Using blogs in ESL

U s i n g b l o g s f o r o n l i n e t u t o r i n g i n E S L

U s i n g b l o g s i n E S L

How qualified do you think you are in the use of technology for educational

purposes?

Do you use any sort of technology for performing your teaching tasks? (Multimedia, didactic software,

presentations, etc.)

How often do you take your students to the computer lab?

What kind of activities do your students perform when you take

them to the computer lab?

In the case of the didactic material that can be found on the internet, do you use such material to introduce a topic for the first time or to review a topic previously

seen in the classroom?

Define in your own words what a weblog or blog is.

Have you ever used a weblog either for personal, academic or

professional purposes?

The purpose of this talk is to give an insight about how blogs can be used to support ESL classroom learning.

What is a blog?

How do I create a blog?

Blogs in education.

Types of blogs used in ESL

Why blog?

KIOSK Tutorials Blog KIO

What is a blog?

What is a blog?From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A blog (or weblog) is a website in which items are posted and displayed

with the newest at the top. Like other media, blogs often focus on a

particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news. Some blogs

function as online diaries. •KI

A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic.

Since its appearance in 1995, blogging has emerged as a popular means of communication, affecting

public opinion and mass media around the world. •

Blogs can be hosted by dedicated blog hosting services, or they can be run using blog software on regular

web hosting services.

B l o g b a s i c s

•The term blog is a blend of the terms web and log, leading to web log, weblog, and finally blog.

• Authoring a blog, maintaining a blog or adding an article to an existing blog is called blogging.

•Individual articles on a blog are called “blog posts,” “posts” or “entries”.

• A person who posts these entries is called a blogger.

B l o g b a s i c s

C o m p o n e n t s o f a b l o g e n t r y

• Title - main title, or headline, of the post.

• Body - main content of the post.

• Comments - comments added by readers

• Permalink - the URL of the full, individual article.

• Post Date - date and time the post was published..

C o m p o n e n t s o f a b l o g e n t r y

H o w b l o g s d i ff e r f r o m t r a d i ti o n a l w e b s i t e s

• It allows for easy creation of new pages: new data are entered into a simple form (usually with the title, the category, and the body of the article) and then submitted.

•Automated templates take care of adding the article to the home page, creating the new full article page (Permalink), and adding the article to the appropriate date- or category-based archive.

H o w b l o g s d i ff e r f r o m t r a d i ti o n a l w e b s i t e s

2011• It allows for easy filtering of content

for various presentations: by date, category, author, or other attributes.

• It allows the administrator to invite and add other authors, whose permission and access are easily managed.

I n t e r e s ti n g f e a t u r e s o f b l o g s

•Publishing of hyper-textual content and multimedia

•User-friendly

•Chronologic or topical organization of the information

• Interaction among users which enhances the exchange and debate of ideas

•A diversified hierarchy in user roles

•Relation with other technological applications

How do I create a blog?

T w o s y s t e m s f o r b l o g g i n g

There are two systems to look at when considering setting up your own blog.

• User-hosted blogs

• Developer-hosted blogs.

2011User-hosted blogs

With a user-hosted blog, you, the user, install the blogging software on a server of your own design. You are the administrator of the software and hardware required to

run the blog, in addition to being the blogger.

2011Developer-hosted blogs

With a developer-hosted blog, someone else administrates the hardware and

software required to run the blog. You, as the blogger, fill out a few simple forms

and you are up and running.

Developer-hosted blogs

B l o g s i n d e v e l o p e r - h o s t e d s y s t e m s

The easiest system to get started with is the

developer-hosted system.

B l o g s i n d e v e l o p e r -h o s t e d s y s t e m s

Once you pick your hosting system, there are usually four

simple steps to complete:

1. Create an account

2. Name your blog

3. Choose a template

4. Write and Submit your first Post

B l o g s i n d e v e l o p e r -h o s t e d s y s t e m s

For each step, the service provider will guide you through

the process of filling out the basic online forms necessary to

get started.

