignment. we are able to help others when we are free, at home and do not have to make powerpoints it was when it was convenient to us which made it that much simpler.
Hi Tamar,
ReplyDeleteI think for next semesters class before creating a blog spot the class should get into a group of 5 people. when in a group they will go downstairs and create their blogs, once created they will share their blog spots with one other in the group and make them followers, then they will write their names and blog spots on a piece of paper and hand it to you.
This will make sure that everyone in the class will get the same number of comments on their reflections. It will also make it easier for you to follow everyone’s blog and to see who they are commenting on.
I have found getting comments hard, i have to text and email people just to get comments on my reflections, then i go on to others people's blog spots and they have 17 comments on one blog. To me that’s not fair.
Hi Amy
ReplyDeleteYou raise a valid point which I will definitely take on board for next semester. It has been a learning curve for all of us and I agree with you that in terms of managing the groups and ensuring a more equal balance of comments it would be a good idea to get people working in groups from the start.
In the meantime if you are worried about not having many comments to reflect on for your last blog - you could reflect on the process you have just described and that would count towards the content you need to write about for your final blog. In other words don't panic if you haven't had many comments, just make sure you reflect on the process even if that has involved not getting a lot of feedback; remember its about quality rather than quantity too. And good on the people who responded to your texts for support : )
I must admit that blogging reminded me of Facebook but harder. It was hard because it got me to think about what I was going to write, who was it for and to make contribution to my fellow class mates which I enjoyed. It didnt bother me if some of the other class mates didnt respond to my work but it would have been helpful so that it will help me to reflect on what I may need to improve on.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this paper though really got me thinking and its about feeling good about my achievements.
A tip I have is similar to what a few others have mentioned already, which is to do with working together to learn how blogging works. I feel that we did a wonderful job as a group in resolving issues we would come across, and the overall involvement made things very exciting and set me at ease. As for me, it was an advantage to have several internet savvy members of the household. The concept of blogging seemed so foreign to me, yet they managed to troubleshoot through it with relative ease, as if by second nature. They were incredibly patient, and showed me step by step how to set up a profile photo, how to create a post and also how to navigate to other blogs. If you have a young 'digital native' at home, then make the most of your resource.
ReplyDeleteI agree with others comment and for me as I was not able to attend the classes and missed some important sessions I am glad and thankfull to all who have helped me at the end. I was able to blog as well I am able to do this assignment.Since I have started this blogging assignment I have extended my learning as well as childrens learning about technology. Tamar I am not able to paste my photos on my blog and i asked some of the girls how to do them but each time it tells me sever rejected. I hope someone will help me find the solution. I do also agree with Amy.
ReplyDeleteHey guys, I was really lost when I think about when I first heard about blogging(which was for this assignment. I know am(was) quite a computer illiterate). However, with all my dear friends and lecturer's help, I finally got my head around it. Now I can successfully send as many blogs I want which I can make visible to public and share my ideas and information. I find the 'comments' session for each blog really useful for anyone to improve themselves and also to get appreciated for their work. This is a really "cool" technological/software development which makes the world look closer for everyone just like other social networks such as facebook, twitter, bebo etc.
ReplyDelete