The purpose of this blog is to give you, the students, the opportunity to share your thoughts, assignments, and projects with each other and perhaps the world. It is a classroom blog to begin with, however if you want to start your own blog we can certainly talk about that! The blog will be the hub of collaboration and sharing for our class. You will also comment on the work of your classmates. Finally the blog will become a repository of your good ideas.
We will learn some cool easy Web 2.0 tools to help you complete assignments and projects. You may already know some and can teach me! Eventually, with your own blog or using something like Google docs, you can begin to create an eportfolio of your work. This blog is different from our BB site because it allows you to embed projects, comment directly on other's work, read postings from guests, and more. There will be plenty of guidelines for you to follow and information on how, when, why, etc. So don't freak out! We will ease into it and I promise it will enhance your learning and not just take time away from your studies.
Take the survey on web tools (posted on BB) and watch the following video. Go to the "Tips for Blogging" page here and then share your thoughts (via comments below) on your reaction to using a blog in our class by answering the following questions: Have you blogged before? How do you think it might be helpful? What is your biggest concern? What might be fun about blogging here?
Let's get started!
Blogs in Plain English:
I have never blogged before. The thought of blogging is a little intimidating but I'm willing to give it a try. I think blogging will be helpful because it is another avenue for learning. The more access I have to information the more I can learn. I think it could be fun to read other students comments and to be able to reply to those comments. My biggest concern is just remembering to log on and post comments.
ReplyDeleteI have never blogged before and I generally rely on the text and my own notes when preparing for exams. As such, I am not sure how this component would be beneficial for me personally, and I am concerned about time constraints. However, I am open to utilizing additional tools for learning the material and will approach the task enthusiastically.
ReplyDeleteI have never blogged before and even though I understand the thought behind it and we all love our new forms of instant technology. I am very concerned about the time it will take for me to not only do this, but to remember to do this, where to go etc. It seems that there are currently so many place that I must check to get necessary information. I would prefer one resource as to the several I now have to use. My list is growing in regards to my daily “checks and updates”. I would hope it would be helpful in that everyone hears or remembers something different, what I didn’t write down, you may have and that would be very helpful in understanding microbiology. The fun part is reading other peoples opinions, how they differ or how they are the same. We’ll see how this goes.
ReplyDeleteI have never blogged before because I tend to avoid technology. I find that doing work online takes me more time. My concern is that a blog is another thing to remember to keep track of. However, I find that the method to get to the blog and how simply it is laid out makes it less intimidating.
ReplyDeleteI have never blogged before and I do not really think this is something I would be interested in. I think that I would rather take notes and look at ppt slides in order to study for exams. The video did show how easy it is for someone to create and work with a blog and that made it seem a little less complicated.
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ReplyDeleteI also have never blogged and have never read another persons blog. I am always up to find new ways for learning. It will be interesting to see what other people think and to see different perspectives. I am excited about this class and all the knowledge that we will all get from each other and our new Professor.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to see that I am not only one who hasn't blogged before either. But I think this will be a great way for all of us to connect and learn with one another. My only concern is remembering to do this in addition to other assignments I may have to complete and with my busy schedule. I am a full time student and I also work full time so I might need some reminders here and there. This will hopefully be enjoyable if everyone stays involved with it. We all might be able to learn a thing or two from one another so this should be interesting.
ReplyDeleteAnother new blogger here. It will be interesting to see how the blog works and how it enhances our education.
ReplyDeleteHey! I've never blogged before. I used to think of myself as a somewhat tech-savvy person, but I think Im a bit behind the times with this one. Hopefully this will be helpful by keeping us connected and up to date, plus we'll learn not only things about microbiology, but also about blogging! My only concern would be that I would forget to check the blog. Hmm...the most fun part? I would say, connecting with each other on a unique level! This is the first class Ive ever heard of that had a class blog...and Im always up for something new.
ReplyDeleteSince I am new at blogging, I had to think about the answers to the other questions for awhile before I answered them. Blogging would be very helpful with the exchange of ideas and opinions. Concerns for me would be the time vs. value ratio. The fun part would be getting to know everyone.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to blogs, I am a complete stranger to the source. I have never blogged and never really read anyone else’s blog. I believe Blogging can be influential since there are a lot of important facts that are not notified to the public. Many sources of news leave parts of a story or merely don’t report on the little facts that can completely put a new twist to a particular topic. It is always better to get the news from multiple people and hear of their accounts or ideas of the items we are being informed about. My biggest concern is that many blogs might be inaccurate and can be written by anyone. It might be written by an uneducated person or a child posing as an informative individual. Also there are many sides to a particular story. So if their are many different versions of the same story, then it is often difficult to believe the blogger. However, blogging should be fun and interesting, especially since I have never written a blog or voiced my opinion to see what other individuals reading my comments will think. Also, it gives people a chance to get to know what other fellow classmates, think or find on the internet about our course.
ReplyDeleteI have never had my own personal blog before but I have looked at other blogs. I think this blog will help enhance our learning experience by keeping us updated with current events that are relevant to microbiology. I think this will also help us apply what we learn in class to our everyday lives. My biggest concern is that I will get too busy and forget to post on the blog. I think it will be fun to have discussions with the class and hear their opinions.
