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wd09 1/26/2010 10:53:59

General Session - Conference Presentation Only (no formal paper)

//Melissa Venable, Kaplan Higher Education, Miami, Florida, USA, melissa.venable@yahoo.com//
 * Communicating, sharing, and learning online: A guide for starting your own blog**

Have you ever thought about starting your own blog? Do you read blog posts of industry leaders you admire and think about what you might be able to contribute? The primary goal of this presentation is to encourage instructional technology professionals and students to consider blogging as an option for self-directed professional development.

Blogging is an application of technology that not only facilitates communication and sharing, but also results in learning. The process of establishing, writing, and maintaining a blog creates many opportunities for learning related to technology and finding one’s professional "voice." Through the development of a professional blog an individual can share his or her ideas, expertise, and recommendations, as well as ask questions. It can evolve into a forum for discussion as readers leave comments and replies. Objectives of this session include: exploration of personal and professional motives for blogging, comparison of two popular blogging tools (Blogger and WordPress), and setting realistic goals for a new blog. A list of features and functions to consider and tips for finding writing ideas will also be presented. The session will include examples and recommendations of well-established blogs that instructional technology design professionals should consider following. The presenter recently completed her first year of blogging. Although still exploring, she has a few lessons learned to pass along. The presentation will include time for questions from participants. Attendees who have blogging experience will be encouraged to share their tips as well.

Novice blogging professional development sharing learning online technology