08 Blog FSC/MEC Weblogs as Teaching Tools F08

This afternoon, we'll meet in my office at TI again at 4:00. When you get there, please let me know how you are coming along with your projects. If you feel more comfortable, you can send me a private chat message (remember last time?) and we can communicate in that way. I will also be at my cell or land line whose numbers I gave you before, so you can get me that way if you prefer. In any event, please be patient with me because I may be speaking to more than one of you in different mediums.

If you have trouble with Java as evidenced by the lack of chat capability, then please let me know. And even though this will be our last online class, you can still cover everything by following this blog.

It is not required that you remain in the office this afternoon for hours on end, but please let me know how you are doing, what kind of help you might need from me, and then spend the remainder of our session accessing the cited articles and working on your projects.

Nomenclature, Schlomentclature. "What's in a name?"

The importance of giving your blog a effective name can not be overstated. You certainly did or would give much thought to naming a child or even a business. Though arguably somewhat less important than either of those examples, it still requires thought and consideration, since your most basic goal is to attract and retain readers.

Take a look at http://4webresults.com/blog/blogging/blog-names and although its author (presumably not Elliot Back) has some interesting word spellings, you'll get the idea. Burrow down to see Mr. Back's article if you have a lot of time on your hands.

This is a very short related article from the blog, Business Writing by Lynn Gaertner-Johnston at http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2008/11/naming-your-blog-and-newsletter--think-big.html ...

and TJ chimes in with another slant.

Although some of the above, are business oriented, the basic process of choosing names extrapolates over to our world.


Right off, I'd like you to take a look at a few readings that were listed in the syllabus.

The next few concern blog design. One "to the point" blog entry is found at http://www.garyviray.com/blog-design-considerations-busby-seo-test.html and is called 4 Blog Design Ideas and Blog Authority.

Next is a blog entry whose theme is improving the design of your blog. Its entitled ten steps for a perfect blog redesign and it can be found at http://www.werewp.com/design/10-steps-for-a-perfect-blog-redesign/

Although "ten steps" may seem somewhat esoteric, it will have at least a few design considerations that you might find useful later on in your blogging endeavors. It'll will show you what some are doing with blogs.

A third is titled Blog Tutorial-Blog Templates and can be viewed at http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials/jennifer/blog-templates.html and, again please take from it anything you find useful. You are not expected to assimilate its entirety. Do though, pay attention to the resources listed at the end of the blog. Many of them are "open source" (royalty free) fonts and graphics. Their use is not restricted to blogs and teachers will have no problem adapting them for the classroom. If you spent some time there and burrow down a bit, you'll find a link with a full index of free stock graphics. If you didn't see it, use mine: http://www.photoshopsupport.com/resources/stock-photos.html

Now, I need you to tell me how everything progresses. Please leave me a Whiteboard note or an email.

Next week 4:30! We'll meet next week at MEC for our last class in the Lab. I will be there early, of course for anyone who needs “one on one” time, so if you need special lab time come early. Otherwise please arrive by 4:30 at which time we’ll begin.

I'll have a few remaining syllabus items to cover at that time. Then we'll fill out evaluations and share our blogs with the class. See you then.

Eric

Eric