As an integral part of the ENGL140 writing program, students are expected to create and write an online blog. Each week, they must complete at least 4 separate blog entries of a minimum of 100 words each which are written on 4 different days.
The blog entries should not be a diary of events around students, but should reflect the experiences and processes which they are going through in ENGL140. In other words, instead of describing events that happen, students must describe the strategies and grammar they are learning in class and what they think about them. They must summarize and review what they are learning in class and provide clear, full-sentence examples of them in your own words. They must not use the Blog as a forum to simply complain about the course. Problems of that type should be discussed directly with the teacher.
The Blogs start each week on Monday, and the cut-off for the final blog entry is Sunday, so the number of entries will be calculated up to that point. Each week will be marked out of 10 points according to how complete the blog is and whether or not it is truly related to the course and the strategies or grammar learned in it.
All blogs will be set up during the second week of class at Blogger using the instructions below.
- Log into your Google Account.
- Go to Blogger.
- Create a blog. Click
- For the Title, use the course name, last name then first name as follows: ENGL140 - LAST, First.
Try to make it look exactly the same. For example, ENGL140 - SMITH, Bill. - For the Address, use the same information but be sure it looks like this with no spaces: smrt140-last-first. For example, engl140-smith-bill.
- Be sure the “Simple” Template is selected, then click
- You will now be on the main Blogger page called your “Dashboard”. To make your first “Post” on your Blog click
- Next, in the text box that looks like this
type the title of your first post as follows: ENGL140 - LAST, First - Week 2 0/4, which means this is Week 2 and this is your “0” Blog this week because it’s a test. For example, your real first post will look like: ENGL140, SMITH, Bill - Week 2 1/4. - In the large text area below the Post title, type “This is my first Blog.” then click
- This takes you to the “My blogs” page where you can see all of your posts. Before viewing it, you must add your teacher as a Reader of your blog. Click on “Settings” at the bottom of the list of options on the left side of the page. Under “Permissions” click on “+ Add authors” and in the text box under it, type in the email address of the person or people who will be reading and/or marking your Blog and click the “Invite Authors” button. Whoever you add here will get an email and must accept your invitation to your blog before they can read it.
- At the top of the screen, click
to view your blog. - Copy the address of your Blog (engl140-last-first.blogspot.com) and paste it next to your name in the document ENGL140 Blog Links. Your Blog viewers will use this list to access all student Blogs.
- You are now ready to begin your first Blog post for ENGL140.