What is a blog?

A blog (shortening of “weblog”) is an online journal or informational website displaying information in the reverse chronological order, with the latest posts appearing first.

Take a look at my introduction example.

Why blog?

I've been teaching Corrections since 2017. Each semester, I see my students ideas grow and transform. However, this would all occur behind the scenes through papers or essay exams. Students weren't able to share their thoughts and ideas with each other.

Thanks to a colleague on Twitter, I started looking into blogging as a more interactive online activity. When we switched online last semester, the one thing students said they hated was discussion boards! Blogs serve as a more personal space to share your ideas with less restrictions. I love that you can personalize your blogs with colors and images. It allows me to get to know all of you better than discussion board posts.

You'll use Blogger throughout the term to create blog posts on specific topics. Through your blogs, you will be developing your evidence-based opinions on important issues in corrections.

Here is an example blog I wrote about COVID-19 and prisons. Notice how I use research and data to back up my points. I also use images and graphs to make it engaging.

Getting Started

Credit to @OnlineCrsLady

Blogger. I recommend using Google Blogger and will include instructions for this platform only. If you want to use a different platform, like Wordpress or Wix, feel free to do so. You can always find tutorials online to help you with step-by-step instructions for those other platforms.

Log in at Google. To use Blogger, you'll need a Google.com (Gmail) account. If you don't have an account yet, create one; if you have an account, log in.

Blogger.com. Next, go to Blogger.com. If you are not signed in, there's a link in the upper-right-hand corner that will prompt you to sign in with your Google account. If you don't have a profile set up yet, it will prompt you to choose a display name.

I recommend using a pseudonym (fake name) as your display name. I will know who each of you are because you will submit a link to your blog through Blackboard. We will be posting blogs about controversial topics throughout the semester and your classmates will see your posts. You might be willing to be more candid or open if you classmates do not know your true identity. There is more information on your blog identity below.

Create a blog. In the upper left-hand corner you will see a dropdown which is a list of all your blogs. You can create different blogs for different purposes! To create a new blog, choose "new blog" from the dropdown menu.

You will then be be prompted to give your blog a title. Use "CJ 391: Corrections" for the title. For the blogspot.com blog address, use "CJ391" and your initials or numbers. Mine is "CJ391bb."

You can also choose a theme now, and you can change that theme anytime. This is where you can have fun personalizing you blog!

Click create blog (lower right-hand corner) when you are done. If it prompts you about a domain, just click "No Thanks."

Create a post. To create a new post, just click on the New post button in the upper left part of the screen... or click on the orange "+" button in the lower right of the screen.

You'll see a content editor that looks like most content editors you've used for email, discussion boards, etc.

Don't forget to use a Post Title. Each post should have a title. The post title box is above the main text editing area. For your first one, you can use something like "Introduction."

Now... type! The cool thing about Blogger is that you can include images, GIFs, memes, YouTube videos, and other content.

Once you've typed something in the main box, make sure you have a post title and then hit "Publish" which is just above the label box in the old editor; it will say "Update" if you are editing an existing post. In the new editor, there are just icons (part of that whole mobile-friendly approach); the publish icon is an arrow, and the publish arrow will be greyed out if you don't have any changes in the post to publish.

If the publish arrow is greyed out, that means your post is published and you can safely close the editing window. To return to your Blogger dashboard, just click the backward arrow in the upper left-hand corner.

Yay, you now have a blog!

If you need help along the way, Google is a great resource. I literally Google everything when I run into issues. For example, you can search "how do I add an image to blogger?" and you'll get an answer instantly.

If you cannot find the help you need online, please reach out to me!!

Here are some more 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." If you look at the sidebar of this blog, you will see that I am a fan of sidebar widgets.

Requirements

You'll have five total blog posts required for the class, worth 30 points each. The specific prompts, instructions, and rubric are located on Blackboard.

Posts

Your first blog post is easy, it is an introduction to you!

For the rest, you will be graded on whether you fully answered all questions in the prompt and the logic of your responses. You can and should use content summarized in this class to formulate your responses. You can also use outside sources, but must link or cite them.

The best blog posts will fully answer the prompt, use specific examples and statistics/figures from the course, and represent logical coherent arguments. Use your interactivities to build your posts!

Other optional qualities of effective blog posts include images, GIFs, and memes to engage readers. You could even include links to videos or music if relevant!

Submitting your blog post

Copy and paste a link to your Blogger post and submit in the submission box through Blackboard. The link should contain "Blogspot." This is tricky because if you copy from the edit menu, it will be the wrong link. You have to click view then copy the link.

Classmates' Blogs Reflections

At two points throughout the term, you will also read and reflect on your classmates' blogs. All you need to do is fully answer the questions in Blackboard to receive full credit.

You are not required to comment on your classmates' posts, but you are welcome to do so! Please be mindful of our class expectations. Be constructive and respectful if you provide feedback. Remember, we are all entering this class with different experiences and viewpoints.