A Few Artistic Methods to Use Scholar Blogs

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Once you hear the phrase “weblog,” what do you consider? When blogs first began displaying up on the web, most have been mainly diaries, particular person individuals’s private musings on life. Though this can be a completely authentic apply, these early prototypes made many people equate the phrase “weblog” with one thing self-indulgent, writing that shouldn’t be taken severely.

Since these early days the weblog has actually developed as a style: Individuals have taken the fundamental framework of the weblog and used it to construct all types of helpful, fascinating issues on-line. This evolution has given the weblog limitless potential as a type of writing, and that’s simply as true for scholar writers as it’s for everybody else. So for those who’re in search of a pleasant, meaty task, one which in earlier a long time might need been a analysis paper or an oral presentation, think about assigning a weblog as an alternative. It’s not solely a extremely related type of writing, however as a result of it’s completed fully on-line and labored on over time, it will additionally lend itself fantastically to distant or hybrid studying.

To help you on this mission, I’m going to share six totally different sorts of blogs college students might create, every of which could possibly be written on 1000’s of subjects and match into loads of totally different content material areas. I’ll additionally discover a number of the nuts and bolts—instruments and practices that may allow you to do that work effectively. And at last, I’ll discuss the way you would possibly go about assessing scholar blogs.

Earlier than we get into all that, let’s be certain all of us perceive our phrases.

What’s the distinction between a weblog and an everyday web site?

Let’s begin by defining our phrases. A web site is mainly any on-line “container” that homes not less than a number of pages of content material. It’s potential to have an internet site that consists of nothing however a single web page, however normally these exist just because the individuals behind them opted to not use any extra options.

Your dentist, almost certainly, has an internet site. A lot of the eating places, mechanics, church buildings, and gymnasiums in your city most likely have web sites. These websites sometimes include just some pages: a house web page that lists some common info, hours, the handle, and so forth, after which a number of extra pages that present extra element on the products and companies provided by the enterprise, the workers, and perhaps the historical past of the place. That’s mainly it. All of these pages are kind of static, which means the knowledge doesn’t change often except one thing in regards to the group modifications (new workers members, new menu gadgets or companies, and so forth.). 

A weblog is an element of a bigger web site, and what makes it distinctive is that it’s dynamic. It modifications. It’s often up to date to supply new materials. Some firms, just like the sorts listed within the earlier examples, would possibly resolve so as to add a weblog to their common web site for the needs of training their shoppers or serving to their clients get to know them. For instance, a dentist’s web site would possibly put out common weblog posts providing recommendations on dwelling dental care, reviewing toothbrushes, or sharing before-and-after tales of sufferers who obtained particular companies like laser tooth whitening. Generally, although, these blogs aren’t chock-full of content material as a result of they’re only a complement to the primary factor, which is to present the reader details about the enterprise.

Some web sites, like my very own, are extra closely centered on the running a blog facet of issues. Sure, my website has a number of static pages—like the one the place I introduce myself and my workers—however the overwhelming majority of the content material on my website is weblog posts. These weblog posts are usually not simply common musings about life, although. I made the choice after I began my website that it will be centered solely on education-related subjects, with the primary purpose being to jot down posts that assist academics do their work higher. Each different week I put out a brand new weblog submit—together with a podcast episode—on a special matter. 

The web is filled with websites like mine, web sites that use a running a blog framework to often share content material for an viewers that will likely be excited about that particular matter. Most of them wouldn’t even name themselves “blogs.” As a substitute, they’d see themselves as web sites which are content-heavy. These are the varieties of blogs I’m specializing in right here, the type I feel our college students ought to be writing. 

Concepts for Content material

What follows are six alternative ways college students might use a running a blog platform to provide a group of content material. In lots of instances, that “content material” is writing, however in some instances, it’s one other kind of media. These blogs could possibly be completed only for college, but when they’re good, if the scholars wish to, and if their mother and father give permission, the blogs might finally attain a wider viewers and would possibly even find yourself turning right into a profession. 

1. The Single Mission Weblog

This might be dedicated to documenting a mission from starting to finish. It might embrace an outline of how the concept happened, any analysis and planning that occurred, progress on the mission at totally different phases alongside the way in which, the ultimate consequence, and impacts or outcomes after the mission was over. In case your college does loads of project-based studying or affords a genius hour program or an innovation class, the sort of weblog could be a pure match.

