Official blog of Clark's Blogging for Journalists class, Mass Communication department

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Format for grading blog presentation

Grading format for your presentation


2013 Blogging/ Name__________________
Blog reviewed ______________________________________________
Link _________________________________________
 
(1--F to 5-A)
1.     History of blog
How long blogging? Why? Changes? Growth? 

1          2          3          4          5
2.     Facts of the blog
Who is the blogger? (Age, profession, etc.)Purpose, Does it make money?   Geographic location? 

1          2          3          4          5
3.     Statistics
Followers, hits. etc.
1          2          3          4          5
4.     Unique
In what ways?
1          2          3          4          5
5.     Strengths
1          2          3          4          5
6.     Weaknesses
1          2          3          4          5
7.     Advice of blogger (-20 percent if not contacted)

How influence your blogging?
What ideas did you get?




Screenshot?
Outline to all members?
Time of presentation?
Paper on time:

Blog essay grading --percentages

  1. Introduction--10
  2. Thesis statement--10
  3. Support-20
  4. Conclusio-10
  5. Original thoughts--10
  6. Paragraphing--10
  7. Links/sources--10
  8. Spelling--50 percent off if misspelled
  9. Grammar--10
  10. Followed submission guidelines--10

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Essay subjects

Post two possible topics below.
With one pertinent link as well.

More blog terms

Blog terms you should know
  1. Guest blogging
  2. header
  3. hit
  4. home page
  5. html
  6. hyperlink
  7. keyword
  8. imbed
  9. link
  10. link bait
  11. lurker
  12. microblogging
  13. multiuser blog
  14. newbie
  15. niche
  16. page view
  17. permalink
  18. podcast
  19. post
  20. profile

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Your blog url

Cut and paste the url to your blog in comments below, today. after name of blog.
Example: Coffee with Clark, http://clarkcoffee.blogspot.com

Monday, September 16, 2013

Blog to adopt--making contact

After discussion Tuesday, Sept. 17, post the blog below you will be adopting, and your backup blog.
  • Adoption reports begin Tuesday, Oct. 22. We will do two to three a day. We will make presentation date assignments Oct. 1
  • You should make initial contact with the blogger by Thursday, Sept. 19. We will discuss this in class.
  • In initial email, introduce yourself; tell the blogger you're doing this for a university class; and give the link to blogbloguco as a reference. You may also phone the person if you wish, and they agree, to talk in person. Not necessary.
  • Ask for a confirmation email.
  • Let them know you need to visit with them, via email, by Oct. 15.
  • Ask them for a date when they'd have time to respond.
  • If the blogger does not respond within 24 hours, send another email. If that doesn't work, go to your backup blog and email immediately.
  • Being unable to contact and interview a blogger will subtract 20 points from your 150-point project. 
  • Send them the list of questions you'd to discuss:
  1. History of the blog?
  2. How long blogging?
  3. Who is the blogger? (Age, profession, etc.)
  4. Why do they blog?
  5. Purpose of blog?
  6. How often blog?
  7. Geographic location?
  8. Number of followers?
  9. Monthly traffic?
  10. How has their blog changed from when it started?
  11. Does it make money?
  12. What makes this blog unique?
  13. What are its strengths?
  14. What are its weaknesses?
  15. What is the advice of the blogger to you and other bloggers?

Blog essay assignment


Blog essay assignment: For this assignment, you must write a 500-word essay in which you describe the current impact of blogging on American culture and journalism. You must provide links to your source material. All information about blogging is easily available on the web. You can easily obtain this material through simple Google searches. You might ask yourself these questions as you prepare to write your essay: How do blogs compete with traditional media sources? How important are blogs in politics? Do blogs promote democracy? What are the drawbacks of blogs? Ultimately, you must make a claim, or argument, about the significance of blogs in today's world. If you wish to apply this to your major, that is fine, in fact, preferable.
Blog essay guidelines, deadlines
  • See the syllabus for specifics on assignment, and submission guidelines
  • You are to write a 500-word essay about some aspect and/or question of blogging in today's world, which could be anything, including an area in your major professional field. See syllabus.
  • Here are the deadlines:
  1. Two proposed topics, for in-class discussion, approval, Tuesday, Sept. 24.
  2. List of at least four web sources, Tuesday, Oct. 1
  3. Introductory paragraph, Tuesday Oct. 8
  4. Paper due, Thursday, Oct. 17

  • Organization:
  1. Intro, thesis statement
  2. What your views are, citing weblinks.
  3. Conclusion

  • To be typed in 12 point, Times New Roman font. double-spaced. One side of the paper. 

  • This essay is worth 100 points.
  • Warning--A misspelled word costs you 50 points. If I find one, I quit grading, give you a 50 and an F.
  • Grammar, punctuation, other errors cost five points each.
  • No fancy covers. First page, your name, Title of paper, and start writing. Staple pages together. List links and other sources separately at end of essay.
  • You will also submit the paper as an attachment to tmclark44@gmail.com, so that I can submit it to turnitin.com for plagiarism check, if I think necessary.








Thursday, September 12, 2013

Ethics conference schedule

Here's the link to the Ethics conference, showing the schedule of sessions: Ethics conference

Blog adoption guidelines

Blog adoption guidelines for second half of semester:
“We want a sense of what makes this blog effective, and to learn from the blogger’s experience.”