Some services are free. Others require payment for some or all of the functions of that service.

G e tti n g s t a r t e d u s i n g b l o g s i n t h e c l a s s r o o m

1. Start your own blog on any subject you choose and update it regularly. Become a blogger.

2. Start small.

3. Start a class blog with simple announcements, homework assignments, and external links.

4. Ask students to read other blogs. Start by supplying a subject related list and review them with your students.

5. Ask students to respond to posts on your own blog.

6. Have students create and maintain a group blog.

7. Ask each student to start and maintain their own blog on a subject of their interest that is pertinent to the class.

Blogs in education

Benefi tsBlogs can…

• Promote critical and analytical thinking• Promote creative, intuitive and

associational thinking• Promote analogical thinking• Promote potential for increased access

and exposure to quality information• Promote a combination of solitary and

social interaction.

Types of blogs used in ESL

• The tutor blog• The class blog• The learner blog

Aaron Campbell (2003) has outlined three types of blogs for

use with language classes:

The tutor b log

• It gives daily reading practice to the learners.

• It promotes exploration of English websites.

• It encourages online verbal exchange by use of comment buttons.

• It provides class or syllabus information.• It serves as a resource of links for self-

study. KIO

The learner b log

• It’s run either by individual learners or small collaborative groups of learners.• It’s best suited for reading

and writing classes. KIO

The c lass b log• It is a shared space, with teacher and

students being able to write to the main area.• It is best used as a collaborative

discussion space, an extra-curricular extension of the classroom.• Students can be encouraged to reflect in

more depth, in writing, on themes touched upon in class.• Students are given a greater sense of freedom

and involvement than with the tutor blog.

Why blog?

• To provide extra reading practice for students.• As online student learner

journals that can be read by their peers.• To guide students to online

resources appropriate for their level.

Some reasons why to b log

• To increase the sense of community in a class.• To encourage shy students

to participate.• To stimulate out-of-class

discussion.

• To encourage a process-writing approach.• As an online portfolio of

student written work.• To help build a closer

relationship between students in large classes.

•Unwanted comments. Restrict comments to people in class

• Correction. It’s difficult to use a blog to correct students. Correction can be done prior to publishing or after.

• Privacy. Blogs are public, so if privacy is an issue, use the blog tools provided to set up privacy controls.

S o m e d i s a d va n ta g e s

KIOSK Tutorials Blog

K I O S K Tu t o r i a l s b l o g

It is a blog whose main purpose is to serve as a tool for both

teachers and students to enhance and promote language learning by providing activities for self-

study with online material.

K I O S K Tu t o r i a l s b l o g

It is designed to match the specific contents for basic,

intermediate, pre-advanced, advanced and

even TOEFL.

Some features• User friendly• Organized by levels and

courses• Available in any computer

with an internet connection• Easy to find

Downsides• There are not practice links

for some levels yet• Some links do not longer

work• It needs to be updated with

a new format and the inclusion of other features

• Number of visits since may 2010: 10,882• Busiest day in 2011: February 21• Busiest month: October 2010,

1390 visits• Number of visits in 2010: 7,156• Number of visits in 2011: 3,729• Average visits per day: 34

Blog stats

1. Basic 12. Intermediate 13. Basic 44. Pre-Advanced 45. Advanced 16. Intermediate 27. Basic 38. Pre-Advanced 39. Basic 210. Pre-Advanced 1

To p 1 0 v i s i t e d l e v e l s

V i s i t s b y t h e m o n t h

• Use it in the classroom to provide additional practice during your classes

• Use it in the computer lab on campus to review and reinforce the contents previously seen in class

• Use it to promote autonomous language learning in your students by telling them to access it at home, work or whatever place at whatever time

I d e a s t o u s e t h i s b l o g

2011Bibliography

http://jhonnyesolteacher.wordpress.com

KIOSK Tutorials bloghttp://kioskxalapatutorials.wordpress.com

To l e a r n m o r e :

T h a n k s ! ! !

Using blogs in ESL

Technology

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