Today, I stumbled upon (literally–not the digital tool) an awesome slideshow–one that explains the power of Web 2.0 tools. Check it out:

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Pretty awesome, huh, that this IBM employee is encouraging co-workers to read, write, and react. Sounds like typical English class behavior, which is exactly why blogging–when done right–can be a powerful tool to make us grow as readers, thinkers, and writers.

So, how do we do blogging right? What does it mean to become a blogger?

Step One

One of the best ways to understand blogging is to check out other blogs–to evaluate their organization, visual appeal, content, writing style.

• How do they utilize pages and posts?
• How do they organize information?
• What widgets do they use?
• About what do they write?
• How do they cite sources–including images?
• What multimedia elements do they use?
• How do they cite sources of text, images–anything taken from somewhere else?
• How many comments do they get? Do they encourage conversations by responding to comments readers leave? If so, how do they respond–with a particular format?

You need to locate some quality blogs to evaluate. Preferably, you’ll find blogs written by students your age; however, since we learn from masters, feel free to evaluate adult bloggers. Check out the sites below to find three blogs. Avoid simply picking the first three you see. Instead, allow yourself time to explore, to locate three solid blogs from which you can learn and find inspiration.

• AP English blogs from 2007
• Nate Stearns’ student blogs (another AP English teacher)
• The Eddies: an annual blog awards by Edublogs–this is a great way to find quality blogs.
• Class Blogs: These are AP Lit students–groups of kids created blogs

You’re certainly not limited to blogs discovered from these pages. If you find a quality blog via another search route, go with it!

Step Two

Spend some time exploring the three blogs you’ve selected. Read their current and archived posts. Consider the questions posted above. Here’s more ideas for analyzing the blogs:

• How long has the blog been in existence?
• How often does the blogger post?
• Does the blog seem to have a niche–a certain topic or theme? Are topics random?
• Does it appear the blogger is carefully crafting his pieces, or do they seem more haphazardly–almost on the fly like a first draft–written?
• Is the writing interesting?
• Does anything about the blog inspire you–give you ideas for your own blog?

Again, these questions are only thought-starters. You may brainstorm other criteria by which you’d like to evaluate the blogs.

Step Three

Now, you’re ready to begin drafting. Write a 600-800 word (which is roughly 3-4 pages) evaluation of the three blogs. Remember the basics of good writing:

• Begin with a compelling introduction that includes an attention-getter and a thesis sentence.
• Use an organizational strategy that makes sense and that allows your ideas to flow smoothly from one to another throughout the essay.
• Take note of your diction: Use strong verbs and precise words.
• Include concrete details–specific examples–for every claim you make.
• Include ample commentary to explain thoroughly your ideas.
• Include a concluding paragraph that brings closure and ideally, ties with your attention-getting strategy.
• Revise and edit carefully to avoid mechanical, usage, and grammatical errors.

Since you are evaluating, this is a persuasive piece: You are making judgments–claims–about the value of these blogs. Be clear in your claims:

• What–exactly–are you saying about each blog?
• Why–what specific reasons–do you make these claims?
• What evidence–specific examples–can you give to support your claims?
• Are you building a clear, logical argument–one that makes sense and is likely to convince your reader?
• Are your arguments thoughtful, taking into consideration the quality (in your opinion) of the blog–its visual appeal, its ease of navigation, its functionality, its quality of writing (and any other aspects you wish to judge)?

Be sure to link to the blogs as well as to any other online material (including images) you use. Should you reference any print materials, include a list of those sources in MLA format.

This slideshow might help you get started crafting your argument:

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With a wealth of multimedia elements at your fingertips, are there any visuals you might include to enhance your argument?

Check out the rubric. It should serve as a writer’s checklist.

Publish Your Evaluation

When you’re satisfied that you’ve crafted a compelling evaluation of the three blogs, publish the piece (as a post) to your blog.  You must publish it no later than midnight Friday, June 27. Create a “Summer Assignment” category, and assign the post to this category. Make certain your categories are displaying in your sidebar (or bottom of page–depending on your theme choice) so that readers can easily locate your post.

If you need help with the technical aspects of your blog, check out the Edublog tutorial page. They provide a forum, tutorial videos, and frequently asked questions. If you’re still having problems–and can’t troubleshoot and solve them on your own or with the help of a classmate–e-mail me.