Instance Matters: 

• A group service mission, the place the scholar or a bunch of scholars is doing one thing to serve the group
• A studying weblog, the place the scholar units a purpose of studying one thing, like a language, or creating a selected talent, like juggling, and paperwork progress alongside the way in which
• A construct of some form, the place the scholar is creating a selected finish product, like a mural, a bit of furnishings, an app, a portray, and so forth. 
• Any type of journey or journey taken by the scholar or a bunch of scholars
• A efficiency or occasion, like a play, expertise present, ceremony, or celebration

2. The Particular Curiosity Weblog

What are your college students obsessed with? The sort of weblog options an ongoing collection of posts round a single matter. Ideally, the subject will likely be broad sufficient in order that it will probably embrace some sub-topics as effectively. The sort of weblog could be match for a social research or science class, for those who wished college students to give attention to a subject associated to your content material space.

Instance Matters:

• A pastime, like skateboarding, gaming, touring, any type of music (as a participant or spectator), or any sport (as a participant or spectator)
• A trigger, like environmentalism, racial justice, or animal welfare
• A historic interval, occasion, place, or particular person
• A nation or tradition
• A talent space like cooking, woodworking, gardening, or any kind of craft
• A health-related matter like diet, train, sleep, or psychological well being
• A musical artist, celeb, film franchise, or TV present.

3. The Portfolio Weblog

That is designed to showcase a group of the scholar’s work in a single explicit space. Together with every artifact, the scholar might additionally write an introduction or reflection on the piece to present insights into the creation course of or their inspiration for the piece.

Instance Matters:

• quick tales, poetry, chapters of a novel or memoir
• artwork (both digital artwork or images of work, hand-drawings, sculptures, and different blended media)
• images 
• comedian strips or graphic novel-style tales
• video
• music

4. The Journalistic Weblog

Like {a magazine} or newspaper, the purpose of the sort of weblog could be to inform tales about issues which are taking place now. These tales can embrace photographs or movies to complement the writing, or they are often centered primarily on photographs or movies with minimal textual content. Tales might be quick and “newsy” or longer, magazine-style function articles.

Instance Matters:

• school-related information, both common or narrowed all the way down to a selected angle, like sports activities, the humanities, and even particular golf equipment
• group information, both common or centered extra narrowly on particular neighborhoods, pursuits, or companies. 
• household information: Splendid for college kids who belong to giant households the place maintaining with particular person members of the family’ milestones and life modifications would assist the entire household keep linked

5. The Overview Weblog

The sort of weblog could be comprised solely of evaluations, the place the author (or group of writers) evaluate new or established choices in a selected class. 

Instance Matters:

• music
• motion pictures or TV reveals
• books
• eating places
• video video games
• web sites
• movies on TikTok, YouTube, and different platforms

6. The Recommendation or How-to Weblog

On the sort of weblog, the author would merely give recommendation or directions on how you can do issues. The subjects might come from actual readers, or the location creator might simply make them up based mostly on frequent issues they know individuals have.

Instance subjects:

• relationship or friendship recommendation or how-tos
• educational recommendation or how-tos
• pastime or sports-related recommendation or how-tos
• expertise how-tos

Nuts and Bolts: Making it Work

The Tech

Select a platform the place college students can construct their blogs. 

• WordPress is my advice if college students wish to use a well-established platform free of charge.
• Google Websites and Blogger are additionally free and could also be simpler, however they don’t provide as many options as WordPress.
• Edublogs is an effective choice for youthful college students, as a result of it offers academics extra management over scholar blogs, privateness, and so forth.
• Some websites have age restrictions that don’t allow customers below a sure age, so make sure to verify the Phrases and Situations and seek the advice of along with your district IT division earlier than launching a running a blog mission.

Selecting a Focus

Similar to with a analysis paper or a presentation, weblog can have a clearly outlined focus. Listed here are some concerns:

