Blogging in Teacher Education

Social Networking, defined by Gunawardena et al (2009) as the “practice of expanding knowledge by making connections with individuals of similar interests” is a potentially powerful tool for both Post-Secondary Faculty and the K-12 classroom teacher. Through this networking, students are afforded the opportunity to co-create knowledge within a Community of Practice (Wenger et al, 2002). Further, a recent study conducted by Junco et al (2013) found that “the design of teaching strategies and practices related to virtual engagement and collaboration is instrumental to achieving positive educational outcomes (when using Twitter)” (p.285) and that instructor participation was one key to successful implementation and an increase in student engagement. Download a handout with references here: Blog Sandbox Handout Jan 2016

As part of your journey in Teacher Education here at UBC, you may elect to begin a professional blog as a way of sharing your year-long inquiry and reflections on teaching and learning. You might also dip your toes into blogging to support a class blog or other professional or resource blog. The process of building a portfolio or professional blog can be invaluable as you reflect upon teaching and learning and share the process of your inquiry within and beyond your cohort. Slides from our intro session that include some potential digital alternatives to a blog: Building a Blog

Considering Blogging or other Social Networking to enhance teaching and learning?

Some questions to ponder:

• What is the purpose for your blog?
• Do you wish to moderate a discussion?
• Do you want a static home page or a regular blog post as the landing page?
• Will you be sharing of links to content, references, resources
• What affordances and level of control do you need or require?
• How public or private do you wish this space to be?
• Can you adjust privacy settings of your chosen digital technology?
• Will students want or need access to this space after the course is complete?

You might use this Planning Brief to help you determine purpose, audience and potential platform.

Here at UBC, we are fortunate to have access to UBC Blogs, a WordPress powered, Canadian housed (here on campus) space. You will have ongoing access as an alumni – as long as you have your CWL you can create new blogs or add to your existing ones. You can even share ownership of blogs with a colleague.

I set up this UBC Blogs sample site to provide some information about setting up and managing your own teaching or professional blog. It includes examples and advice about blogging using UBC Blogs including several useful video tutorials to help get you started. (Yvonne D)

UBC CTLT offers workshops and drop in session for one on one support https://events.ctlt.ubc.ca/

For more information about Inquiry in Teacher Ed, please visit: http://teach.educ.ubc.ca/students/courses/inquiry/