Blog Guide

Resource center for sharing blogging assignments and tips

As blogging begins to become more and more a mainstream feature of any college composition program, it is important that we as instructors talk about how we are using this tool to ensure our students are getting the most out of it. There are many places to blog on the internet. Some people here are familiar with Blogger , Wordpress , or USF's own blog, which also runs off the Wordpress engine. Additionally, this year we again have access to WritingBlog , which is housed right here on USF's servers.

If you have not yet set up your blog and you are interested in trying WritingBlog this semester or in the future, check out this video I created that highlights some of its features. CR Junkins has also created a user manual that is extremely helpful. Download that here

Ideas for blog topics

Assigning blogs can be difficult if your not sure what you want your students to write about. A space like this would be beneficial for sharing ideas that can spawn interesting blog topics for your students. Below are a few that I have used this semester. Feel free to use or modify them, and please add your own.

• In late 2005, TIME Magazine released their annual batch of Photos of the Year . Peruse the 24 photos and choose two. For each of the two photos you choose, answer the following: Why is the photo compelling to you? Is there an argument embedded in the image? What appeals to logos, ethos, or pathos can you identify.

(Be sure to identify the photo you are evaluating; if possible, include the url in your wiki analysis).

• In a world of contested borders and resulting wars, the consistent increase of the Earth's population leads many to worry that our cultural conflicts will only become greater. In this short video, International Studies Professor Francis Fukuyama makes an interesting claim that seems to refute the widespread view that the state of the world is only getting worse. Is his argument a strong one, or do you think his analysis is overly optimistic? Watch the video here If you are unfamiliar with the topic of globalization, Wikipedia has a fairly extensive article that you may find useful. Read it here

• In Steven Johnson's latest book Everything Bad Is Good For You, he argues that today's popular culture (specifically television and video games) is making us smarter. The following interview with Johnson in Nerve Magazine sees the author talking about some of his reasoning he has used to reach his conclusions. Are you convinced that popular culture can really have a positive impact on the brain? If so, how might we consider changing our educational system?