“The Psychology of Blogging: You, me and everyone in between”

Gurak, L. (2008). The psychology of blogging: You, me, and everyone in between. American Behavioral Scientist, 52(1), 60-68.

This article discusses the psychological implications behind blogging from a theoretical framework. The author considers the use of blogging in research methods for data collection in addition to examining how mediated interfaces are used in every day life. While blogging give people an opportunity to engage into a digital web rather than actual face to face experiences the author points out it is a feature of “the 21st century communication”. Additional considerations are noted in the public and private elements involved in the process of blogging with various objective considerations.

"Psychology Today": Blog Entries as Educational

Psychology Today Blog Entries as Educational
Psychology Today blog entries are educational.
Published on October 26, 2010
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-good-life/201010/psychology-today-blog-entries-educational

This article is written by a psychology professor at the University of Michigan who in the process of examining the mounds of research articles he assigned his (N >250) students, he thought it would be of interest to ask the students to read Blogs. He invited the students to find blogs that were relevant and offered citations so that the students could dig deeper. In an examination to find if this teaching method was useful he discovered that the students had read more content / learned more from reading blogs than from research articles and course texts alone. He suggests that the reason the students responded so well to the blog is because in the blog the writer will “cut to the chase” (“Psychology Today”, 2010)

Respectfully Submitted, Krystal Demaine

Podcast

I recently presented at poster at the International Music Cognition and Perception Conference in Seattle, WA. Here I was invited to be interviewed for podcast to be posted on a blog. I have been interviews for podcasts in the past, but have a whole new interest and perspective on it from this new blogging experience. If you would like to take a listen to the podcast please go to www.musictherapyresearchblog.com

Enjoy,
Krystal

Other blogging options - blog sites

Thanks to Rachel Brandoff for Posting this on the Wiki

Here are some additional blogging sites to get you started!


www.Blogger.com
Wordpress.com
www.thefreesite.com
www.thoughts.com
www.livejournal.com
www.weebly.com
www.blogsitelist.com
onedayblog.com
www.aeonity.com

Using the blog as a research diary as an assignment for a music class

Using the blog as a research diary as an assignment for a music class

By, Amy M.

http://www.sciencedirect.com.lesley.ezproxy.blackboard.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VCJ-4YRHCND-1&_user=1075869&_coverDate=09%2F30%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000051322&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1075869&md5=70fe6e525d2162eb76204a937d72b580

This article presents using the blog as a research diary as an assignment for a music class. The author presents a critical and useful evaluation of the blog in academic settings. Concerns of the blog's casual tone and spontaneous nature are fully described and well discussed. Positive aspects of the blog reported are; the ability of thinking out loud or thinking in writing, similar to brainstorming, reflective opportunities in review of the blog, peer and social learning, and ability to view the subject from multiple vantage points (Chong, 2010).

Now as I write, I sense the permission for casual-ness that the blog allows, however keeping a blog as a research diary or reflective research journal for myself, has been helpful for me in coming to some conclusion regarding my evolving research topic. I also plan to use the blog as an assignment for a senior thesis course that I'm teaching this fall. I'm looking forward to seeing, visually the students thinking and to the ability to offer them feedback immediately and throughout the course in this medium. Amy

References
Chong, E. (2010). Using blogging to enhance the initiation of students into academic research. Computers & Education, 55 (2).
doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2010.03.012

Blog vs Manual Journal

Blogs vs. a manual Journal

by Krystal Demaine

According to the Princeton University Wordnet Web (2010) a blog is defined as “to read, write, or edit a shared on-line journal”. It is common for people to keep a journal, however one does not commonly feel enticed to share it. This is where a blog is different than a journal – a blog allows the journaled information to be viewed by anyone who has access. Blogs however can be blocked or restricted by certain viewers; where as a manual journal could actually be more easily “hacked” into. Blogs are digital, which allow various forms of visual and auditory media to be presented. One could offer this in a manual journal, but it may be cumbersome and less “user friendly”.

One of my favorite films to portray the blogging experience is Julie and Julia (Ephron, Lawrence, Steel & Robinson, 2009). This blog offered a “pay off” as the authors writing was turned in to a book and a film! So if one were to choose… a blog or a manual journal, one must consider the pay off, what would like to be presented, and who is allowed to view it. I wonder if manual or paper journals will ever become obsolete? I guess it is a matter of comfort and opinion.

Ephron, N., Lawrence, M., Steel, E., & Robinson, A. (Producers), & Ephron, N. (Director). (2001). Julie and Julia [Motion picture]. United States: Columbia Pictures.

Word Net Web. (2010). The Trustees of Princeton University 2010. Retrieved from http://wordnet.princeton.edu/

An Introductory Message from Krystal, Susan and Amy

As part of the Special Topics: New Media assignment we hope to present a blog that is dedicated to research, study, and interest in blogging. We appreciate any comments in response to our post and hope that you will enjoy what we present.

Sincerely, Krystal, Susan & Amy