RUNNINGHEAD: CREATING AN EDUCATIONAL BLOG 1

Brandy Milson

Avatar Design Document

INST 6037

Dr. Rice

University of Houston-Clear Lake

September 26, 2010

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Title: Creating an Educational Blog

Educational purpose: To provide Spring Branch Independent School District teachers with

training on how to construct an educational blog using the blog publishing tool Blogger.

Instructional Goal: Given the Blogger publishing tool, video tutorials from Youtube, and step

by step directions from help files, learners will be able to produce an educational blog on a topic

of their choice including a minimum of two new teacher created posts, three gadgets, a video, a

presentation, a photograph, and three external resource links to be used with their students.

Learning objectives: Upon completion of this instructional unit you should be able to do the

following with 100% accuracy: 

1. Learners will register for the free blog publishing tool Blogger by Google.

2. When given the Blogger dashboard, learners will create an educational blog using

Blogger to be used with their students.

3. When given the Blogger dashboard, learners will complete their profile including a

description and photograph, sharing their profile, showing their email addresses (may

use your work email address), display name, and extended information that helps

your students get to know you.

4. When given the Blogger dashboard, learners will apply a template and layout for their

blog including at least a title, three gadgets, a search box, and a copyright message.

5. When given the Blogger dashboard, learners will add at least two original message

postings, video resource, presentation resource, article link, and two addition links to

their blog.

Intended audience: Spring Branch Independent School District primary and secondary teachers.

Intended duration of the presentation: 8 minutes

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Department Utilization. Human resources or department heads will be able to use this

instructional package as a training resource for teachers as a professional development tool.

Character that was selected: I chose Tasha because she looks the most like me. I thought some

of the other female characters were too cartoonish and I wanted something more realistic.

Utilization Recommendation: This instructional package could be utilized as part of a face to

face workshop or available as a district intranet professional development collection of

resources.

Learning methodology: The lesson plan is designed using Constructivist theory. The short

video is an instructional sequence which highlights the features of the blog publishing tool and

the process of creation but learners will actually use this as a jumping point to create their own

blog with specific requirements that must be met.

Presentation outline

I. Getting started

a. Registration

b. Creating a profile

i. Photograph

ii. Description

iii. Adding interest and favorites

c. Setting up your blog

i. Name

ii. Description

iii. Listing your blog with Blogger

iv. Allowing search engines to find your blog

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II. Designing your Blog

a. Template

i. Choosing a template

ii. Choosing a background

iii. Personalizing through advanced setting

b. Layout

i. Add title to top

ii. Add at least three gadgets

iii. Add a search box

iv. Add a copyright message to the bottom (through attribution on the

bottom on the layout).

III. Using your dashboard

a. Creating new postings

b. Editing postings

IV. Adding media

a. Podcasts

b. Video

c. powerpoint

V. Maintaining, tracking and updating your blog

a. Office web applications

b. Analyzing statistics

c. Comment moderation

VI. Conclusion
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Use your blog as a communication tool to build a community of learners

with your students. You have started your community but this is only the

beginning. You have to regularly update and interact with your blog if

you expect it to build a successful community.

Characters actions that will be taken on each screen (what physical actions will be taken)

I. SCREEN Title Message

ACTION eyes wide, big smile, finger up, hands emphasis, look down right,

hands in, big smile.

II. SCREEN Educational Goal

ACTION look right, gesture right, big smile, finger up,big smile

III. SCREEN Instructional Goal

ACTION look down right, gesture right,flex, eyes wide, gesture right, look right,

gesture right, eyes wide, big smile,

IV. SCREEN Poll Prompt

ACTION big smile, gesture right, big smile, wink, fingers quote, shake head

V. SCREEN Poll Correct

ACTION eyes wide, big smile, eyes right

VI. SCREEN Poll Incorrect

ACTION eyes wide, confused, look up, hands emphasis, big smile

VII. SCREEN Register

ACTION eyes right, gesture right, gesture left, look up right, eyes wide, gesture

right
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VIII. SCREEN Create

ACTION look right, look down right, hands out, finger up

IX. SCREEN Profile

ACTION eyes wide, look right, gesture right, big smile, finger up, big smile

X. SCREEN Template and Layout

ACTION finger up, head right, gesture left, gesture right, big smile

XI. SCREEN Adding content

ACTION look right gesture right, eyes wide, big smile

XII. SCREEN Wrap up

ACTION hands emphasis, gesture right, head right, eyes wide, gesture left, big

smile

XIII. SCREEN Blog Set up

ACTION eyes right, gesture right, hand emphasis, eyes right, gesture right,

gesture left, gesture right

XIV. SCREEN Dashboard

ACTION look up right, big smile, hands emphasis, eyes wide, gesture right,

gesture left, eyes wide, big smile

XV. SCREEN Profile

ACTION gesture right, look right, big smile, look at user, gesture right, gesture

left, big smile

XVI. SCREEN Photo

ACTION big smile, hands emphasis, eyes wide, look up

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XVII. SCREEN Blog set up

ACTION gesture right, big smile, finger up, eyes wide, hands emphasis, look up

right

XVIII. SCREEN Design

ACTION gesture right, eyes wide, hand emphasis, big smile, head right, gesture

right, gesture left

XIX. SCREEN Template

ACTION finger up, look up right, eyes wide, head nod, gesture right, eyes wide,

big smile

XX. SCREEN Layout

ACTION big smile, look up right, big smile, gesture right, finger up, head nod

XXI. SCREEN Title

ACTION head nod, eyes wide, gesture right, eyes narrow

XXII. SCREEN Gadgets

ACTION eyes wide, finger up, flex, big smile, eyes wide, gesture left

XXIII. SCREEN Search

ACTION eyes wide, gesture right, big smile, head nod, look down right

XXIV. SCREEN Copyright

ACTION eyes wide, hands emphasis, look down right, head left

XXV. SCREEN New post

ACTION finger up, eyes wide, gesture left, eyes narrow, gesture right

XXVI. SCREEN Share

ACTION eyes wide, finger up, big smile, gesture right, eyes wide
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XXVII. SCREEN html embed

ACTION head nod, eyes wide, gesture right, eyes narrow, wink

XXVIII. SCREEN Office

ACTION finger up, eyes wide, gesture left, eyes narrow, gesture right

XXIX. SCREEN Comments

ACTION head nod, eyes wide, gesture right, eyes narrow

XXX. SCREEN Stats

ACTION eyes wide, big smile, finger up, hands emphasis, look down

right, hands in, big smile.

XXXI. SCREEN Conclusion

ACTION wink, look right, look down right, hands out, finger up

Script Approval: This script would need to be approved by the Human Resource director,

Curriculum and instruction department, and the technology director

Moodle Placement: In week 4 of the Free Tools for Educators course

Strengths and weakness of implementing an avatar:

Strengths It is a very engaging method of instruction. There are also a lot of illustrative

benefits. I like the variety that it offers to learners who need a break from the routine.

Weaknesses It takes a lot of time to create, may not be necessary, you need to have a

good processor, the avatar is mostly stationary, there are silent pauses between screens,

and it is hard to sync actions and the sound file.

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Google Site Link to Avatar:

https://sites.google.com/site/milsonseportfolio/advanced-applications-of-technology
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References

www.blogger.com

Milson, B. (2010). Educators Tech Connect. Retrieved from www.educatorstechconnect.com