SUGGESTIONS

The pre-requisites to the adaptation of weblog into the classroom are ample ICT infrastructure on-site and sound pedagogical techniques. Soon all schools will be equipped with Internet ready computers and teachers can start being creative and think about how computers can enrich the learning experiences of the students. Weblog can be used as a training platform for students to show their skills in creating web contents. School newsletters can now be made available online via weblog.

Class Weblog / Webzine Project

Language: Stating facts, opinions and feelings
Skills: Writing
Control: Free
Level: Intermediate/advanced
Time: Asynchronous project, preferably running throughout the whole year. It is best to start the project in the first month of an academic year.
Materials: Internet Access. If you do not have Internet access at school, you might want to get the assistance of local cybercafes to sponsor the project.

Preparation:
Asked students to visit some weblogs and leave comments on those weblogs.
Train students to setup a weblog account via Blogger.com service.
Discuss the ethic of publishing writing online with the participating students. The issue of libel and rumor spreading should be addressed. It is important for writers to impose self-censorship as the entries are widely available for people to read.

Procedure
Each student writes a short article (100-200 words) a month and posts it on the class weblog.
Students should also read postings made by others and write at least 5 sentence comments.
Topics should be limited to reflection of events related to their school.
At the end of the year, best writer awards are given based on the number of comments received by their postings.

Variations
Instead of sharing one weblog, each student can own an individual weblog. He or she can reflect on events that happen around himself/herself.
Select some good articles from the class weblog. Edit them so that they can be published on the school annual magazine.

Links
Free Hosted Weblog Service
Blogger: http://www.blogger.com/
Livejournal: http://www.livejournal.com/
Blogdrive: http://www.blogdrive.com/
Diaryland: http://www.diaryland.com/

ELT Weblogs
Blog-EFL: http://blog-efl.blogspot.com/
Englishblog: http://englishblog.blogspot.com/
Tesall: http://www.tesall.com/bloglog.html

Class Weblogs
Gameplan: http://gameplan.blogspot.com/
Damien TESL UTM: http://damienteslutm2004.blogspot.com/
Let’s Blog: http://www.malhatlantica.pt/teresadeca/school/blog7.htm

Weblog Directory
Petaling Street Project: http://www.petalingstreet.org/
Geng Jurnal: http://www.jurnal.biz/