Class notes: Week 1

Whether you realized it or not, we learned a lot during the first week of class.

If you need some help or reminders with:

• using Google Reader
• understanding blog terms (post, page, permalink, and more: comment, trackback)
• an overview of the WordPress dashboard as it looked like some time back, and/or
• help creating a new blog post in WordPress

Please see these tutorials I created for students just like you. Of course, you can also learn how to get started directly from WordPress – and here is a good Twitter guide book from Mashable (a social media blog you should be following).

If you need help with Twitter, please see these posts I wrote for students just like you You can browse the posts tagged “Twitter” by clicking the word “twitter” in the cloud tag on the left side bar.

We ended class with a to do list for you. I am sure you have everything in your notes, but just in case, here it is again:

1. Set up your blog. You can use your real name or a pseudonym. Post your blog’s URL in a comment on this first post about class.
2. Set up your Twitter account. Write your bio, customize your picture (avatar). Say hi to me on Twitter by sending a tweet that begins with @mihaela_v. Include the characters #TECH621 in your tweet. So, you can type a tweet such as: “@mihaela_v Hi, I’m on Twitter now. #TECH621″
3. Do the readings and assignment for next week. See the syllabus. Readings are on Blackboard. You can collect the 20 social media sites on your blog. Just have them available in class. Print the list out or bring your computer. Each item on the list should include a brief description of the site. For example: Reddit.com – social news; Spotify.com – music listening/sharing.
4. Subscribe to this blog. You can start by email, but I recommend you figure out Google Reader. Also, you may look into making iGoogle your home page. Here is what mine looks like, after I customized it with the widgets I need most:

Questions? Please let me know in the comments below.

Blog help for TECH 621 students

As you get started on setting up your blog for TECH 621, it’s important that you understand how blogs work. If you are familiar with terms such as blog, blog post, permalink, trackback, RSS feed, and understand the distinction between tags and categories, you’re good to go.

But if these terms aren’t clear, please make sure you read about them and understand them. Some older posts I wrote can help you:

• Twitter and WordPress resources for students just like you.
• Tutorials on the blog terms listed above. These were created for public relations students – just replace “public relations” with your area of interest and we’re good to go.

Your blog for TECH 621

I was just about to write a post about how to plan and write a successful blog for class, when I realized… it’s already in the syllabus!

I’m pasting below the relevant part from the syllabus, in an attempt to direct your attention to it.

Comment on this post within 10 hours (ask a question, or somehow indicate you’ve read the post) to be entered in a drawing for a small prize.

“…

Each student will write a personal blog (readable by only class members, or open – your choice). The blog will be professional, which means you’ll write about work (and a bit of work-related fun), not your personal life, food and movie reviews (unless they’re relevant to your work).

Your blog will have 2 categories of posts:

1. Required topic blog posts:

• notes on readings – YOUR takeaways – What are the 3-5 points that are important to YOU? What did YOU take away from the reading? What did it mean to YOU? How is it relevant to YOU? What questions & critiques do you have?
• notes on social media tools – identify, write about, and review social media tools you come across.

2. Elective topic blog posts:

• Ideas, thoughts, opinions, commentary on anything you see/read/hear that is or can be related to class and/or your work. For example, you may view the videos I posted on the Ning network, and write your thoughts about them. Or you can post your thoughts/opinions about something that was discussed in class, something that happened, etc. You can post videos, photos, etc.
• Some mix of personal or humorous posts ad spice to your blog and show your humanity and complexity. Just keep it work-appropriate
• Questions, fears, unfinished ideas – blogs are most interesting when they document your thinking process rather than when they show a finished, polished “final paper.”

Keep the writing simple, concise, clear, and grammatically correct. Remember, this is (part of) your online resume.

…”

WordPress video tutorials – from WordPress!

Need help with anything WordPress, such as…

• How to write a new post?
• How to add categories and tags to your posts?
• How to manage your sidebar and add different widgets (i.e. blogroll, categories, etc.)?

The great news is you no longer have to make do with Dr. V’s home-made video tutorials!

