Report of blog

  As the author said, “Blogs are websites that follow you to write and publish posts on a certain topic and to get feedback on your posts in the form of comments.” (P. 149) This definition of blog emphasize features as a communication tool. Absolutely, it’s the essential feature for blog users, but I really prefer blog’s another function as a tracker which records users’ dairies and personal thinking about a range of topics, especially for teachers and students.

  Usually, various blog servicers such as Blogger and WordPress provide different types of blog for different users choosing to utilize which include front page for regular visitors to view and control panel for blog owners to change theme, design, customize appearance, control comments and discussions. Users can also set the accessibility of their posts which are automatically dated, archived, and displayed in reverse chronological order, the latest post is displayed at the top of the page in order to be convenient for visitors’ view and focus on and this is the blog’s effective function as a tracker for blog users.

  According to my authentic experience and observations of using blog, most people won’t like to write a comment on blogs they viewed although they are caught by the interesting or insightful contents. On the one hand, they think the viewed contents fit their reading habits in a certain and they want to focus on the relative blog for further updates just as a follower without any personal ideas, they are worrying to be laid open to ridicule by other visitors because of their comments on the other hand. These people may like to use emails or other point to point communication tools for idea exchanging and discussion with the author of blog or other visitors.

  Based on this point I mentioned, I think teachers should consider completely about the condition comment awareness and participating enthusiasm before they utilize blogs for educational implements. In addition to this reflection, Teachers also need think about which appropriate blog service could be utilized by students individually according to list demands below, if the dashboard is easy to use; if posts can be tagged and archived simply; if students can moderate and approve comments and delete them if necessary; if students can export comments to a backup if they wondered.

 After the serious considering about the practicability of blog in educational purpose, teachers can establish a class blog by using online blog service and call on students to participate in the class blog by connecting their individual blogs with it. Then, teachers can construct different static pages for assignment information and instructions, syllabus, assessment rubrics, tips and tricks, key resources or other essential items for students to utilize in learning process. Students can receive a mentioned message include a quick link about the latest post by teachers, and students can also post their dairies and assignments or other things they have done on their own individual blogs.

  As a feedback, teachers can view all newest post on students’ blogs in the one spot which is only visible for them and tag some students’ exciting and interesting discoveries and observations up on the top of homepage of class blog for easy navigation after they get permissions of relative students. Of course, students can comment on these highlight updates, share it to their own blogs and search for older posts in class blog they needed by inputting key words and clicking the search button.

  After a long time, students and teachers can use class blog as a memory of the years they studied and worked together. Class blog does function as a tracker more effectively than communicate tool in this certain.