Blogging to the Course Website

Each time there is a reading assignment, a workshop group will be assigned to post their reading response to the course home page using the create story link. Otherwise, almost everything that you write for this class will be posted to your individual blog site using the create blog entry link. These links will be available to you in the right hand column when you are logged in.

So, what is a blog or weblog? One way to think of a blog, in this instance, is as a journal. However, unlike a journal which you might keep at home, your blog site will be public. Your fellow class members will be invited to read your blog, and even link and respond to it in their own blog. And, of course, since it's on the Internet, other Internet surfers may encounter it and see what you have to say.

Class Requirements for Blogging

• Blogs should observe the ideas about blogs and writing for the web discussed in class and included in the readings for Wednesday, June 25, in the Calendar.
• Remember: depth, not breadth. The best blog posts will develop one or two major points in detail, rather than merely presenting a list of loosely related ideas. Consequently, if you have more than one or two important things to say, you may need to write much more than the minimum word requirement in order to do a good job of making your points.
• When writing about a reading assignment, or responding to another class member's blog post, you should not spend much time summarizing the ideas. Rather, you should engage their text in dialogue by presenting your own views and/or extending the original views. Be analytical. Be critical (but in a nice way).
• Don't forget. Bloggers link. You'll need to learn How to Make a Hyperlink. You are obligated to create a link anytime you reference another page on the web.
• When linking to another blog post, be sure to use a permalink URL. Link to the full-view of someone's individual blog post, not the listing for their blog which contains all their recent posts. To access the full-view of someone's post, you can use the read more link (if available) or simply click on the title of the post.
• Blog posts, once posted, should not be edited. However, you are permitted/encouraged to make minor proofreading corrections up until the deadline for an assignment. If you find that you need to clarify something in a post, you can always add a comment to your post.

Entering Your Blog Post

• Title -- Do not merely list the assignment as a blog title. Instead, think of a good title for your blog post, something which speaks about the content of what you have written. Exception: When posting an Exploratory or Portfolio draft, begin your title with either Exploratory draft or Portfolio draft to make it easier for the the teacher and fellow students to find the post.
• Topics -- Choose the most appropriate category for your post. Note that the topic choices are designed to correspond to the various types of assignments. Thus, if you are creating a reading assignment response, use the Reading Assignments topic. Avoid using the Class Information category as it was created for the instructor to use when posting information about this class.
• Body -- Enter the text of your post in the body field.
• Teasers -- After selecting Preview, Drupal (the site software) will create a separate Teaser input field and copy the beginning of your post into it. The text in the Teaser field will be used for as an introduction to your post when multiple blog posts are listed, such as on the Class Information category listing page. When you preview your post, the course website will provide information on how to change how much of your text appears in the teaser field.