Thing 2 - Become a Blogger

Blogs are websites containing entries (called “posts”) which usually appear in reverse chronological order, with the most recent post at the top of the page. Traditional websites require a bit of tech know-how, but blogs are easy to create and can be maintained by almost anyone, making them a great choice for classroom and educational use. Blogs first appeared as personal online journals, but now are used for all purposes and by all types of people, including organizations. Watch this video to learn more about blogs:




If you can't see the video, click here to watch it on the Common Craft website.

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To complete Thing 2 you must:
A. Create your own blog.
B. Register your blog with the 23 Things project.
C. Reflect on Thing 2 in your new blog.

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A. Create Your Blog
Now that you have a good idea of what blogs are, it's time to create your own. This is an important task, as you will be using your blog to reflect on your progress throughout this 23 Things program. At the end of each Thing, you will be asked to post to your blog. Project facilitators will read your blog to verify that you have completed the tasks and occasionally leave feedback in the form of comments.

There are many blog services available. We will be using Google's Blogger software. Watch the video below to learn how to set up your blog, then go to Blogger and create your own. Be creative when naming your blog - do not call it "23 Things." Also, remember to use your Google account email and password that you created when you registered for this program.



B. Register Your Blog
Once your blog is created, you must register your blog's address with LISD 23 Things by sending the address in the body of an email to 23things@lisd.us . Remember, your blog's address is similar to http://the-name-you-picked.blogspot.com. This is a unique address that was created when you made your blog. Your blog will be listed under “Participants' Blog List” in right-side column of this blog so that others can read your postings. This is an important part of becoming an online community of learners. Also know that in addition to our group of participants, our blogs can be read by anyone surfing the web.

If you are not officially registered for this program, please do not register your blog address. You may work your way through the 23 Things, but facilitators will not be monitoring your progess and blog.


C. Reflections and Blog Prompts
At the end of each Thing, you will be asked to post to your blog. Your reflective post should provide insight into what you’ve discovered and learned. Write about what worked, what didn’t, what you might try in your classroom, any surprises, frustrations, or "eureka" moments. We will offer blog prompts for each Thing. Based on your level of participation (i.e. for fun, SB-CEUs, or grad credit) you may not need to answer all the questions nor should you feel limited by them -- they are prompts to get you thinking. Make sure that the title of each blog post refers to the Thing that you are writing about (by number). Give this first post the title: Thing 2

Prompt for Thing 2:
Why are you participating in 23 Things? What do you hope to learn? How does writing on the Internet, knowing anyone could read it, change how you write or feel about writing?