Get Real Science Mantras

Embrace it or Change it
Own the Details
Be Community Active
Everyone MEANS EVERYONE
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20100520-GRSMantras-Jfrink

Blogging Skills

	Blogroll Description: A Blogroll allows you to display links to other blogs that you read or that you see connection with. This is not only a helpful aspect for readers of your blog to find other resources but also shows where you see yourself in the educational blog world (edublogosphere). Activity: In the blogging system we use (WordPress) the blogroll is now called Links Manager. Set up a blogroll on your blog site. Select blogs that make sense to you or that you read frequently.
	Searching Blogs Description: Although following a specific blog or set of blogs is helpful, it is also important to follow topics across blogs. Using specific search tools designed to look at blogs are good. The key with these is that you can actually follow a specific tag (think keyword) or subscribe to a specific search. This means that once you have found a good search phrase, you can see regularly what is posted that follows that topic. Activity: Select a topic that you want to follow across the blogoshpere. Use a blog specific search engine to search for that topic. Tweak your search until it is finding what you want. Save that specific search for later use.
	Google Reader Description: The real power of blogging technology involves three little letters- RSS. Basically, this allows you to subscribe to the blogs and have the posts come to you. Activity: Set-up A Google Reader account and subscribe to some favorite blogs (don't forget the GRS cohort). If you already have an account, there is an AMAZING amount of additional options in Google Reader. Look at the advanced tutorials for these.
	Embedding links Description: A powerful aspect of blogging is the ability to interconnect to various blogs. You will need to be able to embed links in both your posts, but also (if the blog allows it) in your comments. This creates a hyperlink over to another webpage, blogpost or comment. Activity: Create a post that links to another blog entry. Then on the other blog site, comment with your thoughts and a link back to your post on the subject.
	Adding Media Description: The 'next level' of making interesting blog posts is the ability to embed media into those posts. This takes the video, photos, etc and places them right in the text of your blog rather than just having a link. Activity: Create a post and add media to it. Note that both the type of blog you use (wordpress) and the type of media you are trying to embed both effect if you can do it and how to do it. Once you have succeeded at placing photos or video, you may want to get more creative and see what else you can embed. Many Web 2.0 tools allow you to embed the work you do on one site into your blog.

Blogging Practices

	Community Building Description: Blogging allows you to connect with and build your own personal learning community and also enhance the personal learning networks of others. You become part of the larger community of edubloggers or Science bloggers or research bloggers or teacher bloggers or .... whatever community you choose to join. These communities are not a set thing however. YOU help create them by being one more part of one. Activity: Begin to build the community by: Commentting on one person's blog and reference another person's blog Adding a blog to your blogroll and introducing yourself through email to that blogger Another idea?? Go ahead and do it and then share what your idea was
	Advocating Description: It is important to advocate for the beliefs and goals that align with those important to reform-minded teaching including social justice. This can be done through creating and linking to a blog post that clearly communicate how you think things should be. Many teacher bloggers also use this to advocate for the role of students as both students and as people. Activity: Create a blog post or comment that advocates for something you believe in or feel needs to be recognized in the broader community.
	Resource Sharing Description: A powerful teacher practice is to share resources. This more open approach to professional practice can be facilitated on your blog. Some teachers actually have weekly posts with a few resources they have found that they know others would find helpful. These resources can be websites, tools, documents you have created, etc. Activity: Use your blog to share a resource. Be sure to clearly outline the benefit of these resources to others.
	Conversing Description: Blogs allow you to hold a conversation within one blog or across multiple blogs. You can do this through the comments and links that you leave. Good bloggers utilize their posts to both start and reference conversations already happening on their blog or others. This encourages ongoing discussions. Activity: Start or enter into a conversation. (remember to return to it later so you are truly part of an ongoing conversation)
	Making a statement Description: Blogs allow you to make a statement and be creative in doing it. Many teachers show that learning is more than just a school activity by making statements about the broader world. This is often the case when wanting to help the broader world understand issues like going green or the importance of life. These are often much more powerful by using media to make your statement. Activity: Make a statement on your blog. Remember to be professional still. If you can be creative and maybe even include media.