Blog Assignment

Blog Assignment

The noun FAN is derived from the adjective FANATIC which, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (www.merriam-webster.com), is defined as “marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion.” The word’s origins are from the Latin word FANATICUS which means “inspired by a deity, frenzied.”

We are all fans of something, be it a band, a sports team, a type of movie, a writer, an artist, a brand of clothing, a politician, a particular type of food, dogs, cats, coins, stamps, antiques, or Dixon Ticonderoga pencils. You can be a fan of anything, and you are already a fan of something.

For this assignment, you are going to become an authority on whatever it is that you are a fan of.

You will be responsible for setting up a blog on EITHER BLOGGER (blogger.com) OR WORDPRESS (wordpress.com) about your topic.

You will be responsible for learning how to use the platform to post to your blog. Each site has both tutorials and help available.

What you will be posting:

You are going to be an authority on your subject. Blog posts can consist of history, news, reviews, links, photos, videos, or just about anything else. Each post you make, though, must include an evaluative component. You must comment on whatever information you are posting in a way that demonstrates your knowledge of the subject.

This is an assignment for school and, as such, certain rules of decorum are expected. If you feel that something you are about to post is inappropriate for a school assignment, it probably is and I highly recommend that you err on the side of caution and post something else.

This assignment will also eventually have an authentic audience. Not only will the rest of your class be reading your blog, you will also be marketing your blog to other individuals who share your enthusiasm for your subject. This part of the assignment will be developed in the coming months.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE AUTUMN WILSON'S POST HERE

When you will be posting:

You are expected to post new content to your blog every Wednesday, regardless if school is in session or not. You may, of course, choose to post more often. After we get comfortable with this assignment, there may be an increase in the number of posts per week that will be required.

How you will be evaluated:

First and foremost you are going to be assessed on the quality of your writing on your blog. This means that your adhesion to all the normal writing conventions will be part of this assessment (spelling, grammar, etc…). Also evaluated will be the quality of what you are saying (does it demonstrate your authority on the subject, is it thoughtful and lucid, etc….)

You will also be evaluated on the appearance of your blog. Does it look professional enough to add credence to your authority? Is it easy to follow? Does it draw a reader in?

A third part to the evaluation process is reading other student’s blogs and leaving comments on their posts. This will be developed more formally later, once all the initial kinks of setting up blogs have passed.

Sharing with Mr. Elkin and the class.

After you set up your blog, you are to send your URL to Mr. Elkin via e-mail: delkin@bitneyprep.net. Mr. Elkin will then compile all the URLs for the class and distribute it to the whole class.