Why blog?

Students ideas are constantly growing and transforming, yet due to "traditional" assignments, like papers and exams, these thoughts and ideas often are not shared with one another. As I constantly tell my students, I learn just as much from you as you learn from me, so why not share more among the class?

A colleague of mine on Twitter (@bree_bop) introduced me to the idea of student blogs. Discussion boards, which I have used in the past, tend to be more rigid. Blogs allow for more creative freedom - you can personalize your blogs with colors and images, both in terms of theme and within your posts (you even can make it fun with images and GIFs!). In other words, your blog will serve as your personal space to share your ideas with more freedom and less restriction.

For this class, we will be using Blogger to create posts on specific topics, which I will provide in the respective weekly module. Through your blogs, you will develop and share your evidence-based opinions on the relationship between media and crime.

Getting Started

(Credit to @OnlineCRSLady and @bree_bop)

Blogger. For this course, I recommend using Google Blogger - I will include instructions for this platform only. You are welcome to use any other platform of your choosing, such as Wordpress or Wix, and will likely find online tutorials that can help you work through these platforms with step-by-step instructions.

Log in to Google. You will need a Google.com (Gmail) account to use Blogger. Your Oswego email (through Gmail) will work for this and should be used. Now you can go ahead and log in.

Blogger.com. Next, go to Blogger.com. If you are not already signed in, go to the upper right-hand corner and click "Sign In." This will prompt you to log in using your Google/Gmail account information.

Create a Blog. If this is your first time using Blogger, you will immediately be prompted to create a new blog. You will first be prompted to give your blog a title. For this class, use "CRJ 412: Mass Shootings in Society" as your blog title. For the blogspot.com blog address, use "CRJ412" and your initials. Mine is "CRJ412JS." (NOTE: Blogger will verify if your blog address is available. Some of you may have the same first and last initials. If this is returned as unavailable, add in your middle initial or a number so that you have a unique address.)

You will then be asked to choose a display name. I recommend that you use a pseudonym (fake name) as your display name. I will know who you are because you will submit your blog link to me through Brightspace. Since your classmates may review your blog at some point for an assignment, you might be more willing to open up or be more candid if the readers cannot readily identify you. (See below for more information on your blog identity.)

You can also choose a theme for your blog now (or later) and make it more personalized. The sky is the limit as far as using your creativity!

If you already have used Blogger in the past, you will see a dropdown list in the upper left corner (under the site banner). You can add a new blog here and follow these same instructions to set up your blog for this class. Simply choose "New Blog" to get started.

Create a Post. Now that your blog is setup, it's time to start writing! To create a new post, click the "Create New Post" button (the orange circle with the plus sign) at the lower right side of your screen. You will be taken to a content editor that will look similar to others you have used in the past for things like email, discussion boards, and the like.

First things first... be sure to title your post! The post title box is above the main text editing area. For your first post, it can be something as simple as "Introduction" ... but for your other posts, the title should be reflective of what you will be writing about. Again, feel free to get creative!

Now... we type! In addition to writing your standard post, similar to a discussion board, Blogger also allows you to incorporate images, GIFs, YouTube videos, and other content. Get creative! You want to include things that are relevant to what you are writing about (and not offensive or otherwise inappropriate), but you can make it more appealing and more personal.

Check out my introduction blog as an example!

Once you have typed your entry into the main box, double check that you have your title as well, and then hit "Publish" - located just above the editor on the upper right-hand part of your screen. (If you need to make edits after, it will change to "Update" - so you would click that as well.)

Congratulations - you now have a blog!

If you need any help along the way, please do not hesitate to reach out. Remember also that Google is a great resource that will give you an immediate answer to any question that you have! I use Google for any issue I have. Want to know how to add an image to your blog? Google "how do I add an image in Blogger" to find out!

Here are some additional helpful terms to know (Credit to @OnlineCrsLady):

Post. Each new piece of content that you add to the blog is called a post. A post can be just a sentence or two, or it can be something that would be several pages long if you were to print it out on paper. A post can contain text, links, images, and video; being able to include media is one of the most fun and useful aspects of blogging.

Template. Most blog software uses a design template so that each post in your blog has the same basic look as every other post in the blog (font, colors, etc.). You can modify or switch templates at any time, changing the design of the blog without changing the content.

Sidebar. Most blog templates allow you to have a sidebar (or multiple sidebars) with content in little boxes separate from the contents of your posts; those sidebar boxes are usually called "widgets" or "gadgets."

Assignment Requirements

You will have six blog posts over the course of the semester. Each post is worth 20 points. For each blog, the instructions and prompt will be provided in Brightspace. Your lowest score out of the six blogs will be dropped.

Blog Post Grading

Your blog will be graded based on how well you answer the associated prompt that is provided. This means answering all parts of the prompt (as there will be multiple questions) and ensuring that your response is presented logically and with support.

Each blog post will be graded as follows: