INTRODUCTION TO BLOG

BLOG

•         A blog is a truncation (short form) of the expression web log. A blog is a discussion or informational site published on the World Wide Web and consisting of discrete entries ("posts") typically displayed in reverse chronological order (the most recent post appears first).

A HISTORY OF BLOG

•         The blog is said to be introduced in 1990s.  The emergence and growth of blogs in the late 1990s coincided with the advent of web publishing tools that facilitated the posting of content by non-technical users.

•         A majority are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via GUI widgets (on the blogs, and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites. In that sense, blogging can be seen as a form of social networking service.

ORIGIN OF BLOG

•         While the term "blog" was not coined until the late 1990s, the history of blogging starts with several digital precursors to it. Before "blogging" became popular, digital communities took many forms, including Usenet, commercial online services such as GEnie, BiX and the early CompuServe, e-mail lists and Bulletin Board Systems (BBS).

•         In the 1990s,Internet forum software, such as WebEx, created running conversations with "threads".

•         Threads are topical connections between messages on a metaphorical "corkboard". Some have likened blogging to the Mass-Observation project of the mid-20th century.

•         The term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger on 17 December 1997. The short form, "blog", was coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May 1999.

•         Shortly thereafter, Evan Williams at Pyra Labs used "blog" as both a noun and verb ("to blog", meaning "to edit one's weblog or to post to one's weblog") and devised the term "blogger" in connection with Pyra Labs' Blogger product, leading to the popularization of the terms.

IMPORTANCE OF BLOG

•         Helps to build social relations with other people such as readers and other bloggers.

•         Many blogs provide commentary on a particular subject;

•         Online brand advertising of a particular individual or company. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic.

•         Blog helps individuals to share ideas, feelings and experiences which they have on particular issues.

•         Helps individuals to get information on various issues.

•         Blog helps to make people update their lives.

•         Blogs help to get money; this can be done through advertising. (business)

•         It is an easy way of passing information that a person needs to share with others all over the word.

DISADVANTAGES OF BLOGS

•         Can cause moral decay.

•         Leads to cultural destruction

•         It needs computer skill that is it segregates people in terms of skill and economic level.

•         Some blogs are biased as they may contain inaccurate information.

NB. It is easy to open a blog but difficult to maintain. A blogger needs time to update it, also some individuals can post harsh and abusive information there for the administrator has to delete such posts.

READ MORE

•         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_blogging

•         Fitzsimons F. & Mannion J(2006), General Certicate of Secondary Eucation           (GCSE):Succes Revision Guide English            and English Literature,           London, Letts Educational Publisher.P 35

HOW TO CREATE A BLOG

•         To create a free blog is not a hard task. A person can create it even in not more that 15 minutes.

BELOW ARE THE PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED

1.      Create a Google account (gmail email address acount).To open a gmail email address (account) follow these procedures

·         Open an internet search engine (opera, mozilla fire fox or internet explorer etc)

·         Write (www.gmail.com) in the web tool bar then click search.

·         Click sign up or create an account.

·         Inter the all needed personal informations then click next step

·         Enter the verification code sent by google in your phone then click continue.

·         Click next step, there the google email account yet created.

·         After creating a google email account sign out then starts to open a blog using the procedures bellow.

HOW TO CREATE A BLOG

•         Write www.blogspot.com in the web site address pane, or go to google search and write blogger then click search.

•         Click sign in to continue blogger and inter your gmail email address and the password.

•         Click button continue to blog.

•         The page blogger: blogger dashboard will be opened

•          Click on the button new blog

•         Type the title of your blog and the blog address which people may use to access your blog.

•         Choose a template then click on the button create blog then you will receive a message that congratulation your new blog is active

•         Then you can be able to write post and publish them.

•         Click preview to see how your blog seem like.

EXAMPLEs OF BLOG

There are so many blogs opened by different people. The examples of such blog are;

•         Michuzi blog,

•         Mbeya yetu,

•         Gumzo la jiji,

•         Mpekuzi,

•         Millad ayo.

•         Amani blog

•         Dickson blog

•         Youth embassy

•         Katoto blog etc.

•         THE TEKU BAED’S BLOG CREATED BY THE TEKU BAED GROUP IS CALLED “TEKU BAED TED 501”

HOW TO ACCESS THE BAED’S BLOG?

•         One can access the blog “TEKU BAED TED 501” through the following ways.

q      To access the blog one has to write the name of the blog “TEKU BAED TED 501” in the search engine’s search pane and click search or inter then choose the alternatives brought.

q     Another alternative is by writing the blog’s website address “tekubaed.blogspot.com” in the search engine’s address pane.

TOOLS WE USED TO OPEN THE BLOG.

•         The tools we used in opening the TEKU BAED TED 501 are the following.

v     Modem

v     Flash

v     Computer (pc)

v     Mobile phones

A FLASH

Modem

PHONE

Modem

Computer (PC)

                                                                      THANKS

PARTICIPANTS

SANGA JIPE	TEKU/BAED/HG/11536
NYIPEMBE AMANI	TEKU/BAED/HE/11407
HENRY EVA , S.	TEKU/BAED/HK/11638
DICKSON  GEOFREY	TEKU/BAED/HE/11347
GIRAY  ELIZABETH, J.	TEKU/BAED/HE/11356
SAUL  ABILAM	TEKU/BAED/HE/11417
MGINA  ANNA, M.	TEKU/BAED/GE/1190
KIVANGA  FRANK	TEKU/BAED/GE/1179

Presentation question No6: What is the educational need problem or gap for which use of media might potentially enhance learning?

