Agenda

• Share: what do you think makes a blog a blog?
• Discuss: why does the UCWbL have a blog?
• Brainstorm blog topics in groups
• Read & Reflect: “How to Write an Effective Blog Post”
• Blog!

What do you think makes a blog a blog?

Break into small groups and discuss what you think a blog is and talk about examples you’ve heard of or read.

For example, many people think that blogs are significantly intimate with the author. Is this always the case? What about with UCWbLing?

Why a blog?

In your groups, reflect on About UCWbLing and why the UCWbL has a blog, what the goals of the blog are, and how collaboration is a key part of what UCWbLing does. Share your reflections with the group.

Brainstorming

In groups, brainstorm 5-15 ideas for specific blog post topics.

Some sample categories for blog posts:

• Favorite tutoring resources, and why they’re awesome (think Purdue OWL, Grammar Girl, etc.)
• Hot topics in the fields of education, tutoring, writing, etc.
• Informative posts for tutors (learning experiences that can be shared)
• Informative posts for writers (advice or observations about things writers seem to struggle with or do well)
• Experiences on an UCWbL team
• Favorite tutoring strategies and why they work
• Reflections on learning to be a peer writing tutor

Some blogs/websites to respond to:

• PeerCentered is a blog for tutors and by tutors, in a collaborative style (written by tutors around the world) and is a good resource for potentially controversial things to respond to (because it’s written by many people and not curated by an editorial board)
• The Dangling Modifier is a writing center newsletter geared at connecting writing centers and publishes research-based and tutor experience-based content
• Digital Is is a National Writing Project website that hosts blogs from educators about teaching, learning, writing, and more.
• Educator Innovator is a blog by the National Writing Project that deals with all things education- and learning-related.

How to blog

Read Anthony Rotolo’s “How to Write an Effective Blog Post” to get an idea of conventions of successful blog posts before you write your own.

Blog!

Chose one of the topics your group brainstormed, one of the categories/topics listed above, or your own idea, and write a blog post about it. Use ALL parts of a blog post that Rotolo defines.