Technology tools: Blogs, what; so what; now what.

What?

Concisely, blogs are web sites use whether as online diaries, portfolios or periodical posts, aimed to post anything about any subject or topic for public viewing.

So what?

Features:

Blog’s posts are displayed in chronological order, from the most recent to the old one.

Blogs use all the functions and characteristics Internet can offer:
It enables the user to use whether text, images, music (sound) or video (Multimedia) within the post, as well as it allows links to other pages, web sites and blogs, braking linear communication.

Moreover, blogs are purported to communicate (Communication) hence they enable the reader to write on commentaries, that later can be read, establishing a feedback chain between the author(s) and his/her/their audience.

In addition, blogs are equipped with different text, image and video editors, that enable the user to create his/her own personal blog. So, blogs strengthen personality, ethnicity, culture, social/local symbols, academic groups or whatever the blogger wants to communicate.

In the Internet we can find different types of blogs; however these two are the most representatives:

By Media Type[1]
A blog comprising videos is called a vlog, one comprising links is called a linklog, a site containing a portfolio of sketches is called a sketchblog or one comprising photos is called a photoblog. Blogs with shorter posts and mixed media types are called tumblelogs.

By Genre[2]
Some blogs focus on a particular subject, such as political blogs, travel blogs, house blogs, fashion blogs, project blogs, education blogs, niche blogs, classical music blogs, quizzing blogs and legal blogs (often referred to as a blawgs) or dreamlogs. While not a legitimate type of blog, one used for the sole purpose of spamming is known as a Splog.


Key words: with the spring of this web site, it appears some new verbs as well and nouns like:

- To blog: to maintain or add content to a blog.
- Post: an online message sent to and displayed on an online facility such as an Internet newsgroup, bulletin board or blog.
- Blogger: person who blogs.
- Posting: to create a post

Advantages:

1. The ease with which these web sites are created enables the student to post any kind of information.
2. Blogs are able to be updated, as well as its links, images, videos and documents.
3. Blogs are available any time you want.
4. The reader can leave commentaries in the blog, establishing a feedback chain of information/communication.
5. Blogs strengthen the author’s personality.
6. No one can alter or vandalize the posted information.
7. Blogs can be related to Learning Styles due to the fact that they use several channels to address the audience (multimedia).
8. Blogs can be related to Multiple Intelligences because they enable the author to post in his/her more developed intelligence(s) (photoblog, podcasting, vlog, and music blog).

Disadvantages:

1. As Blogs use links to connect to other web sites, these links or web sites could not exist anymore.


Now what?

We saw that Blogs can be used with academic purposes. In this sense, as Foreign Language professor, I would use it as an online diary, where students can make comments about the class, the content, the tasks, the teacher’s performance, and their own performance. This would be addressed to those students who don’t feel comfortable talking about these things among their partners. However, I would forbid the use of spell checkers.

Moreover, blogs can be used within a project throughout the scholar year. For instance--as it is this blog--students are able to write periodically their homeworks, tasks, etc, allowing the teacher to correct and give feedback without the constraints of place and time.

In addition, blogs enable the students to explore their identity, their likes and dislikes, what could be used as a means to express their creativity. For instance, students can design their own blog to write about any subject of their preference; in this sense, teacher would assess not only the grammatical or academic aspects of the blog, but the communicative, the discursive and the intercultural ones.

Remember that Internet web sites, editors and tools are able to be adapted to our teaching needs. Be creative, be spontaneous, and don’t be afraid to express what you like most!


If you want to read more about blogs, go to:

http://www.blogger.com/tour_start.g

https://www.blogger.com/start

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/02/05/what-is-a-blog/

http://en.wikipedia.blog/Blog




[1] http://en.wikipedia/blog/Blog
[2] Idem.