1. Communicating, Sharing, and Learning Online : A Guide for Starting Your Own Blog Melissa A. Venable, PhD Kaplan Higher Education TCC 2010

2. What is a ‘Blog’ “Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules.” http://www.blogger.com/tour_start.g

4. Self-publish

5. Join a community, add to the conversation

6. Establish expertise, portfolio

7. Explore as a creative outlet

8. Extend your network!

9. Choosing a Blogging Tool

10. Features & Functions Choosing a theme Tags vs. Categories Widgets Plug-ins

11. Similarities http://pulsed.blogspot.com/2007/07/blogger-wordpress-chart.html (Updated FEB 2010)

12. Differences

13. Setting Goals Expectations: set your own, it’s your blog! Writing Frequency Topic(s) Style Commenting

14. Finding Your Voice “The personality, point of view, and style you use when you write.” @JessJurick Who is your audience? Where is your expertise? interest?

15. Writing Ideas How-to ? Opinion ? Resources ? Keep a blog notebook handy Prompts abound! Share! 100 Blog Topics I Hope YOU Write – Chris Brogan 20 Ideas for Writing a Blog Post – About.com 10 Tips for Writing a Blog Post - Problogger

16. Some of the ‘Cool Kids’

17. Performance X Design ---- Tom Gram

18. ProBlogger---- Darren Rowse

19. Virtual Canuck ---- Terry Anderson

20. Chris Brogan

21. A Few Things to Think About… …As you get started Take some risks, experiment, ask for feedback Consider your copyright options …After getting set up SEO: search engine optimization Consider a disclaimer Remember your goals. Revisit frequently!

22. Your Experiences

23. THANK YOU! Melissa A. Venable, PhD www.design-doc.com @Melissa_Venable