Tool 1

It was rather simple creating a blog. After logging in (I already have a blog from the Library of 23 Things to Do project from last summer, so I already had a log-in; just needed to remember what the login info was!), I was able to create a new blog, which is the cool thing about blogger; you can have multiple blogs from just one login. This helps in case you want different topics.

Creating the Avatar was even more fun than when I did it for the 23 Things project, especially with being able to type in text and create a voice. I was angling towards Joey from Friends, and this was as close as I got. (they have a pretty good Simon from American Idol voice, but it just didn't fit the motif I was going for).

Blogs are a good way to get students to write about their experiences and use that to improve their writing skills, including but not limited to spelling, grammar, and learning how to express themselves. Seeing as how majority of students have a hard time writing without using shorthand lingo like they do in texting or instant messaging or facebook status-updating/wall postings, a blog can maybe help combat that. Or it could be an epic fail if they aren't held to higher standards.