23 Things for Library Staff

#2 of the 23 Things: Learn about Blogging and Set up you own Blog

1) Read About Blogging

A blog—shorthand for “Web log”—is an online collection of personal commentary and links. Blogs can be viewed as online journals to which others can respond that are as simple to use as e-mail. The simplicity of creating and maintaining blogs means they can rapidly lead to open discussions. Faculty are using blogs to express their opinions, promote dialogue in their disciplines, and support teaching and learning; students increasingly use blogs for personal expression and as course requirements. By carefully evaluating blogs’ strengths and weaknesses, educators are learning to set guidelines and expectations to maximize blogs’ instructional benefits. Structured exercises and clear goals are further enhancing the educational value of blogs. Put into practice with an understanding of their benefits and limitations, blogs are an increasingly accepted instructional technology tool.
To Learn more, read this EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative’s article about “Blog”:  http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7006.pdf

2) Get Your Blog.

Today you’ll set up your very own personal blog. This is where you’ll record your thoughts on the 23 Things discoveries and the exercises you take part in. Your Blog will be set up using WordPress, a blog hosting service by University Libraries that is easy to use. To get your Blog:

1. Create a Blog account at: http://blogs.lib.luc.edu/wp-signup.php .
2. Email your blog account to Chulin (cmeng@luc.edu) and he will create a Blog for you and add you to the participants list.

#3 of the 23 Things: Add your first post and comment

3) Write your first post.

Watch this video on writing your first post.  http://wordpresstraining.com/videos/blogging/how-to-write-a-post-in-wordpress/

If you prefer the written steps, see http://codex.wordpress.org/Writing_Posts

*Note: We are on WordPress Version 2.3 now and will be upgrading to Version 2.5 soon. When you watch the video, please chose the second one (for version 2.3.x). 

4) Read one or more of the guides for writing posts below.

• 5 Simple Ways to Open Your Blog Post With a Bang  http://www.copyblogger.com/5-simple-ways-to-open-your-blog-post-with-a-bang/
• Ten Tips for writing a blog post  http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/12/30/tens-tips-for-writing-a-blog-post/
• Lost Art of Blogging http://www.lostartofblogging.com/

Here are some blogs to explore to get ideas for your own blog.

• Anders Jacobsen http://www.jacobsen.no/anders/blog/
• Biker Librarian http://homepages.waymark.net/~bikechic/blogs.html
• blogwithoutalibrary  http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/
• Catalogablog  http://catalogablog.blogspot.com/
• Cataloging Futures  http://www.catalogingfutures.com/
• Confessions of a Science Librarian http://jdupuis.blogspot.com/
• Hilary Leon’s Blog http://craftylibrarian.com/wordpress/

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Advanced Exercise 1 (Optional):

Learn more about WordPress Blogging Software:

• Blogadr.com short video tutorials http://www.blogadr.com/tutorials/free-wordpress-blogging-tutorial/writing_new_post-wordpress.html
• Chris’ Word Press (look at for things you can do with the blog, don’t worry about signing up for the blog) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWYi4_COZMU
• Siteground: http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/wordpress/index.htm
• Wordpress User Guide in PDF format

Advanced Exercise 2 (Optional):

Try doing other things with your Blog:  change your “theme”, change the layout, and so on.

AND

Read one of the More Readings.

•   Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet20/williams.html
• The educated blogger: Using weblogs to promote literacy in the classroom  http://www.firstmonday.org/ISSUES/issue9_6/huffaker
• Online Literacy Is a Lesser Kind  http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i04/04b01001.htm