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Blog posts should be a substantive 300 – 600 words. But don’t go overboard – five paragraphs is too much for an online reader of a blog to read.
Blog posts are expected to be 300-600 words in length. Their goal is to provide clarity and synthesis on the topics covered in the readings, as well as pose questions that the readings raise. So, posts should make connections between the texts assigned for the week, explain how the topics or arguments relate to one another, and point out strengths and weaknesses in the reasoning of the authors.
An “A” blog post will include multiple links to relevant and related sites, quotes from the readings as evidence for your ideas, and clear, well-proofread prose. The writer will also respond to the comments posted by others. “A” posts will also clearly state the title and author of the readings under discussion and link to them appropriately.
Comments for all should be 200-300 words in length.
Blog posts will be due 11:59 each Wednesday; comments will be due by the following Sunday at 11:59pm. (So comments on Wednesday’s posts are due the following Sunday).
In your assigned week, you will get a prompt or question to respond to. Your task is to draft a thoughtful, reflective post that synthesizes the readings, responds to the question, and provides fodder for class discussion. Each post should end with a question for your classmates to answer.
You’re writing for a blog, which is a specific style of writing. Remember that you’re writing in public. Your primary audience is your classmates, but also any member of the public that might like to participate in the discussion. Keep your style conversational and simple, but use paragraphs, proper grammar, spelling, etc.
Give the post an interesting, descriptive title. Invite us into your post with an interesting introduction.
Remember that the blog is public. You may use a pseudonym on the blog in order to remain anonymous if you choose. If you do, be sure to inform the professor of which pseudonym you are using.
Feel free to include an image in your post. Images draw in more readers. Images can be directly related to the topic, or a metaphorical or suggestive image. But you MUST CREDIT THE IMAGE WITH A LINK TO ITS SOURCE. Note that Google Images is NOT a source; credit where Google is getting the image from.
COMMENTING
Comments should be thoughtful and reflective – they should go beyond “I agree” or “good point.” The discussions in this class aren’t about whether or not we agree with one another. Instead, try to add a new idea or new perspective to the author’s post.
Comments can be shorter than posts – but should still be 200-300 words in length (a substantive paragraph or two).
HOW-TO
Once you’ve signed up for the blog, you’ll be able to post. Go to our site (iic2015.wordpress.com) and click “Log in” in the bottom left corner. Once in, click “Posts” and “Add New” in the left hand side bar.
Give the post a title. Type your post in the provided space as you would use a word processor.
To place the post in a category, either check an existing category from the right sidebar, if appropriate, or create a new one that captures the main topic or two that you’re posting about.
To add an image, it’s best that you first make sure the image is saved to your computer. Place your cursor where you want the image to go in your post. Click the button at the top of the text editor that says “Add Media.” Then click “upload files” and select the image you want to add. Once uploaded, add a title and caption to the image – indicate the source in the caption section. Then click “Insert into Post” in the bottom right corner.
To add a link, highlight the word you want linked. Click the “Link” button in the toolbar. When prompted, add the URL (web address) of the link you want to add. Click Add Link.
When your post is finished, YOU MUST CLICK “Publish” in the right sidebar to send it to the blog. You can also click “Save Draft” to save it without publishing it.
You can edit your post after you’ve published it. To do so, click the “Edit” just below your post on our course website from the homepage.
When you’re done editing, BE SURE TO CLICK “UPDATE” in the right hand sidebar to save changes.
To leave a comment, simply click “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of any post.
Issues in Cyberspace 2015 