Blogging/Journaling Guidelines
Link to List of 115 Blog/Journal Ideas
--Include a minimum of 10 pages (single-sided) of your own writing each grading quarter.
OR
--Post a minimum of 7.5 entries (1,500 words) on our class blogsite,
https://kidblog.org/class/titanblog/login
--The topics and genres of your entries are entirely your choice. You may choose to use the prompts on the list provided.
--Title and date each entry if journaling
--You may have a maximum of 3 blank lines per page if journaling
Blogging in Mr. Martin’s Class
How to Use Kid Blog
1. Go to https://kidblog.org/class/titanblog/login
2. Find your name.
3. Your password is "password".
4. Kidblog will then ask you to change your password. Change it to the password inside your binder (which will also be your Spelling City password).
5. It should take you to your page.
6. When you get time, go to the upper right hand corner by your name, hit the arrow, and click profile. You can change your avatar.
7. To post a response, hit “New Post” at the top of your homepage. You can customize the page your post is featured on. I highly recommend typing and saving your posts on MS Word or Google Docs, and then copying and pasting the post over to Kid Blog. Kid Blog has no “undo” feature, and resultantly, students have accidently deleted their work while typing on the blog.
8. When you are finished with your work, please hit “Review” at the top. I will then look over your work before posting it.
9. You have the option of posting your work as public (for the rest of the class to see) or private (for just you and me to see). If you’d like your post to be private, please type “Private” in the title.
Quarterly Blogging Assignment
What do I type?--The idea of a blog is for you to write about whatever interest you. What are your hobbies? What do you know a lot about? What experiences have you had? What activities are you involved in? Ultimately, you can type whatever you want on your blog site (that’s school appropriate, of course), but your blog should be a reflection of who you are. It’s your blog—make it about whatever you think is important. Some students use their blogs to develop long stories over the course of a year. Others use their blogs as a type of open diary. Most students’ blogs are a mix of different thoughts and experiences they’ve had throughout the school year. If you can’t think of anything to type, try using one of the prompts included on the following pages. Occasionally, I’ll assign a topic for students to write about.
Here are a few more guidelines:
--Any picture or video submitted to the blog must be accompanied by at least 100 words of commentary. Videos and pictures submitted without sufficient commentary will not be accepted.
--All writing for the blog must be your own to count for credit. If it is discovered that you have plagiarized, you may lose credit for previous entries as punishment. If you are posting song lyrics or a poem, give credit to the writer and provide at least 100 words of additional commentary. A song or poem alone will not be accepted.
--Writing will not count for credit unless is original to this blogging assignment. This means you will not receive credit for posting an essay you saved from, for example, 6th grade social studies.
--Do not post lists of items unless you provide commentary for most of the items on the list.
--Posts referencing classmates and teachers may be posted as private. If a post demeans a classmate or teacher, it may not count for credit or it may be deleted.
--If a post is too silly, random, inappropriate, or sloppily written, it may be given only half credit or no credit.
How much do I type?--Each quarter, you’re responsible for typing 7.5 entries. I count an entry as having at least 200 words. Seven and a half entries at 200 words a piece is 1,500 words total. Your entries can be less or more than 200 words, but you must get to the 1,500 word mark for a chance at an A+ on this assignment. I’ll help you keep track of how many entries/words you have for the quarter in my comments back to you. You can also use Kid Blog’s word count feature to help you keep track of how many words you’ve written. Like reading counts, blog credit can roll over to the first semester. I’ve had students finish the blogging assignment for the year within the first quarter. If you are journaling, write 10 pages in a journal each quarter, rather than the 7.5 blogs.
How is my blog graded?--You won’t get a grade for your blog until the end of the quarter. Your blog will count for 10% of your quarterly grade in language arts. The blog is mostly a “completion” assignment—you get credit for how much work you’ve done. Keep in mind, however, that you may receive half or no credit for writing that is overly random, silly, or sloppy. If I deem your writing as worthy of less than full credit, I will inform you.