WordPress has just launched a series of video-tutorials that teach you step-by-step how to manage your blog, write posts, manage discussion (comments), and many other things!

Now, you have NO excuse for your blog not looking and being top notch!

*** check out the How To section on WordPress.tv ***

Evaluation of student blogs

Several people manifested interest in integrating blogs in communication curricula. An important part of blogging as a class assignment is assessment.

Here’s how I assessed my students’ blogs in the PRinciples class.

I published guidelines and grading criteria at the beginning of the semester.

I subscribed to the RSS feeds for all blogs, and read every single student post. I tried to comment as much as possible, but I didn’t comment on all posts. I mostly commented on posts that stimulated me and made me want to comment.

I compiled a weekly digest of week’s best blog posts – partly to keep track of great blog posts, partly to promote my students.

By the end of the semester, I had a clear feeling of who excelled at blogging and who didn’t.

Here’s a breakdown of characteristics of each class of blogs:

A blogs (300-270 points out of 1,000) excellent – these were the “stars”

• had all required blog posts
• excellent frequency of self-motivated blog posts (at least one a week)
• self-motivated blog posts were interesting, thoughtful, original, insightful (quality)
• authors engaged in the blogosphere by posting comments on others’ blogs

B blogs (255-225 points out of 1,000) good

• had all or most required blog posts
• did well on either frequency or quality of self-motivated posts, but not so well on the other; or, did an average job on both
• authors engaged in the blogosphere

C blogs (210-180 points out of 1,000) below average

• had low number of required blog posts
• had problems in both frequency and quality of self-motivated posts

D blogs (165-135 points out of 1,000) minimal effort/way below average

• had low number of required blog posts
• had very few, if any, self-motivated blog posts

F blogs (0 points)

• student didn’t even try

The overall grade represents a balance between frequency and quality. Some students started the semester well, wrote some very insightful blog posts, but slowly abandoned their blogs. Others picked up at the end of the semester, and yet a third category posted throughout the semester, yet not frequently enough (less than once a week).

Even students who posted about once a week (high frequency) did not always receive the highest grade. The posts had to be insightful, thoughtful, and original, showing self-motivation and self-sufficiency. Students who only responded to class discussion on their blogs but did not show initiative and originality in their writing did not earn As.

Blogging is a difficult exercise which requires committment and thoughtfulness. Students who invested both time and thoughtfulness earned the highest grades.

The PR blogosphere: RRW (Read, Respond, Write)

Anybody who’s somebody and/or would like to be somebody or just IS in PR blogs. There are lots of PR blogs out there. How do you find them and choose what to READ?

Here are some starting points:

• This post lists the finalists in the PR Week blog competition. These are some of the most poular & appreciated PR blogs. All of them worth reading.
• When you come across a blog you like, check out the blogroll – it’ll lead you to other blogs you might enjoy reading. For example, see the blogroll on PR Connections
• If you want more, see this comprehensive list of PR blogs, maintained by Constantin Basturea

Reading is not enough. You should also RESPOND, in comments or your own blog posts.

Here are some excellent tips on how to comment and how to invite comments on your posts, from UGA PR professor Karen Russell.

You’re reading blogs and responding, but how do you build your own online reputation? By WRITING your own blog. How? Chris Brogan wrote a number of excellent tips for better blogging, collected here. I also highly recommend the book Naked Conversations – it will teach you a lot about good blogging.

WHY? Besides the reasons mentioned in class, see:

• this story of someone getting a job because he read a blog
• this story of how listening and responding to a podcast helped this person connect with his employer, Joseph Jaffe of crayon, author of Join the Conversation.

On Google Reader and what blogs to read

Google Reader is the tool you use to read blogs.

After you figure out how to use the tool, you need to figure out what blogs to read.
Start with the class blog
http://pprprofmv.wordpress.com
and maybe with my other blog,
http://www.prconnections.net
.
As you discover other blogs or I tell you about them, you may decide to subscribe to them and read them. For example, Kevin Dugan’s The Bad Pitch Blog is a must-read. See my previous post about Kevin.