• Most of the varieties of blogs listed right here might be mixed. A particular curiosity weblog would possibly often function posts that give evaluations of merchandise, for instance. A portfolio weblog would possibly sometimes function a how-to submit in regards to the expertise being showcased.
• When selecting a subject, think about the target market. Who’re college students writing for? Even when the blogs won’t really be shared with the general public as a result of scholar age or common privateness considerations, college students might nonetheless write for a hypothetical viewers.
• Any of those weblog varieties can have a private angle if the author chooses. Letting an viewers get to know you as an individual could make your writing way more compelling, and this type of writing not solely helps the author replicate and develop personally, it may also be useful to readers who join with these experiences.
• One good technique to decide whether or not a selected focus is an effective match is to create a listing of weblog submit subjects forward of time. If a scholar can’t give you quite a lot of concepts, the subject would possibly have to be broader. For instance, if a scholar desires to jot down about skateboarding gear and doesn’t have many concepts for posts, it would make extra sense to jot down about skateboarding typically; this can enable for extra range in subjects below that bigger umbrella.
• It’s potential for an individual to have multiple weblog at a time or a number of blogs over time. Not that you simply’d assign multiple, however figuring out this and letting college students know would possibly assist once they’re making an attempt to resolve on a subject and may’t select only one. (By the way in which, it will be higher to have two separate blogs on two totally different subjects than making an attempt to power them collectively on one website.)

Taking it Additional

College students who wish to transcend college with their blogs would possibly think about these add-ons and ideas:

• Most blogs have social media accounts related to them. This helps writers promote new posts and construct an viewers. Many running a blog platforms have instruments built-in to hyperlink the weblog to social media accounts, so readers can discover your Instagram or Twitter feed out of your weblog, and vice versa. 
• It’s additionally a good suggestion to have a clearly outlined model—this consists of issues just like the weblog title and tagline, the colours and typefaces you employ in your weblog design, the art work you add to complement your posts, even the type of language you employ in your writing (Is it formal? Informal? Does it embrace loads of slang from the viewers you’re talking to?) This branding ought to be constant in your social media as effectively.
• It’s potential to monetize most blogs if college students have the need, the drive, and the permission to take action. This income can come from promoting, from promoting merchandise via different websites like Etsy, eBay, Amazon, and others, or from affiliate marketing online, the place the blogger receives a fee for recommending merchandise bought by different individuals. 
• For a weblog to achieve success, it’s necessary to preserve a constant schedule of posting—even when that’s as soon as a month. Your readers will come to count on no matter schedule you set for your self, and for those who’re all around the map in your posting, that may make it tougher to develop an viewers.

Assigning and Assessing Scholar Blogs 

Ideally, a scholar weblog could be a long-term task, the place college students should give you an thought and develop it over time, “submitting” the ultimate weblog for a grade, however getting loads of suggestions from you alongside the way in which as totally different posts are revealed.

When assigning a weblog it’s necessary to outline the standards by which you’ll assess it. I strongly advocate you employ a single-point rubric for assessing blogs; share the standards with college students forward of time or higher but, co-construct the standards with them. 

Under are some standards I feel could be necessary to incorporate in a rubric for scholar blogs. I’m positive there are a lot of glorious running a blog rubrics on the market that handle some traits I haven’t considered, however that is what I’ve to this point: 

• Function and Viewers: The general focus is clearly outlined and constant all through the weblog. Particular person weblog posts have a transparent focus that’s in line with the bigger theme. The writing is directed towards a focused viewers that’s constant throughout particular person posts.
• Improvement: The overarching matter of the weblog is developed with posts that handle sub-categories. Every particular person submit addresses a transparent, particular thought and develops that concept with ample particulars. 
• Group: Posts are organized successfully with classes and tags, making it simpler for readers to seek out what they’re in search of. 
• Fashion and Tone: All posts are written in a mode and tone that’s acceptable for the viewers.
• Efficient use of multimedia: The writing is enhanced with photos or video that broaden on the content material or relate to it in a roundabout way.
• Moral and acceptable use of multimedia: Pictures, video, or music use complies with copyright and truthful use legal guidelines. Acceptable credit score is given to creators of different works. (See this submit for extra info.)
• Writing mechanics: Errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and utilization are rare and don’t distract from the general expertise of studying and understanding weblog posts.
• Technical performance: All options of the location function appropriately to create a seamless, nice studying expertise for readers. Hyperlinks work as anticipated, parts that seem “clickable” work correctly, and nothing from the “again finish” (similar to HTML coding that shouldn’t be seen to the consumer) reveals up on the location.

It’s typically mentioned that individuals don’t learn and write anymore, that each one we do is fiddle on our gadgets. However I feel we’re nonetheless studying and writing on a regular basis; the supply techniques have simply modified. And one of the vital in style supply techniques within the twenty first century is the weblog. No matter what line of labor our college students go into later in life, there’s a excessive chance that they are going to be studying or writing weblog posts as a part of that work. Let’s embrace that: As a substitute of protecting it separate from college, let’s carry it in and provides our college students alternatives to get actually good at it.