Over the last few years, I have experimented with different ways of incorporating technology into my classes. I have also become a bit of a blog addict. I read a wide variety of them, and I find blogs to be a great way for people to express their thoughts about a wide assortment of issues. They are also easy to update. I see a lot of potential for them as an excellent tool in a class. All which leads to the creation of this blog for The Making of the Middle East. I want to use this blog as a way for me and the students to post our reactions to the readings and class discussions and allow others to read and respond to these comments. I also want to use the blog as a way to create a record of the class. Each class will have a designated scribe whose responsibility it will be to post what took place in the class. I envision this as a useful resource at the end of the semester for the final. You’ll also use the blog to post links and commentaries about the media you are following (more to come on this assignment).
Four basic rules:
1. Posts need to be analytical. It’s okay not to like a class or a reading, but you need to be able to explain why you feel that way. The same needs to be said about positive reactions. Why did you like a reading or class discussion?
2. Class posts – not class notes. If it’s your responsibility to post for a class, you should blog about the general discussion, any important conclusions, and any unresolved issues. You absolutely should not post your notes from the class.
3. Make sure to include labels for all blogs posts. There are four standard labels: classroom, reading, links, miscellaneous. The labels are self-explanatory. Make sure to include a label for every post.
4. Spellcheck. Although I do not expect your posts to be grammatically perfect, you should at least spellcheck. At the end of your post, please remember to spellcheck.