ReplyDeleteI have not blogged before. I think it might be helpful to share information quickly and currently. My biggest concern is the accuracy of information provided on the blog. Bloggers may have a certain bias or may not provide all the information needed. Blogging may be fun to share information with peers about new advances in microbiology and how it is currently affecting us.
ReplyDeleteI have tried blogging before, but I never had the time to keep up with it. I think it would be helpful to add different insight and perspective on what we will be learning in this class. My biggest concern is remembering to keep up with it with and adding it to my daily routine. It might be fun seeing the blog come together in a way that enhances our understanding of microbiology in our daily lives.
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ReplyDeleteI have read a few Blogs, but never participated in on as a member. Blog are helpful because it allows the members to share information, thoughts, and opinion on a topic of interest. Another important aspect of Blogging is that it exposes one to important articles that otherwise one would not have read, and compare one's thoughts and opinion with other students with similar interest. Concerns: since im not used to blogging, I must remember to stay updated within this community for deadlines. Fun: just reading other student's understanding of the topic and comparing it to mine and adjust or debate my position (point) on the issue.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have never made a blog of my own, I've become familiar with how it works by reading and commenting on them for courses that I've taken in the past. From the little experience that I've had with blogging, I do see that benefits it has. Not only can blogging keep you up to date with new things going on, it allows you to view the comments of others and seeing their perspective and opinions on the topic at hand. I don't have any major concerns when it comes to blogging, because I find it pretty self explanatory and there are resources available to learn how, if needed. The fun part of blogging on here will be seeing all the posts of new information that is happening right now in our world around us.
ReplyDeleteThis is all completely new to me. I've never seen a blog let alone participated in one. I am not even sure how my name is going to pop up in green, or what this has to do with a gmail account. I haven't had to enter any information yet, perhaps after I hit "post comment." Can you tell I am completely lost? Eek! I am always up for a challenge, however, and hopefully this experience will be more beneficial than irksome. Although,I must say, in the time it has taken me to get this far in the "blogging" process I probably could have written a ten page paper in Swahili. Hopefully this will better connect us as a class and will be a fun place to come and read about current events going on in our field of study.
ReplyDeleteFinally figured out how to post!Similarly to many of my classmates, I am also new to blogging. I feel a bit more comforting knowing that I am not alone in being a newbie. Also, this will be a very helpful resource later in the course.
ReplyDeleteBlogging is a great way to share thoughts and ideas with others. This isn't the first time that I have created a blog and from past experiences it has proven to be successful.It is most beneficial when learning about a broad topic and reading about what others have to say about it and maybe even through there interpretations one can get an easier understanding of something that is hard to comprehend.The only major concern that I have is keeping up with any reading assaignments and deadlines however, as long as the deadlines are known and stressed I'm sure everything will be fine. Over all, blogging is a fun way to learn about something new while getting familiarized with fellow peers and how they think and being able to share findings in a calm and collective manner.
ReplyDeleteI have never blogged before and I think this is an exiting way to see what my classmates are thinking about the subjects that we are learning in a different context. It makes us more familiar with each other and gives us different point of view in a subject. Since this is a blog and not a face to face confrontation, I believe that people would be more wiling to share and present their ideas on the subject. My only concern is forgetting to post in time and missing the points assigned to the blogs. The cite does take a bid of getting used to as well. Over all I believe this is an exiting place to share ideas.
ReplyDeleteI've been blogging for almost a year now and in my own opinion, I think, it is great. I think it would be helpful to me and everyone else about this blogging thing, since I, and the others could view other people opinion on a certain subject matter. I don't really have any concern about blogging and I think it would be interesting to see other people's perspective/opinion that is different from me and maybe, I could also learn from them.
ReplyDeleteI am brand new to blogging as well. I think that once we all get the hang of it, this will be a helpful tool with learning the material. I was once skeptical on blackboard but it became a great resource to my education. I don't have any concerns with using a blog other than it may take time from my studying. I am used to taking notes and making flash cards so adding this is a little overwhelming at the moment. But I have a positive outlook with it right now!
ReplyDeleteI have never blogged before because I hate to sit at a computer for such a long time. Blogging will be another thing to remember to keep track of. I usually hate to be a slave to technology due to the fact it may be quicker but also makes me lazier. However, I will be open to utilizing additional tools for learning the material and reading the other comments and opintions of my classmates.
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ReplyDeleteI have never blogged before. I do believe it is helpful because people could quickly share ideas over the internet. My biggest concern is remembering to check it on a daily basis or it not sending like I thought it did and now it is late. It might be fun blogging and seeing how useful this class is in our everyday lives.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time that I have blogged and it seems easy. I found the video to be interesting and finally learned what blogging was. I have heard of it, but really never used it or read them. Blogging kind of reminds me of the discussion board on blackboard. My biggest concern is posting since the site seems not to want to post my comment, but if you are reading this, then I finally got it to go through. I think blogging will be fun once I get a hang of it. I also think it will be interesting to read everyone’s opinion on the topic on hand.
ReplyDeleteI have never blogged before but am certainly open to the idea of it. For some one who lives in a world of technology I tend to be pretty bad with computers so this will help to strengthen my computer skills. The main thing I am concerned with is remembering to check the blog regularly, but I am sure as the semester progresses it will just become habit. It is nice to have a place outside of the classroom where students can converse and share ideas. I also like that we get to utilize what we have learned in class and apply it to events happening today. It will be fun to read everyone’s input and see his or her ideas.
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