Welcome to blogging in Mrs. Opdyke’s ELA class.  Please read below to know what is expected of you every time you blog.  Have fun!  I am excited to read your blogs!

 

Blogging Assignment Sheet

Mrs. Opdyke’s ELA

(Adapted from Ms. Kristen Barnett’s Blogging Assignment Sheet)

Objectives:

•       Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
•       Write routinely over shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks and purposes
•       Use blogging as a way to express ideas, analyze texts, and develop your writing skills

Instructions:

•       Posts are due on the day blogging is an assignment at independent station. Your goal is to finish in class. If you don’t finish in class, save it as a draft and finish it for homework.
•       See types of posts listed below for ideas.
•       Cite sources, including images.
•       Your blog = your work
•       You will write weekly blog posts about a variety of topics. You will have a great deal of freedom with your choice of topics. Write about something you enjoy!
•       You will also comment on at least one of your peers’ posts per week.

Logistics:

•       Length:

○       Posts should be two paragraphs minimum. You need at least five sentences per paragraph.

•       Format:

○       single space paragraphs

○       double space between paragraphs (to indicate a break in paragraphs and to give your reader’s

eye a rest)

•       Tone/voice:

○       You should write your posts in your own style. This might mean being witty and clever, or it

could mean being serious and straightforward. There is no one way to do this, as long as you

remember to be school appropriate.

○       Your voice may change from post to post as you figure out what works best for you, and that

is absolutely fine (even encouraged!).

○       You may express your opinions in your posts, but remember that any time you take a side

for anything, you need support for your argument.

•       Comments:

○       Be respectful of others even if you disagree with their points.

○       Your comments should contribute to the discussion. Don’t just write, “I like your post.”

Explain what you liked about it.

Academic Integrity and Blogging Etiquette

•       Your posts should be your own work, written by you. Simple as that.
•       If you refer to outside content (articles, images, videos, etc.), link back to the source. Use an embedded link rather than MLA citations, as that is the convention of the blogging genre.

Side Notes:

•       Remember, once something is on the Internet, it’s always there. Think before you post!

 

 

Types of Posts (use a different post each week):

 

•       Passion blog

○       Write about something you are passionate about. Find something that you love or hate and share your passion with your readers.

○       Instead of simply gushing about (or bashing) your topic, your goal is to share your knowledge about the subject and perhaps persuade us to feel the same way.

 

•       Class-related response

○       Respond to something that we are reading/discussing in class.

○       By “respond,” I mean that you should present your understanding of, opinion about, or confusion about the topic.

○       You can discuss a literary text that we’re reading, a language issue, or other topics we address throughout the year.

 

•       Outside text response

○       Respond to a text of your choice. Texts can be books, TV shows, films, blog posts, news articles, news broadcasts, videos, or more.

○       By “respond to a text,” I mean that you should discuss something you’ve seen or read outside of class and share your response to it. The text could be something that made you think, confused you, made you happy, made you mad, interested you, or more.

○       Remember to provide a well-embedded link to your source text (near the beginning of your post so your reader will know what you are referring to early on).

 

•       Interdisciplinary post

○       Write a post about something you’re learning in any of your other classes. You can discuss concepts, articles, media, experiments, etc. Writing is a thinking process, so blogging about a concept from another class can help solidify your thinking about it.

 

•       Current events post

○       Write a post about a current events topic. Explain the event and share your thoughts about it. To find current events topics go to the link below: http://www.timeforkids.com/news

 

•       How-to

○      Inform your reader how to complete a task or situation that you are especially good at. This can include steps or directions, but it must be written by you (No copying and pasting directions from online!)

 

•       Respond to a quote that is meaningful to you

○      This can be any quote you particularly like. Include the quote itself and your interpretation or significance of the quote.

 

•       Journal Entry

○       Write a post about your day or a day you had recently. Use narrative writing techniques in your post. Make sure what you write about is school appropriate.

 

 

Assessment:

Your Posts:

•       I will be randomly grading your blog posts throughout each marking period.
•       To earn full credit, do everything in this list:

○       Write posts in your own personal style/voice.

○       Be informative, persuasive, entertaining, and/or reflective (depending on type of post).

○       Organize your ideas in the way that best makes sense for the purpose of the post (two

paragraphs minimum).

○       Proofread for grammar and spelling errors.

Your comments:

•       You will earn full credit if:

○       Your comments show that you read your peer’s post, and you make a valuable contribution

to the discussion.

○       Your comments are respectful in nature. When you disagree with your peer’s argument, you

present your opinion without being rude or inappropriate.