Edublogs

__**Edublogs**__

http://edublogs.org/

Edublogs is a blogging service that is intended for use by educators and students.

__**Resources**__: http://help.edublogs.org/2009/02/27/creating-student-accounts-using-one-gmail-account/

__**Strengths**__: • Free • Intended use is for educators and students • A large number of customisable themes • Auto spell check • Auto saved • Easy to embed images, videos and podcasts • Ability to import to and from other blogging sites • Resources to learn how to use Edublogs in the educational setting • Can set up student accounts through one e-mail account allowing for teacher monitoring. • Video tutorials • Help and support • Does not have the “next” button like Blogger which can lead to inappropriate blogs • No advertising • Edublogs are allowed by most school filters since the content is educational related • It’s a way to Go Green since there’ is no need of handouts as it was done in the past -  Offers a safe, private format for "friends" and "messages" when other blogging sites do not, making it closer to  a "Facebook" or Myspace" experience for students seeking this popular social outlet.

__**Weaknesses:**__ • Free only up to 100 MB pay for more • Students still need monitoring and internet safety As of 10/23/2009 it is only free for up to 20MB

• No revision before students post their information

__**Opportunities**__: • A safer blog set-up for the class room so the whole class can set up a blog • Students can practice blogging • There are education forums to participate in • It allows students to work in school projects from their homes without having to get together

__**Threats:**__ • Still possible to link to an inappropriate site As of 10/23/2009 advertisements are displayed on the free site and may not necessarily be educational

__**Ideas for the Classroom**__: • Class and student blogs about any subject being studied • Writing practice • Purposeful writing • Learning internet safety • Learning how to embed photos, videos and podcasts • Make connections around the world with other children • Helps develop brainstorming in any subject in which all the students partake  - Clicking on "Community" allows you to browse hundreds of blogs related to a particular interest to get teaching ideas, support, and direction from other blogs covering that topic. Some great examples would be visiting blogs for ideas on integrating Edublog for ESL education, art, music and theater education, as well as vocational education and training.

__**<span style="font-family: Helvetica,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Lesson Ideas: **__<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> - <span style="font-family: Helvetica,helvetica,sans-serif;">Create a "Literary Magazine" where students post examples of creative writing pieces that they created. teacher can create a "home page" <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">to their edublog magazine and then links to each student's personal writing pages (which they are responsible for typing and editing, adding <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">in links, photos, audio clips etc.). The Literary Magazine can then be shared with other classrooms, the school, parents and families. <span style="font-family: Helvetica,helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> - <span style="font-family: Helvetica,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Develop online digital portfolios of student writing to display progress over time - Great, eco-friendly manner of intense editing processes in writing over time - Connect with other classrooms around the world by assigning digital structured, and unstructured pen-pals