Already the first month of the year is nearly over and it is time to get back to organizing the student blogging challenge which I run twice a year.

I am taking part in an #etmooc at the moment where over 1000 educators are trying to connect in a world of educational technology. Many are finding it difficult with twitter, blogging, tweetdeck, wikis, Google+ hangouts, Skyping and so on. They are being challenged to get out of their comfort zone by using tools they are unsure of such as movie making using YouTube, Vimeo, slideshows with HaikuDeck, Animoto and Photopeach. Many are going to go back to their classrooms to try out these new tools with their students. With having such a large group of educators in the one place, they need a hub where they can find lots of information and places to connect with others. This is the etmooc blog with its calendars and schedules and blog feeds.

Yet how do we teach students about being part of the big global network that is out there?

Beginning with the student blogging challenge is just one way. You can also go blog dipping and quad blogging.

Once students have their own blogs we need to teach them about how to use the internet effectively and efficiently by using RSS feeds and subscribing to blogs – using readers or aggregators to bring the information to them, rather than them wasting time searching for it.

So if you are interested in helping a group of students do just this, why not become a mentor for the student blogging challenge which will start in March? Visit this post to find out more and register.

Image: ‘slightly neurotic office hours?‘