Your Own Blog Review

Thanks to everyone that came to today's session on "Your Own Blog in 10 Minutes or Less." Hands-on workshops present their own unique challenges in that everyone comes with slightly different backgrounds and levels of expertise. Our group did a great job!

It was so good to see a every single computer occupied. It lets me know that this is a subject that is relevant to many people.

As I circulated, looked over your shoulder, gave individual help, and hung around afterwords to answer you were having about your creations, I was impressed with how much you absorbed and how creative you were.

We have all hear that the "one-shot" workshop does not work. If the blog you created today lives and grows and becomes something to which you add at least weekly, then this one-shot workshop will have worked.

Furthermore, through the power of Web 2.0, this workshop does not have to end here. If there is something that you wish you had asked or something that just didn't "click," you have not missed your chance. With one click, you can add a comment or ask a question.

You now have at you fingertips a tool to communicate with your family, your school, your community, or the whole world. It's all up to you!

Ideas for Teacher Blogs

Blogs have become popular tools in our school system. Not only does just about every school maintain is fairly active blog, but quite a few of our teachers are finding blogs to be fun and easy way to communicate.

If you are looking for ideas for the types of things to include on your blog, or if you would like to see samples of what others have done, this site may provide you the needed help.

Any New Bloggers Out There?

Has anyone created a new blog as a result of coming to "Your Own Blog in 10 Minutes or Less" at AETC? For that matter, does anyone have a blog they would just like to tell us about?

Here is your opportunity to add a comment and tell give the address of your blog and any details you would like to give.

Your Own Blog in 10 Minutes or Less

If you came to the session on "Your Own Blog in 10 Minutes or Less," listed below are the blogs to which we referred. Clicking on the links will allow you to view each of the blogs:

• Talladega City Schools Collaborative parent/community blog
• Teach Talladega Collaborative blog for school system employees
• Graham School Parent/community blog for a school
• Graham Staff Principal's blog for employees
• Dr. Jan's Blog Pricipal's blog offering general thoughts
• Raymond L. Young New principal's blog for the community
  
• Alabama Black Belt Arts Education Initative Collaborative blog for schools in a particular region of Alabama
• Ala NB Seekers Blog for teachers seeking National Board Certification
• Stirring Up the Dust Initial post from a technology blog for teachers
• Get Organized! Blog on organization and time management

In addition to the blogs we discuss in the workshop, here are several created by teachers to use as communication tools with their classes:

• Brandi Caldwell, a teacher at Mountain Brook High School, composed Mrs. C's Senior English Blogs. From her last post there, it seems the school system began blocking Blogger, so you will see a link there to another venue she now uses. Here, you see Mrs. Caldwell composing the posts and her students responding with their comments.
• On Mrs. Myrmel's Classroom Blog, we see a blog used as a tool for a 3rd grade teacher to communicate with parents.
• At the Room 303 Blog, Mrs. Huff's students compose the posts. The most recent posts at present relate to student insights into The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Other students post comments where they respond to what their classmates have composed. This one is definitely worth a look.

Here is the link for ImageChef, the site which allows you to add your own text to a host of images and post them to your blog.
Do you know of other examples that would benefit teachers who are interested in using a blog in their classes? If you do, please leave a comment.

Welcome to "Your Own Blog in 10 Minutes or Less"

This post is scheduled for Talladega City School teachers on January 2nd. During the workshop, we make reference to several blogs. Listed below are those blogs. Clicking on the links will allow you to view each of the blogs:

• Talladega City Schools Collaborative parent/community blog
• Teach Talladega Collaborative blog for school system employees
• Graham School Parent/community blog for a school
• Graham Staff Principal's blog for employees
• Dr. Jan's Blog Pricipal's blog offering general thoughts
• Alabama Black Belt Arts Education Initative Collaborative blog for schools in a particular region of Alabama
• Ala NB Seekers Blog for teachers seeking National Board Certification
• Stirring Up the Dust Initial post from a technology blog for teachers
• Get Organized! Blog on organization and time management

In addition to the blogs we discuss in the workshop, here are several created by teachers to use as communication tools with their classes:

• Brandi Caldwell, a teacher at Mountain Brook High School, composed Mrs. C's Senior English Blogs. From her last post there, it seems the school system began blocking Blogger, so you will see a link there to another venue she now uses. Here, you see Mrs. Caldwell composing the posts and her students responding with their comments.
• On Mrs. Myrmel's Classroom Blog, we see a blog used as a tool for a 3rd grade teacher to communicate with parents.
• At the Room 303 Blog, Mrs. Huff's students compose the posts. The most recent posts at present relate to student insights into The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Other students post comments where they respond to what their classmates have composed. This one is definitely worth a look.

Here is the link for ImageChef, the site which allows you to add your own text to a host of images and post them to your blog.
Do you know of other examples that would benefit teachers who are interested in using a blog in their classes? If you do, please leave a comment.

Teacher blogs to communicate with students

During the session on blogging from AETC, several people asked about examples of teachers who are using blogs with their students. A quick Google search and a little "surfing" turned up several that I think are worth a look.

• Brandi Caldwell, a teacher at Mountain Brook High School, composed Mrs. C's Senior English Blogs. From her last post there, it seems the school system began blocking Blogger, so you will see a link there to another venue she now uses. Here, you see Mrs. Caldwell composing the posts and her students responding with their comments.
• On Mrs. Myrmel's Classroom Blog, we see a blog used as a tool for a 3rd grade teacher to communicate with parents.
• At the Room 303 Blog, Mrs. Huff's students compose the posts. The most recent posts at present relate to student insights into The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Other students post comments where they respond to what their classmates have composed. This one is definitely worth a look.

Do you know of other examples that would benefit teachers who are interested in using a blog in their classes? If you do, please leave a comment.

Welcome to "Your Own Blog in 10 Minutes or Less"

Clicking on the links will allow you to view each of the blogs we examine:

Talladega City Schools
Teach Talladega
Hal Henderson Elementary School
Alabama Black Belt Arts Education Initative
It's About Time