Presentations will start in October
  • You must show the blog visually in your presentation.
  • You must interview the blogger, by email or on the phone. I recommend you contact them now to make sure they know what you're doing. Last minute, "they did not respond" doesn't cut it
  • If you cannot make contact, you will need to choose a different blog.
  • One page outline of main points (example to come) handed to every member of class while discussing it:
  • List the Name and url of the blog.
1.     History of the blog—
a.     How long blogging?
b.     Who is the blogger? (Age, profession, etc.)
c.      Purpose?
d.     Geographic location?
e.     Number of followers?
f.      Does it make money?
g.  Why do they blog?
2.     What makes this blog unique?
3.     What are its strengths?
4.     What are its weaknesses?
5.     What is the advice of the blogger?
6.     What do you like and dislike?, and why
7.     What did you gain that influences you and your blog?

  • You will present a 500-word  maximum paper to me with all the information the day of the presentations.
  • You will post your presentation outline on your blog, with a screenshot of the blog.

Media ethics assignment for Sept. 25-26

On Sept. 25, 26 you will be required to attend two sessions of the Mass Comm Media Ethics conference in the university center.

Schedule to come next week.
There will be no class Sept. 26.

Here is your assignment:
Attend  the Media Ethics sessions Wednesday or Thursday.
What did you find that applied to you and blogging media?
Either post on your blog, or turn in a 100-150-word paper by Oct. 1
  1.  Two sentence summary of subject.
  2. Is there any application of the subject to blogging media?
  3. Why or why not? Should there be? Explain and defend your position?
  4. What was the strongest part of the sessions you attended? The weakest? Why?

Blog terms

To be a blogger, you have to speak the language.
Here are the first of several terms you need to know (testable). Look them up by 5 pm Monday, Sept. 16.
  1. Archive
  2. Attribution
  3. Blog
  4. Blog carnival
  5. Blog hostBlog post
  6. Blog statistics
  7. Blogger
  8. Blogging software
  9. Blogosphere
  10. Browser
  11. Blogroll
  12. Comment moderation
  13. Comment policy
  14. Dashboard
  15. Domain Name
  16. Feed
  17. Feed reader
  18. Footer
  19. Forum
  20. FTP

Blog writing tips

How is your blog writing?

Read and post one main bit of advice from each one that affects you. Today. Comment below.
http://www.problogger.net/how-to-write-great-blog-content/
http://weblogs.about.com/od/startingablog/tp/WritingBlogPeopleRead.htm
http://www.successfulblogging.com/16-rules-of-blog-writing-which-ones-are-you-breaking/
http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2006-10-11-n47.html

Blog design ideas

Read this article to help evaluate your blog. One comment below of an idea you gained that may help your blogging.
Blog design ideas

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Crackdown on bloggers in China

China acts against bloggers. Read New York Times article here and comment below.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Adopt-A-Blog candidates?

By Thursday, on your blog, and in comments below, post:
Names and links to four possible blogs that you might consider adopting for your class project.

New York Times assignment

Blogger sells TV stations to go all digital. Page B3.
1. Link on Politico
2. What does this tell you about the future of world media?

Monday, September 9, 2013

Read this blog posting.

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the step-daughter of Mass Communication Department Chair Dr. Roz Miller. She makes a very good living being a blogger and science editor for boingboing. Read this link Unlocked doors and the police
Why does she get so many comments? What questions about blogging would you like to ask her? Check the main page of boingboing .What do you think about boingboing? Comment below by end of today's class.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Type Test

Times TEST Times TEST Times TEST
Georgia TEST Georgia TEST Georgia TEST
Helvetica TEST Helvetica TEST Helvetica TEST

Blogosphere update

Read this! for possible quiz Thursday.

Are you my type?

Possible quiz Thursday over terms

1. Read: 

http://blog.fonts.com/2012/02/07/10-web-typography-trends-to-watch-in-2012/


Clark’s Guide to

Readable Typography for Blogs
(Or anything, for that matter)
1.         Serif—Easiest to read
2.         Sans Serif—harder to read the smaller it is or the more of it there is
3.           Most body type should be about 12 point in size
4.           Script is hard to read--invitations only
5.           Italic is hard to read
6.         Only center type
          On Invitations,
            Or Titles, not
            On most  material
7.  ALL CAPS IS HARD TO READ
8.                  REVERSE TYPE 
should be at a
Minimum
And bold
And small san serif 
is hard to read
As is colored type
on reverse  
10.             Screens can make type hard to read
Especially over sans serif
Or heavy and colored screens
11.               Weak colors disappear
12.               Colored type isn’t as effective
As black type, or dark type on a light background
13.      Don’t  Mix Lots of Type Faces
14.            Stick with a few
                  that are compatible

Find 10 in 20 and evaluate one

Blog assignment--Introductory post

Find ten in twenty

Take 20 minutes. Go to
 blogoklahoma.com and to
http://technorati.com/blogs/top100/
http://www.blogher.com/network
http://www.bloggersblog.com/blogalistlinks/


1. Find ten blogs of interest to you. Copy links to your blog.

2. Choose one of the blogs you discovered today, or another one you prefer.
Write a two paragraph evaluation of the blog, addressing the following ideas:
  1. What are its strengths?
  2. What ideas about blogging and your blog do you get from it?
  3. What are its weaknesses and how could be improved?
Be sure to include the link to the blog, and include at least one visual image, plus labels at the end of your post.

List by end of class today. Comment by 5 p.m. Wed. Sept. 4.