4.+Blogs

Blogging with Web 2.0 technologies: the only way to blog. 

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**Blog posts I wrote this semester: **
In my first blog post, [] I posed a question about rules for blogging, as last year I had a bad experience from another student on a group discussion board. When blogging came up for this subject, I was nervous a similar situation could occur.

Social media is all about the individual having control about content and creativity. This concept is re-iterated by Mark Pollard (2010) in this presentation about social network marketing being for the individual.

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I found the 'spin and weave' concept both fantastic, because it worked in creating content, as well as fascinating as we were communicating and sharing ideas [] and participating in valuable discussions [] as well as contributing resources []. Our 'community of practice' was satisfying the criteria determined by Wenger in Smith (2003, 2009) of 'domain', 'community' and 'practice'.

During the semester, I reflected about blended learning [] a style of e-learning delivery discussed in Kidd & Keengwe (2010) which I felt worked well. As a block student you are a bit anonymous, so I really liked that something so simple as my lecturer knowing my name, before class started was wonderful - it is all about the individual.

In a teaching and learning context, I suggested using a spin and weave concept for another subject's on-line group discussion board. However, w ithout structure or an e-moderator, <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">as was discussed in my spin <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">about Salmon (2004) nor a commitment of time allocated by students to 'blog', meant that <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">discussion was minimal.

<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">My learning experience using an on-line website continued as a studied Spanish on <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">[|www.busuu.com] for Assignment 2. <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Learning and interacting with others as a learner and educator in the topics and modules <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">meant I was able to use blog skills to add content in Spanish and provide feedback to <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">learners in my own native language. I also developed skills in using an on-line chat <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">forum as a way to practice and exchange language skills and concepts with others <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">as far away as Spain and France.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">Blog posts which others wrote:
I found within the group a wealth of knowledge and varied experiences which were shared via blogs. This is evident in terms pedagogy from Paul Walton's blog [] , Mariano Hoffman's organisational knowledge in his blog [] which refers to how blogs are being used for learning and this blog from Eric Song [] with his technological expertise.

Prezi was a popular format used for the group presentation as assignment 3. The group discussion around the use of Prezi [] was valuable, as learners we were able to share our insights into using a new format. In the group project, despite our group having access to technology such as Skype, it was the 'Human Moment' as discussed by Hallowell (1998) which assisted us in pulling together our presentation.

Perhaps blogs could be used to generate ideas prior to meetings or where parties are too remote to attend. I have thought to suggest using blogs, as a trial, to gauge employee's ideas about a simple topic (ie: the Christmas Party) to demonstrate their effectiveness on in organisational context.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">Visual representation of my blog journey:
<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Last year at the museum where I work, this temporary exhibition <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">//Exposed! The story of swimwear// was on display. When I started writing a <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">blog for e-learning, I initially experienced a feeling of being 'exposed!'

Peggy Moffitt modelling Rudi Gernreich's topless swimsuit in 1964. Photography William Claxton, courtesy of Demont Photo Management ([|www.demontphoto.com]).

<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">This is how I feel about writing blogs now...

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