Blogs

**What Is a Blog**
media type="custom" key="7075023" align="right"A blog is a web space where people can share their thoughts, opinions, and ideas to readers. It is essentially an online journal or "webblog" Blogs are more than just a space for writing your thoughts, they have become interactive and now include pictures, sounds, videos, comments, discussions, and widgets.

**How Blogs Support Learning**

 * Supports critical thinking as it requires students to think and reflect before writing
 * Motivates and engages students
 * Provides students with an authentic audience and therefore encourages students to write responsibly
 * Provides a forum for feedback, collaboration, and discussion
 * Fosters a community of learners
 * Allows students an opportunity to discover their writing voice
 * Blogging encourages global conversations about learning–conversations not previously possible in our classrooms.
 * Allows students to network with experts

**How Can I Use a Blog in the Home-Ec Classroom?**

 * Have students reflect on recipes made in class
 * Reflective Journal
 * Share favourite recipes or cookbooks.
 * Review recipes and cookbooks using [|shelfari]
 * Follow bloggers that write about their cooking and network with them by leaving comments etc.
 * Create an awareness of career opportunities in the fields of Food and Nurtition

**Tips for Educators**

 * Explore how other educators are implementing blogs before starting your own
 * Give students formal hands on training session on how to interact with your blog
 * Subscribe to students blogs
 * Comment on others blogs
 * Subscribe to other blogs related to topic
 * Read Will Richardson's [|Rationale For Blogging]
 * Suggested student [|Blogging Guidelines] by Kim Cofino

Getting Started
Decide on what blogging service you want to use for your weblogs. Some suggestions are listed below. [|Blogger:] easy to navigate and use, requires google account [|Wordpress:] [|Kidblog]Excellent for younger students

**Sample Blogs**
[|Home-Ec Shop Blog] [|Home Design Blog] [|Twig and Thistle]