What is a blog?

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 | Blogging, technology

The word blog is a contraction of the term web log.  This means that a log – or record or diary – is kept on the internet.

The best way to describe a blog is by looking at one and discussing its features.  Let’s use an example:

Jenny has a son who suffers from attention deficit disorder (ADD).  Over a period of years she consults with many doctors and educators and she reads widely on the subject and after many tribulations she feels that she has a measure of control over the situation.  She now wants to share the information with others.  The internet is the best way to reach people across the globe and so she starts logging her experiences on the web – she does this on her blog (web log); she engages in the act of blogging and this makes her a blogger.

A blog is easy to create – much easier than a website.  Jenny does not know much about computers or the internet, but a friend showed her a website which allows her to create a blog on her own.  She can set the blog out in a way that looks nice to her.

Every day or two she writes something related to ADD and then publishes it on her blog – each one of these articles is called a posting.  The newest posting always appears at the top of the screen pushing the previous ones down – this allows the reader to read the most recent information first.

At times Jenny posts information about a real life experience she had with her son; at other times it is something she learned from a doctor, a teacher or a book she read.  Often she finds interesting information on the internet and then posts the links so that the readers of her blog can benefit from the information.  She can also include pictures in her postings.

Over a period of a year many people discovered Jenny’s ADD blog and became regular readers.  Allowing them to make comments on the postings the blog soon developed into a discussion forum – Jenny’s postings take the lead with interesting topics, and others share their knowledge and experience through comments.  People flock to the blog because they find it enlightening and encouraging.

Millions of blogs on any imaginable subject exists on the internet.  Teachers who want to learn how to use technology will find blogs that are just right for them.

For more technology tips for teachers click here.

Tags: blog, technology

2 Comments to What is a blog?

Chas
Friday, 3 December, 2010

Kobus : You have great from of speech speking about BLOGS. Thank you for giving a simple explanation using the example of Jenny.
I commend you with your own BLOG and the succesful accreditation you received for it.