Mobilizing Faculty into the Future: Using Online Technology as Teaching Tools

has a YouTube channel which has some really nice, quick tutorials on how to create a blog post, and there is a Blogger
Guidelines channel which looks helpful too). Believe me, creating your blog is a LOT easier than you may expect.
Expectations
You will be expected to create your own blog and maintain it throughout the semester. It should be aesthetically
pleasing, with blog posts that are scientifically accurate, relate to your theme, and are engaging and interesting.
Please make your blog your own, make it something you want to visit and sit down to work on. Feel free to have an
amusing or catchy title, use cartoons, add videos, or music – whatever makes it unique and enjoyable.
You will be expected to create blog posts by certain dates (every two weeks) such that a total of 8 posts are created
throughout the semester. (You are welcome to post more often if you’d like.) There are certain types of posts I expect
to see at some point during the semester. It is up to you to ensure you get them all in. Students are also expected
to comment on 2 blogs (using their Gmail account) EVERY week (due by 11:59 pm each Sunday).
Types of Posts
Your first post must describe what your theme is, and why you are interested in that topic specifically. Additionally,
I’d like your first post to address what you feel makes a good blog and a good blog post. Look around and read some
science blogs (there are some linked on my blog) and maybe even link to some good examples. I would also like you
to make some goals for your semester of blogging – for example “I hope to understand X works,” “I hope to determine
whether a career in hydrology is for me,” “I hope to contact a hydrologist and have him/her guest star in one of
my blogs.”
Your posts MUST include at least 1 post based on each of these types (you must reference where the article or material
comes from):
• 1 post based on a peer-reviewed scientific journal article
• 1 post based on an article found on the internet or in main stream media (e.g. Yahoo news, MSN, The Colbert Report
etc.)
• 1 post based on a popular science magazine article (e.g. National Geographic, Popular Science, etc.)
Other ideas include:
• A post based on another blogger’s post – ensure that you make the post your own and don’t just copy and paste.
What is relevant or interesting about this post and how it relates to your topic and other posts Does it link to anything
else you’ve read/seen Can you link to any images, videos etc.
• Is there a local example that you could write about and take your own video or photos of
• Does your topic lend itself to original research If so, you could run a small experiment or a survey and post about
your experiment and results This could be more than 1 blog depending on how large your experiment is.
• Personal opinion blog – does your topic have room for your opinion Ensure that your opinion is well-backed by information.
• Are there any good documentaries or books that address your topic You could summarize and review these as a
blog post.
• Can you link your topic to something we’re learning about in the class Write about that.
Your final blog post wants to wrap up all your posts. What did you learn about What surprised you most What
would you like to know more about I would also like you to reflect a little on your blogging experience: what did
you find easy/difficult What was harder or more time-consuming than you expected What was the most rewarding
thing What did you think of other blogs (both professional and your fellow students) Do you think blogging is
a good media for students to use to learn What might have been done differently to make this easier or more effective
(please be constructive, this is a place to complain “it was really time consuming”; “I couldn’t think of good
comments to write” is not a useful comment and is boring to read.
Posting Dates
September 9, 2013: Everybody’s first blog post should be posted by 11:59 pm
September 16, 2013: Groups A’s 2nd post should be up by 11:59 pm; and Group A’s posts will be due at 11:59 pm every
second Monday from this date (these are labeled on the syllabus)
September 23, 2013: Group B’s 2nd post should be up by 11:59 pm; Group B’s posts will be due at 11:59 pm every
second Monday from this date (also labeled on the syllabus)
December 9, 2013: ALL students’ final blog posts due by 11:59 pm
Comments
Please post two comments (two separate blogs) each week, by 11:59 pm on a Sunday. Please make your comments
clear, useful, and engaging. Comments along the lines of: “This post was interesting” is not very helpful, but comments
that suggest another article or video or something like that is great, or a comment that gives some personal
experience that relates to a post is great, or a comment that poses a question both to the blogger and other readers
is useful.
Some other things to think about
• Be careful where your images and links come from, there may be copyright infringements
• Reference/cite ANYTHING you use from elsewhere, or anything that is someone else’s work or opinion.
65