Best Practices for Blogs

Think of it as like wearing a Helmet-It's just smart.

#1  Don't be posting your personal information
     Don't post your full birth date, phone number, your address.  Even if your setting are set to private don't post personal information.  People can hack in and get your information so it's best to never post it.  Also, if friends post some of your personal information-feel free to ask them to take it down.  Better safe than sorry. (1,2)
#2  Use the privacy settings
     Although these settings are 100% fool poof (what is these days) they are there for a reason and keep those unwanted predators out of your business.  Make it difficult for just anyone to read your business. (1)
#3  Cite sources
     If you want to be safe.  Keep it legal as well.  Using pictures of information cite your sources.  Follow copyright laws.  You don't disgruntled people coming after you and you also want to give yourself credibility by citing sources. (3) 


(1) http://security.rit.edu/dsd/bestpractices/socialnetworks.html
(2)  http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/08/technology/personaltech/blogging/index.htm
(3)  http://weblogs.about.com/od/bloggingethics/tp/Top3BloggingRules.htm
photo courtesy of Haley Phippen

The Pedagogy of Blogs

It's not crazy to think we can educate and offer educational experiences through blogs.  With students interacting with technology so much, it may actually be a way of communicating with the youth of today on their level.
I've learned through researching different educational blogs that a class blog of school blog is a mass communication form for students (3).  It's a central place a student can go to for information and a place to pose (or in this case), post their own questions (2).
Something I found really neat was teachers who created their own class blog and their students then had their individual blogs all linked to the class or teachers blog (1).  What a great way to submit an assignment.  No long does the individual need to carry the pesky poster to class-just post it.  No longer can a child claim-the teacher lost my assignment.  This is much like what college students (4) are doing with their online learning systems.  Having students blog is way to condition a student into the world of technology.

(1) http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=41233
(2) http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=1638
(3) http://oakridgefifthgrade.edublogs.org/
(4) https://online.usu.edu/
photo courtesy of http://www.etutors-portal.net/homepage_components/resources/Pedagogyteacher.gif