Over the last few years, I have experimented with different ways of incorporating technology into my classes. I have also become a bit of a blog addict. I read a wide variety of them, and I find blogs to be a great way for people to express their thoughts about a wide assortment of issues. They are also easy to update. I see a lot of potential for them as an excellent tool in a class. All which has led to the creation of this blog for International Relations. This blog is a way for me and the students to post our reactions to the readings and class discussions and allow others to read and respond to these comments. The blog also creates a record of the class. Each class will have a designated scribe whose responsibility it will be to post what took place in the class. I envision this as a useful resource at the end of the semester for the final. You’ll also use the blog to post links and commentaries about the media you are following (more to come on this assignment).
Six basic rules:
1. Posts need to be analytical. It’s okay not to like a class or a reading, but you need to be able to explain why you feel that way. The same needs to be said about positive reactions. Why did you like a reading or class discussion?
2. Class posts – not class notes. If it’s your responsibility to post for a class, you should blog about the general discussion, any important conclusions, and any unresolved issues. You absolutely should not post your notes from the class.
3. Make sure to include labels for all blogs posts. There are four standard labels: classroom, reading, links, miscellaneous. The labels are self-explanatory. Make sure to include a label for every post. The labels are listed on the right side of the “Write Post” screen. You should also label the state which your article is about. Please do not use any other labels,
4. Include links to your article. When you begin a post discussing another online source, it is standard blog etiquette to make the beginning of your post into a link. You do not paste the URL into the blog post. You make the text a link.
5. Your name. Make sure that you begin your posts with your name. You can simply type “By <your name> as the first line in the post.
6. Spellcheck. Although I do not expect your posts to be grammatically perfect, you should at least spellcheck. At the end of your post, please remember to spellcheck.