Media is something we use when we want to communicate indirectly with other people rather than in personal or by face to face contact example, radio, photography, magazines, newspapers, recorded music and computer games.

Media is something we use when we want to communicate indirectly with other people rather than in personal or by face to face contact example, radio, photography, magazines, newspapers, recorded music and computer games.

Generally media is a channel used to transmit knowledge or means of communication to reach many people, example, papers, magazines, radio, television, telephones, fax and internet.

Educational gap referred to the observed, persistent disparity of education measures between the performances of group of students especially groups defined by socioeconomic status (SES), race, ethnicity and gender. (Carnoy and Rothstein, 2013)

The following are the educational needs problems or gaps for which the use of media might potentially enhance learning.

Scarcity of teaching and learning materials whereby in educational occasion, there is a shortage of teaching and learning materials which hinder teaching and learning process effectively; but through the use of media like searching materials in the internet, the use of projector which displaying some materials, audio visual and audio which can be used to enhance learning and teaching in school.

A news paper is well used as a teaching aid, or it may contain a content for a certain topic.

Also scarcity of materials can be compensated by the use printed materials like text books or any other materials downloaded from internet.

The gap between City Centers and rural areas. In which most of teachers like to work in town, therefore this brings a big gap.

LCD Projector

Screen used to display the content is the screen used to display the content normally is used in towns. It is used in town because in needs power for connection. It used together with a projector, and computer.

Screen used to display the content

Modern radio for audio purposes. This is a modern radio which uses electricity is much used in city centers or town where electricity is not a problem 

Portable radio for audio. Due to the gap between town or city centers in terms of electricity this type of radio is sufficient in rural areas where electricity service is not available. It can use a flash reader or memory card(put in a card reader)

Generator. This helps to fill the gap between rural and city centers. It is much applicable in rural areas. Also in town when there is a problem of electricity

Learner’s disabilities are also among of the educational needs problem which affects learning, example, dump, deaf and blind. Through the use of media like the use of visual signs media which assisting dump to understand the lesson and also the use of visual media like videos and photos. Also the use of visual materials which helps deaf students to see and understand the lesson and blind students can learn more effectively through the use of audio like radio therefore the use of media can be used to enhance learning. (Carnoy and Rothstein, 2013)

Picture purposely for dumb and deaf students. Depending on the nature of learners, a picture may be used to show what is within the content. For example we have students with disabilities especially  dumb and deaf students. 

Nature of the environment which hinders learning process for example some of the features or phenomena are not available at those particular areas which are difficult to explain it. But through the use of media like printed material, using of television, as well as the use of audio such as radio can enhance learning.

A map. This is used in the class to facilitate learning where there is scarcity of learning and teaching materials, especially in environment where materials are not available

A picture showing people picking pyrethrum. Nature of environment may hinder learning. On the picture people are picking pyrethrum in which in some areas such an activity is no known.

Shortage of teachers is also the problem facing education whereby most of the schools there is shortage of science teachers which make difficult in teaching and learning process but through the use of media can be used to solve that problem, example the use of recorded videos concerning the particular topic which enable learners to understand the intended goals. (Jon Russell, 2011)

Disc which is used to save a recorded video and audio sounds. The DVD is used to save recorded materials or information to be used in classroom.

Television. The issue of teachers can be solved by the use of recorded materials that have to be followed in town where they are easily found. For example the use of TELEVISION

Failure in creating interactive learning in the class, sometimes the use of traditional method of teaching tend to create a gap in learning, whereby some students feel shy to participate in lesson like contributing some ideas in the lesson but through the use of media the teacher can be able to create a conducive environment which will allow each student to participate in the lesson. Teachers may impose a question in a created blog or social media like facebook which allow each student to participate effectively in the lesson. (Anderson, 1993)

Failure in creating motivation to the learners, the using of the same approach in teaching sometimes tend to bore the learners such as the behavior of teachers who always came up in the class with handout and use to explain various concept but through the use of media such as television, maps, photos and magazines which tend to create motivation and interest in learning process. (Stephenson, 2002)

A radio to create motivation to the learners

A digital camera which is used to capture different photos

Impracticability of the lesson in teaching and learning process whereby different teachers tend to teach the lesson theoretically hence cause difficult in applying in real situation what is being taught but through the use of media can be used to teach the lesson practically example, the use of computer which make the lesson to be practical. (Buckingham, 2003)

A lap top computer can influence practical learning, where learners learn by doing or touching.

The use of different media enhance learning regardless the problems of teaching and learning materials, scarcity of teachers, overcrowded classes, failure to present the content which can solved by creating different social media.

REFERENCES

Anderson A. (1993) Children Understanding Television: Research Attention and

Comprehension, New York Academic Press.

Buckingham D. (2003) Questioning the Media, New York: UNESCO.

Carnoy and Rothstein (2013) International Test Show: Achievement Gaps in all Countries, New

 York: Economic Policies Institutes.

 Stephenson J. (2002) Teaching and Learning Online: Pedagogies for New Technology, London:

                        Kogan Page Ltd.

Steven K. (2010) The Use of Education in Teacher Through Open and Distant Learning,

                        Vancouver: Common Wealth in Learning.