10 Benefits of Using Images in Blogs I have always told my clients that every blog post needs to have at least one image, and I stick to that rule myself. I even go so far as to set up a separate field for the "primary post image" in my Drupal website installations so that an image must be uploaded. (That also has the benefit of giving the website a specific image associated with that blog post for slideshows and other displays.) I usually mention that images help generate interest in your content, but don't go into a lot of detail unless asked regarding all the reasons for including an image. So, here are ten benefits that I see to making sure that every time you write a blog post, you include at least one great image. 1. As I mentioned above, when I set up a Drupal site for a client, I include a separate field for the image so that I can use that field and image to reference the blog post elsewhere. 2. 3. 4. Another aspect to images is that they can introduce your topic. 5. 6. 7. 8. Images are excellent for SEO. 9. 10.
How do I go about blogging? SmartBlogs If there is one thing that social media in education has taught me, it is: Never answer for someone else’s need to know! In a world of discussions using tweets and posts, there is an audience for discussion on any level of experience on any given subject. The subjects that I deal with most often involve education, social media or social media in education. The posts and tweets I ponder the most are those that deal with the very basics of these subjects. I always worry if a basic explanation is just too basic for an audience of professionals. I too often make an assumption that what I am about to write in my post is too basic, and therefore no one will have any interest. Doing that first post is the biggest hurdle for most bloggers. However one gets there, the ultimate final step is to create a personal blog. Creating the blog is the most work one will need to do. Reflecting and writing should be reward enough, but any idea not shared is just a passing thought.
Blogs as Reflective Writing Tools | M's Secondary Special Study Blog Blogging is an activity which has exploded into the mainstream over the last seven or eight years. Blogs are personal websites, but designed so as to provide a chronological list of posts, somewhat like a journal. They are used by politicians, professional journalists, political activists, policemen, taxi drivers, pupils and a wide range of people between, providing a broad patchwork of opinions and views on life, society and the world. Blogs are used increasingly in education, both as teaching tools and as learning tools. They are excellent tools for reflection. What is so special about blogging that sets it apart from what one might call ‘normal’ writing? Secondly, blogging provides one with ‘paid-up’ membership of an exciting world-wide, on-line community. Ahlness (in Bryant, 2007:11) has claimed that “Never in 25 years of teaching have I seen a more powerful motivator for writing than blogs. Anthropologist Fox (2004:226) has suggested that “… cyberspace is a disinhibitor. Like this:
9 unforgivable blogging offenses Blogs provide an excellent platform to engage with customers. WordPress blogs reach more than 70 million readers, and Tumblr blogs reach up to 39 million. With numbers like those, you can see how important a blog can be, both as an extension of a business site and as a stand-alone destination. But many bloggers make basic errors that lessen their blogs' effectiveness. Review the following list of nine unforgivable blogging offenses to make sure you are not committing any of them. 1. Problem: Your blog is a horrible dense block of text with no breaks, bullet points, headings or graphics. Organizing your blog posts into sections and including bullet points, subheadings, numbers, and graphics not only makes your post easier to construct, but also makes for a much easier and appealing read. Consider all the blogs you admire and follow. Dense posts do not work. 2. Problem: Your blog post is a rambling mess of inaccurate information and lazy writing even you cannot bear to reread. 3. 4. 5. 6.
…and this is why teachers should have blogs I have been a big advocate of blogging for teachers, but not until I started doing it myself. Personally, I realized that the time I take to sit down and reflect on what I do, what I read, or what I observe has really helped my own path as an educator and an administrator. Sometimes, for my own clarification, I go back and read my own blog to look at what I have done and how I can continuously work on it to improve. This transparent way of learning is something that I believe can not only improve the teaching profession as a whole (for example, take a look at the conversation on this Pernille Ripp post from today), but is something that could really improve learning for our students. Dean Shareski talked about this in his article entitled, “How to Make Better Teachers“, and the one word he used for his answer was “blogging”. I’ve yet to hear anyone who has stuck with blogging suggest it’s been anything less than essential to their growth and improvement.
