Blogging in the Creative Writing Classroom

Okay, so this is a concept that is incredibly new to me. I am sure many of you know much more about the world of "THE BLOG" than I do, so please feel free to share your thoughts and comments. With that said...

A "BLOG" is a shortened form of the term "WEBLOG" - an online space to post your thoughts, ideas, and in this case, poetry, rough drafts, and class assignments. This year, our creative writing program is exploring how blogs can be used as part of our class experience.

During our October 8th in-service, a member of my department (the only male in a sea of fourteen women, God bless him...) facilitated a session about PhotoStory, Audacity, de.lici.ous, and (drumroll, please) blogging. He promised that our blogs could be up and running in a matter of moments and, miraculously, he was not exaggerating! You could see the collective wheel of our departmental mind turning, and thinking, "How can we use this in our classrooms? How can we use this in our classrooms?" Noah had his blog up on the screen as an example. Wow: he was posting assignments, YouTube videos, related music, and reminders. Also on his page were his students' blog pages, where they could not only post responses to questions, writing prompts, etc., but could also comment on one another's work! "This is incredibly cool," I thought. "I need to use this in creative writing."

And thus was formed: The Creative Writing/Creative Writing Workshop Blog (of Wonders)!

It could not have been easier to set up:

Step One: Go to http://www.blogger.com/.

Step Two: Click on the big orange arrow that says, "CREATE YOUR BLOG NOW."

Step Three: Create an account.

Step Four: Follow the rest of the prompts to create your blog (name your blog, create an address, create a user name, choose a template, etc.).

Step Five: Guide your students through this same process. Be sure that they do not use their first or last names, information about where they live/go to school, etc.

Step Six: (Optional: Performing this step will make it so that you will receive a copy of each student posting in your e-mail inbox.) Have your students go to SETTINGS. Go to E-MAIL. In the first box (BLOG SEND ADDRESS), have them type in YOUR e-mail address. Save changes.

Step Seven: Make a list of students' display names and URL addresses.

Step Eight: From your blog page (your DASHBOARD), click on LAYOUT > ADD A PAGE ELEMENT > ADD LINK LIST.

Step Nine: Add each student's blogspot.com address (NEW SITE URL) and display name (NEW SITE NAME). After each one, click ADD LINK. Save changes.

Step Ten: Eat a sandwich while basking in the glory of your new teaching tool.

(See? I didn't even NEED ten steps! It's that easy!)

From this point, I made a hard copy list of all student display names and first names for each section {for example: Pd. 5 - Hello There (Jayme); Pd. 7 - Joker_Rose (Mike); Pd. 8 - Broadway (Cody)} and distributed it to all bloggers (I have about fifty).

And now, we were up and running and ready to go! Students were very excited about this process. Many of them had personal blogs anyway, so they were familiar with the workings. Those students served as helpers to others who needed some assistance.

Right now, students are responsible for one new blog post each week and two comments on others' postings (I made a chart for them to keep track of everything). Ninety-five percent of students are going above and beyond this requirement; they love it!

Here are some additional thoughts/(potential) answers to (possible) frequently asked questions:

*Students may post rough drafts of poetry/prose pieces, poetic song lyrics (with commentary), poems by other authors (with commentary), meaningful quotes (with commentary), a cool writing prompt that they want others to try, and any other material that is relevant to creative writing class. They may also personalize their pages as they wish, with quotes, graphics, etc.
*Students may leave each other comments/feedback/constructive criticism/suggestions on rough draft postings and other related material.
*Prior to our first posts, I had a candid conversation with all students about appropriateness, sensitivity, and the like. Since these ideals have been established from Day One, they all "got it." I have not had ANY issues thus far with inappropriate or cruel remarks.
*I have also not censored them too much in terms of their display names or their postings. I want them to feel comfortable using this space; I want it to be THEIRS, and I want them to know that I trust them to do the right thing. For the very most part, they have risen to this occasion with a tremendous amount of thoughtfulness and maturity.
*I have also extended a section of our blog page to creative writing alumni and/or Calliope (literary magazine) members. This way, they can stay connected to the world of creative writing even though they are not still members of the class. At this point, I have a Rutgers student, a community college student, a current junior, and others staying connected to our program through the blog.
*On my blog page, I post assignments, reminders, upcoming events (coffeehouses, writing contests, etc.), and thoughts for my students to consider. If anyone is absent or on a family vacation during school, no problem: check the blog. If parents want to stay informed, no problem: check the blog. It really is an incredible resource for staying connected.

Whew. I am exhausted from writing all of this down. I think I need a sandwich. ;)

Next Posting: Student Thoughts/Feedback on Blogging in the Creative Writing Classroom