Tool #6 Blogger

Tool  #6 Blogger

            The last tool that I will be exploring in this Inquiry Project is Blogger since I’ve been using this tool since the beginning of the semester. I have used Blogger before for a previous UBC Teacher Librarian course but with limited success as all I did was post and not explore the ins and outs of what can be done on a blog.  A blog can be defined as a web log, a place to post you thoughts and express them to the world.  A blog may be a place to record your daily life or have an over reaching theme such as this one for UBC LIBE 477.

            Setting up a blog is quite easy and free.  For Blogger all you need is to have a gmail account.  After you sign up you need to name your bolg, pick your background, layout, and the gadgets that you would like to add and customize your blog.  Your blog is personalized to your specifications.  I have called my blog the UBC LIBE 477 Library Lady Blog.  The title exactly spells out what my blog  is about  this UBC class and me and aspiring Teacher Librarian.  I chose a layout that was easy to follow and a nice backdrop for my work.  Through exploration of the gadgets I chose the following that I though fit on this blog:

• ·         About Me: This is a place to give an introduction to yourself and the purpose of the blog that has been created.

• ·         Followers: This gadget displays how may people are following your blog and are interested in what you are posting on.

• ·         Lists: I created two lists of links that I think are important to have on my blog.  The first is a list of educational sites that I like and use in my daily classroom life.  The second was a list of links of the different tools that I used during this blog creation.

• ·         Search this Blog:  This gadget is allows you to search the entire blog for a specific topic.

• ·         Educational Quotes: This gadget gives daily inspirational educational quotes.

• ·         PC World Latest Technology News: This gadget updates the latest tech news for its viewers.

• ·         Best Selling Children’s Books: This gadget sorts books by age group and displays the prices of the books.

I found creating and maintaining this blog quite easy.  Creating a new post is as simple as clicking on the new post button, writing a new post, and attaching anything else you choose such as pictures. The presentations of the posts are easy to follow and understand placing the latest post on the top of the page and chronicling them monthly on a sidebar.

 In my experimentation with this blog I have decided that I will create one the next time I am in a high school position or have my own library. At my previous school a high school English teacher created a wonderful blog for his classes with all of his assignments, sources for students, it had interesting information on it, and students could submit their assignments to him on the blog.  This blog was password protected and only for students in that particular teachers course.  I have also seen library blogs where new books are requested and discussed, bibliographic information is given, as well as general library information is posted.  I think that blogs are a useful way to express an opinion and give information and plan on making many in my educational future.