Tips for Bloggers I really like a recent blog post by Edna Sackson. It was titled “10 Tips for Reticent Bloggers“. In the posting, she laid out some tips for people to become more successful in their blogging pursuits. I’d lke to continue her list with some of my own thoughts. Use a blog editor - I found that I’ve been a great deal more successful with less frustration when I use LiveWriter, Qumana, or ScribeFire. There you have it. Like this: Like Loading... Related Is it OK to be a Passive Blogger? First of all…my sincerest apologies to those that subscribe to this blog via email. In "Computers" Tips and Advice and A Reflection Regular readers know that I'm a sucker for these types of posts. In "application"
10 tips for (reticent) bloggers… A colleague who teaches writing, draws incredible poetry and prose out of her students. Yet she has what she calls ‘writer’s blog’ (block) which prevents her from starting a blog. Another has just had an incredible learning experience and spent four hours organizing her thoughts and experiences by writing blog posts… despite not having a blog, as she feels uncertain whether others will be interested in what she writes. It seems they are not alone… When I started blogging, I struggled to find my voice. 10 tips for reticent new struggling teacher student bloggers… Write in your own voice, as if you are talking to people you know.Don’t over-think and over-plan, just write what’s in your head. Like this: Like Loading... 5 reasons why you should consider blogging Some argue that blogging is passé, but nothing could be further from the truth. Available tools enable all of us to express ourselves, share our views and especially knowledge and experience with a much wider audience than ever before. I really believe that everyone should and can blog. Indeed, it’s not surprising to anyone who knows me that that is a reason why Zemanta is part of my life: to make blogging easier for everyone. Last weekend I read Antonio Cangiano’s (IBM) great blog post on why every professional should consider blogging. It inspired me to think more about why we all should do it. 1. Blogging is about storytelling, either in words, with pictures, videos or podcasts. 2. 3. 4. 5. What do you think about these 5 main reasons why everyone should blog?
PSA: Don’t Let Salami and Google Images Get You In Hot Water This is a true story. Three years ago, an eleven-year-old blogger here on Edublogs wrote a post about his favorite lunch food – salami. As part of his post, he used Google Images to find a quick photo of salami that he then uploaded to his blog. Fast forward to now. Our Edublogs support team just received a lengthy cease and desist letter from a large law firm that represents the photographer of the salami photo. We get these letters daily, but what stood out about this one is that the photo was several years old and not particularly interesting or unique. This tasty looking photo looked a lot like this one: *For the record, we have permission to share this photo from a stock image site that we pay for. What does this mean for teachers and students? It is important to know that even the most innocent of actions can lead to bigger problems down the road. Using Google Images or copying a photo from most websites is much like plagiarism. P.S. Happy blogging!
Blog Basics - Basics for Blogging August 28th, 2012 I have two blogs and have spent years writing and developing them into successful websites. A lot of my readers ask how I did it and I always think – go back to blog basics. Sometimes you get so caught up in the aesthetic or creative aspect of your blog that functionality plays second fiddle, making it difficult for you to retain readers! 10 Basics Every Blog Needs to Have 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. To read more of basics for blogging: How to start a blog Amazing benefits of blogging How to make a business out of blogging This may also interest you Tags: social media
Reflections On Being A Blogger Last week on #edchat the discussion turned to blogging and the importance (or maybe not) in and out of the classroom. As always the conversation was a lively one with lots of different ideas on student blogging, administrator blogging, platforms and more. (Check out the archive to read and follow all the discussions.) I wrote about how to be come a blogger a while back. Lots of platforms, ideas for use and more in that post. This post is more a reflection about blogging. And really, that is what my blog is about. I am honored to have you reading this right now. During our #edchat discussion I was asked why I blog? This space is an open reflection of me, my philosophies on technology and education and a place to share. I can write here anything that is on my mind. If I kept a journal under my pillow I might be able to accomplish some of the same sort of thought processes I go through when I blog. We all get smarter because we share. And I write when ever I feel like it. Look.