A blog (short for web log) is a web-based diary, a simple website to which the owner(s) can post announcements or reflections, and where visitors to the page can leave messages in the form of comments. Minerva now has one of these, scroll down for more info.
Using blogs is as simple as using say webmail - and most allow you to add images, sounds or link to video. They are often public, i.e. visible to anyone over the World Wide Web, but can be set for access only by a named group of individuals.
There is usually no limit on how many blogs you can set up on one blogging site. The Minerva blogging tool is restricted to one blog per module.
Blogs come in all different colours, from the University-related to the frivolous to the incisive - here's the incisive Rentergirl, here's the University related Web 2 tools in teaching and learning.
Setting up blogs for teaching and learning
If Minerva can't meet your needs, the first thing to decide is where it will be hosted, i.e. where the files will be stored that enable it to be seen over the World Wide Web. The following sites provide both the server storage and the software to allow you to write and manage your blog. The commercial sites (remote from BSU) are all free, although some also provide an enhanced service for payment. Remember that BSU has no control over these. There's more information and links to the following resources on our training workshop blog at http://blogability.edublogs.org/
Web sites that host blogs include the following:
Bath Spa University
Minerva offers a 'University-based' blogging tool. This allows you to create a blog but not a public one - users will need to be logged in to the particular module hosting the blog, so this isn't a blog in the wider sense of the word. See below for more on Minerva's blogging tool. Also, you can run a blog from the University's wiki.
Blogger
http://www.blogger.com/ is owned by Google and is the best known blogging site. At present you can add image files to your blog, but there's no facility to store other file types.
Wordpress
http://www.wordpress.com is another site with similar features to Blogger. You can store documents and pictures on the site and include them in your blog posts.
Edublogs
http://www.edublogs.org/ uses Wordpress software, and supports podcasts and video files. It's particularly aimed at educational users and provides licences for multi-user blogging.
Minerva and blogs
Minerva now has a blogging tool available. If you'd like to use this, you'll need to set up the blogging tool on a 'Per module' basis - a quick and easy task:
Go to the module control panel, and from the course tools select 'Configure blog tool'.
Choose the options to set up your preferences for use of the blog. Note one setting in particular - 'Do you want to allow users to view posts by other users?'. This has a curious effect. Say 'Yes' to that one and you'll have created a collaborative blog - available for participation from everyone on the module. Say 'No' and you'll have created a different animal - a 'Reflective journal' or private blog for each individual student on the module - only the student and their tutor will be able to see blog entries.
Select the 'Submit' button and then be really alarmed at the little smiley face which appears. You're done.
Finally, set up a link from the course menu to the blog - using the module control panel to 'Manage course menu'. Add a 'Tool link' and choose 'Blog Tool'. Position the button as you need it in the course menu. That's all, the course blog is now available to everyone on the module.
'Myspace' and other social networking sites are effectively blogs. Staff might also like to explore ELGG: http://www.elgg.org/ - an academic version of 'Myspace'.
Blogs and Youtube
Once a video's on Youtube it's easy to share it via your blog. Something like the following usually works: