Become a Travel Blogger
Content
Grade 10 Mrs. Alex Carter Unit: Becoming a travel blogger AOI: Approaches to learning
Question: Comment est-ce qu’un blog peut bien représenter une expérience? By the end of this unit: Students should be able to understand how we use blogging to communicate an experience.
Instructions: Please complete all sections of this unit. Please use blue to fill in table’s and answers questions and reflections. Please make sure to insert images of your design and how your blog looks, into this document. When your unit is complete, please embed this document into your e-portfolio. Deadline: Wednesday November 6th Please embed this document into your e-portfolio and title the project as: Becoming a travel blogger
A. Investigate RESEARCH Look at 3 or more different travel blogs to discover what makes a successful blog. Complete the Blog Research sheet (below) to record your notes about these blogs. Make sure you explain what
is good about each blog and why each item is good. We will use this sheet to determine the criteria for an excellent blog. URL of Blog What is good about this blog? Why is that important? 1. Humor: makes it more interesting and thus reader wants to continue reading 2. Interesting stories: Instead of saying what he does daily, Mike Sowden talks about adventures unexpected events that happened to him. 3. At the page where it shows all of his blogs, the entry makes you want to read more. 4. Interesting and strange titles for posts http://www.wanderingear l.com/ 1. Pictures 2. Interesting and strange titles for posts http://theplanetd.com/pla netd-blog/ 1. Great pictures 2. Talking to the readers as if they know them (Intimate) 3. Intereseting facts BRAINSTORM What will your travel blog be about? Use Inspiration to make a mind map to demonstrate your interests and ideas for your trip. For example: What are activities you are going to do on your trip? What are some of the things you would like to see during your trip? Where are some of your favorite places that you visited during your trip? What are some of the highlights of your trip? Make sure your mind map is clear, well-organized, detailed and thorough. Use grouping and formatting techniques to make your mind map clear and easily understandable. The more detailed your mind-map is, the better. REFLECT Type a reflection describing what you have learned during this part of the project: ● How will your blog represent you, your trip your interests and your adventure
http://mikesowden.org/fe veredmutterings/categor y/places
The blog will show what I believe is important about my trip, and how I represent it. I might take a lot of great pictures and not a lot of text, or vise versa. I might use humor, or just focus on one event of each day. I could even have multiple types of blogs, and group them accordingly. The final product will then most likely represent how I see my trip.
B. Design DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS Present your design specification: all the requirements your blog needs to meet. Essentials (must have) Function (navigation through site and accessibility to information) Structure (how it is organised) Style (colors, images, etc.) How often I should post Desirable (would be nice to have)
- Readers able to easily access - Search bar every blog post - Map of places - Easy to understand format - Interesting and nice layout - At least every 2 days - Different sections for different types of posts - A nice layout with pictures, colours and more - One every day
LAYOUT Produce one or more designs for your product. Your designs clearly and accurately need to communicate how your blog will look like (layout, structure, colors, images, etc.). Design 1: Multicolour background, default layout (Title at the top, then the different pages, then blog posts on the left, blog archive and image of India on the right, Attribution at the bottom), Search bar top right
Design 2: Background: Image of me in India, default layout (Title at the top, then the different pages, then blog posts on the left, blog archive and image of India on the right, Attribution at the bottom), Search bar top right DECISION Choose the most successful design and explain how it meets each of the design specification. I am going to use the first one, and then when I get an image of me in India, I’ll use the second one. Make adjustments in your design if needed (after revisiting ideas and checking how the design meets the design specifications). REFLECT Type a reflection describing what you have learned during this part of the project: ● How will your blog represent you, your trip your interests and your adventure
My blog will not only be affected by my trip, but also my attitude, my mood, my adventures and many other things. My blog will also represent me with the layout, images, theme, ect. These things shows how I like my blog to look.
C. Plan RESSOURCES Present in detail what resources (materials, tools, equipment) you will need. Computer Ipod touch Camera Blogger Flickr
Internet My Mom My Grandmother STEP BY STEP Present clear steps on how you will create your blog. Add time needed and planned dates each step will be accomplished. Remember, your blog must be complete by deadline is November 6th Later make adjustments to your plan every time it changes. Explain, justify changes. Evaluate the quality of your plan. NOTE. Make sure the plan is so accurate that someone else could follow it and make the intended product. Leave Changes and New Date columns empty as you will fill those as you work on the creation of your blog.
Steps to do: 1. Create blog
Time in min. 10 minutes
Date due: October 9
Changes
New Date
2. Blog Layout and template
30 minutes
October 9
I am late
October 10
3. Set up Flickr
10 minutes
October 10
4. Post Pre-trip posts
30 minutes
October 9
I am late
October 10
5. All posts posted
Over course October 30 of the trip, 45 minutes each October 30
Very busy, not November 3 enough time to post all posts on time Very busy, not November 3 enough time to post pictures
6. Add photos over Over course course of the trip on Flickr of the trip 7. (Add steps or have less – depending on your design).
D. Create CREATE YOUR BLOG http://dktriptoindia.blogspot.ca/ ● ● ● ● Create your blog Write your posts Insert images etc...
PROCESS JOURNAL Keep a simple process journal (digitally) to document the creation process and justify changes made to the design of your blog. Take photos or videos of the process of the creation of your blog. Creation of my blog was relatively straightforward, writing a few paragraphs of texts, and then two or three pictures in between. A couple of the challenges I faced were being extremely busy, and sometimes not having access to the internet.
E. Evaluate 1. Take a look at the specifications that you wrote in the Investigate stage. A) Are you happy with the outcome? Explain in detail. I am very happy with the outcome. I find that my posts are all very complete, and the photos help enhance the understanding of the viewers. I am also happy about the amount of viewers (about 1200), I had expected a lot less. B) Did anything change? What changed? Why did it change? A few things changed. The main one is that I did not write and publish my posts on time. The main reason for this was that my days were extremely busy, so I didn’t have much time to write, much less publish them. Another problem was that the internet was not always the best. The photos on Flickr were late for the same reason. C) Was something left out from the original plan? Why? Two things that I left out from the original plan were changing the background and the multiple groups of posts. I decided not
to change the background because the current background is very nice and it fits because India is extremely colourful. Also, if I had changed the background the photo would have been hard to see. I chose not to have multiple groups of posts because I could not find a way to fit it in. D) Is there anything you would change about your final product (invention) if you had more time or could rewind and do things over? What & why? If I could rewind and do things over, I would try to publish my posts more on time, so that I would avoid a lot of unnecessary stress. I would also try to find a bit of room to do the process journal. 2. What are 3 things you learned from this project? Three things that I learnt from this project are how to make a blog, that they take a lot of work, and that I should not overestimate myself. 3. How would you rate your performance and involvement? (Place an “x” in the box that corresponds) Rarely I participated fully and contributed to each step of the design cycle INVESTIGATE:Brainstorming Ideas; Asking Questions; Writing the Design Brief DESIGN: Sketching /Drawing out ideas; All according to Design Brief. PLAN: Specifying & preparing materials & tools; Identifying Steps and time CREATE: Working diligently; Use tools appropriately. EVALUATE: Identify parts that need improvement; Come up with solutions to change, make better. I used my time wisely in class. I did not need reminders from the teacher to get to work. Sometimes Often Always
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
I worked cooperatively, helped, communicated and offered ideas and suggestions. I worked safely & responsibly with tools provided, following instructions. I gave the best effort I am capable of in each class.
NA
NA
NA
NA
X
X
Throughout the creation of your blog you will continue to develop knowledge and skills of the IB Technology Design Cycle. You will: A. Investigate what makes a great travel blog. B. Design and C. Plan your travel blog. D. Create your travel blog. E. Evaluate how you used your blog throughout your travels to share your experiences. F. Attitude and Effort (Every class, every task) *Do your best at every task, every class. *Be cooperative towards your classmates, group members as well as others around. *Clean up without reminders. *Complete all tasks to the best of your ability!
Question: Comment est-ce qu’un blog peut bien représenter une expérience? By the end of this unit: Students should be able to understand how we use blogging to communicate an experience.
Instructions: Please complete all sections of this unit. Please use blue to fill in table’s and answers questions and reflections. Please make sure to insert images of your design and how your blog looks, into this document. When your unit is complete, please embed this document into your e-portfolio. Deadline: Wednesday November 6th Please embed this document into your e-portfolio and title the project as: Becoming a travel blogger
A. Investigate RESEARCH Look at 3 or more different travel blogs to discover what makes a successful blog. Complete the Blog Research sheet (below) to record your notes about these blogs. Make sure you explain what
is good about each blog and why each item is good. We will use this sheet to determine the criteria for an excellent blog. URL of Blog What is good about this blog? Why is that important? 1. Humor: makes it more interesting and thus reader wants to continue reading 2. Interesting stories: Instead of saying what he does daily, Mike Sowden talks about adventures unexpected events that happened to him. 3. At the page where it shows all of his blogs, the entry makes you want to read more. 4. Interesting and strange titles for posts http://www.wanderingear l.com/ 1. Pictures 2. Interesting and strange titles for posts http://theplanetd.com/pla netd-blog/ 1. Great pictures 2. Talking to the readers as if they know them (Intimate) 3. Intereseting facts BRAINSTORM What will your travel blog be about? Use Inspiration to make a mind map to demonstrate your interests and ideas for your trip. For example: What are activities you are going to do on your trip? What are some of the things you would like to see during your trip? Where are some of your favorite places that you visited during your trip? What are some of the highlights of your trip? Make sure your mind map is clear, well-organized, detailed and thorough. Use grouping and formatting techniques to make your mind map clear and easily understandable. The more detailed your mind-map is, the better. REFLECT Type a reflection describing what you have learned during this part of the project: ● How will your blog represent you, your trip your interests and your adventure
http://mikesowden.org/fe veredmutterings/categor y/places
The blog will show what I believe is important about my trip, and how I represent it. I might take a lot of great pictures and not a lot of text, or vise versa. I might use humor, or just focus on one event of each day. I could even have multiple types of blogs, and group them accordingly. The final product will then most likely represent how I see my trip.
B. Design DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS Present your design specification: all the requirements your blog needs to meet. Essentials (must have) Function (navigation through site and accessibility to information) Structure (how it is organised) Style (colors, images, etc.) How often I should post Desirable (would be nice to have)
- Readers able to easily access - Search bar every blog post - Map of places - Easy to understand format - Interesting and nice layout - At least every 2 days - Different sections for different types of posts - A nice layout with pictures, colours and more - One every day
LAYOUT Produce one or more designs for your product. Your designs clearly and accurately need to communicate how your blog will look like (layout, structure, colors, images, etc.). Design 1: Multicolour background, default layout (Title at the top, then the different pages, then blog posts on the left, blog archive and image of India on the right, Attribution at the bottom), Search bar top right
Design 2: Background: Image of me in India, default layout (Title at the top, then the different pages, then blog posts on the left, blog archive and image of India on the right, Attribution at the bottom), Search bar top right DECISION Choose the most successful design and explain how it meets each of the design specification. I am going to use the first one, and then when I get an image of me in India, I’ll use the second one. Make adjustments in your design if needed (after revisiting ideas and checking how the design meets the design specifications). REFLECT Type a reflection describing what you have learned during this part of the project: ● How will your blog represent you, your trip your interests and your adventure
My blog will not only be affected by my trip, but also my attitude, my mood, my adventures and many other things. My blog will also represent me with the layout, images, theme, ect. These things shows how I like my blog to look.
C. Plan RESSOURCES Present in detail what resources (materials, tools, equipment) you will need. Computer Ipod touch Camera Blogger Flickr
Internet My Mom My Grandmother STEP BY STEP Present clear steps on how you will create your blog. Add time needed and planned dates each step will be accomplished. Remember, your blog must be complete by deadline is November 6th Later make adjustments to your plan every time it changes. Explain, justify changes. Evaluate the quality of your plan. NOTE. Make sure the plan is so accurate that someone else could follow it and make the intended product. Leave Changes and New Date columns empty as you will fill those as you work on the creation of your blog.
Steps to do: 1. Create blog
Time in min. 10 minutes
Date due: October 9
Changes
New Date
2. Blog Layout and template
30 minutes
October 9
I am late
October 10
3. Set up Flickr
10 minutes
October 10
4. Post Pre-trip posts
30 minutes
October 9
I am late
October 10
5. All posts posted
Over course October 30 of the trip, 45 minutes each October 30
Very busy, not November 3 enough time to post all posts on time Very busy, not November 3 enough time to post pictures
6. Add photos over Over course course of the trip on Flickr of the trip 7. (Add steps or have less – depending on your design).
D. Create CREATE YOUR BLOG http://dktriptoindia.blogspot.ca/ ● ● ● ● Create your blog Write your posts Insert images etc...
PROCESS JOURNAL Keep a simple process journal (digitally) to document the creation process and justify changes made to the design of your blog. Take photos or videos of the process of the creation of your blog. Creation of my blog was relatively straightforward, writing a few paragraphs of texts, and then two or three pictures in between. A couple of the challenges I faced were being extremely busy, and sometimes not having access to the internet.
E. Evaluate 1. Take a look at the specifications that you wrote in the Investigate stage. A) Are you happy with the outcome? Explain in detail. I am very happy with the outcome. I find that my posts are all very complete, and the photos help enhance the understanding of the viewers. I am also happy about the amount of viewers (about 1200), I had expected a lot less. B) Did anything change? What changed? Why did it change? A few things changed. The main one is that I did not write and publish my posts on time. The main reason for this was that my days were extremely busy, so I didn’t have much time to write, much less publish them. Another problem was that the internet was not always the best. The photos on Flickr were late for the same reason. C) Was something left out from the original plan? Why? Two things that I left out from the original plan were changing the background and the multiple groups of posts. I decided not
to change the background because the current background is very nice and it fits because India is extremely colourful. Also, if I had changed the background the photo would have been hard to see. I chose not to have multiple groups of posts because I could not find a way to fit it in. D) Is there anything you would change about your final product (invention) if you had more time or could rewind and do things over? What & why? If I could rewind and do things over, I would try to publish my posts more on time, so that I would avoid a lot of unnecessary stress. I would also try to find a bit of room to do the process journal. 2. What are 3 things you learned from this project? Three things that I learnt from this project are how to make a blog, that they take a lot of work, and that I should not overestimate myself. 3. How would you rate your performance and involvement? (Place an “x” in the box that corresponds) Rarely I participated fully and contributed to each step of the design cycle INVESTIGATE:Brainstorming Ideas; Asking Questions; Writing the Design Brief DESIGN: Sketching /Drawing out ideas; All according to Design Brief. PLAN: Specifying & preparing materials & tools; Identifying Steps and time CREATE: Working diligently; Use tools appropriately. EVALUATE: Identify parts that need improvement; Come up with solutions to change, make better. I used my time wisely in class. I did not need reminders from the teacher to get to work. Sometimes Often Always
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
I worked cooperatively, helped, communicated and offered ideas and suggestions. I worked safely & responsibly with tools provided, following instructions. I gave the best effort I am capable of in each class.
NA
NA
NA
NA
X
X
Throughout the creation of your blog you will continue to develop knowledge and skills of the IB Technology Design Cycle. You will: A. Investigate what makes a great travel blog. B. Design and C. Plan your travel blog. D. Create your travel blog. E. Evaluate how you used your blog throughout your travels to share your experiences. F. Attitude and Effort (Every class, every task) *Do your best at every task, every class. *Be cooperative towards your classmates, group members as well as others around. *Clean up without reminders. *Complete all tasks to the best of your ability!
