Virtual+Classroom+Blog

=Virtual Classroom Blog =

Assignment
This assignment requires the student to participate in the EDT6020 class blog on Blogger.com. By participating in this blog, the student learns how to post to a blog and respond to other posts within a blog.

The student is then required to create his/her own blog using the Blogger.com website that coincides to the virtual classroom he/she is creating. The blog must be creative and relates to the class subject matter, The idea of this blog is to allow students enrolled in the virtual classroom to collaborate with other students and groups of other countries. Part of the requirement of this assignment is for the student to translate the class blog into another language. Also, two types of media must be placed into the blog such as video, audio, etc.

The student is the required to email all classmates to enable them to be co-authors to the blog. This will allow them to post comments and begin threads in the blog. Students are required to post to two other classmates' blogs with a thoughtful comment concerning the content of the blog and useful feedback about anything else concerning the class or the blog.



Process
The process to create this blog was relatively simplistic in design and content. I already had an account with Blogger, so it was easy to add a new blog to my account. I wanted the blog to have the flavor of my online virtual classroom, so I searched the internet for just the right template and design. Once I found the ideal template, I simply uploaded it into my blog via the HTML code link within Blogger. My virtual classroom is a Shakespeare class and I chose the template because it made me think of the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream". I also thought it would be fun to title the sections in Shakespearean English.

The content of the blog is meant to be entertaining as well as informative. Because I wanted it to be a place where students could come to share ideas, ask questions, etc., I tried to make it less formal than a virtual classroom could be. After the final completion, I invited my classmates to become authors to the blog so that they could share as much as they liked.

My blog can be viewed here: Brush Up Your Shakespeare

Project Reflection
This project was easy and fun. I always like getting creative when it comes to education no matter what the venue may be. I enjoyed the comments from my classmates and I found it interesting that we actually started a dialogue within the blog. It was no longer an assignment and it became a true blog with very interesting questions and comments.

Each time I would receive an invitation from a fellow classmate to author his/her blog, I happily anticipated viewing what they had done with this medium. I was surprised each time I opened someone's blog to see not only what he/she had written about, but how the blog had been designed and how it differed from mine. I learned so much from this project not only regarding blogs, but regarding the many topics about which my cohorts wrote.

The blog is a useful tool for any online classroom and it's a great way to start and maintain a discussion on virtually any topic.