Introduction to Weblogs
Peer-to-peer interaction is a vital component of this course. We'll do most of that interaction through weblogs. If you've never blogged before, don't worry. While students sometimes tell me they felt overwhelmed when they first encountered blogging, time and time again they tell me by the end of the course that what they get out of blogging depends heavily on what they put into it. You might want to read this Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article on how Seton Hill University students have been using their blogs.
You will each get a Seton Hill weblog. I will point you to complete instructions, and there will be plenty of time for you to try out your blog and get comfortable with it before we start blogging in earnest.
You will each get a Seton Hill weblog. I will point you to complete instructions, and there will be plenty of time for you to try out your blog and get comfortable with it before we start blogging in earnest.
Update: I've posted a 15-minute tutorial on how to log in to your blog and post an entry. You'll need to wait until I e-mail you with your username and password before your blog will work, but the video will give you an idea of what to do. You can also see the same material as a written tutorial. After you get your username and password, post a test blog. (If you've already blogged for me before, you're welcome to start posting you response/position papers on your blog.)
Update: When Derek pointed out that what I announced as the "vastly improved" had the sound all screwed up, I replaced that bad link and I'll restore the links to the files that were larger and uglier to look at but acceptable to hear. Obviously I'm still looking for the right balance between good audio and good visuals.
Blogging Tutorial (80MB) | Blogging Tutorial (20MB)
Choppy sound over a slow connection?
Right-click and "Save As" to your computer.
Cick on the file when it finishes downloading.
If that one is too slow for you to download, try this different version, which may begin playing faster. It's in three parts, which should load automatically one after the other. Blogging Tutorial (part 2 and part 3)
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I think blogging is very important in order to maintain an educational online learning environment! One year ago, I took Introduction to Literary Studies with Dr. Jerz and I learned so much information not only about the English field, but about blogging and the internet. It seems a little overwhleming at first, but once you get the hang of it then it's like second nature. I really like blogging when you write a detailed and thoughtful blog and your classmates continue the discussion for many blogs.
Glad to hear it, Derek.
There's always a bit of a hiccup in a class when I introduce blogging, since it's something new, and the way the blogs fit into the flow of the course at first seems like random and pointless busywork, until you realize that you really do learn quite a lot about the material by interacting with your peers through their blogs.
Hi Dr. Jerz,
When I was watching the Improved Blogging Tutorial the sound was muttered together. I'm not sure if it's a glitch in the internet, but I thought I would let you know.
Thank you!
You're absolutely right -- that sound is terrible. Thanks for pointing it out.
Getting these videos right is always a trade-off between quality and file size, and I guess I cut the quality of the sound down too far.
I'll take a look at this as soon as I can, and for now I'll restore links to the larger files that actually worked.