A Dozen FAQs About Blog Assignment, Spring 2011


Image Credit: "street art vienna" by a_kep

Students have been asking lots and lots of questions this spring as they get started with their blogs. Virtually all of their questions are answered here in my Public Relations Matters blog.

How do I know what I am supposed to blog about?

How long are my blog posts supposed to be?

Where are we supposed to find lists of other blogs to comment on?

I still don’t understand what to do to track the comments I write on other people’s blogs.

I don’t know how to do something in WordPress. Where should I look to find the answer?

I created all the categories you told me to, and they still don’t show up on my blog. Why?

  • The categories will show up in your category widget once you have at least one post written in the category.

So I just have to have all the right amount of posts and comments before the end of the semester, right?

  • That’s part of it, but there are also weekly deadlines for the Topics of the Week (that’s why they’re called Topics of the WEEK). And you have interim deadlines as well, so that you can evenly space out your posts throughout the semester. Your Blog Editorial Calendar will help keep you on track. It’s not overwhelming if you keep up with it every week.

What’s this Blog Editorial Calendar that is due, and how to I create one?

  • See Creating a Blog Editorial Calendar. You will create the Blog Editorial Calendar in Excel, then submit it in BlackBoard by the due date. (NOTE: If you already maintain another calendar to help you keep organized during the semester, you can add in the elements that go in the Blog Editorial Calendar into that. Then photocopy it, highlight the Blog elements and turn it in in class on the day it is due.)

What do I need to have done for the Blog Checkpoints?

Where am I supposed to get ideas for the PR Connections?

  • These can be about any aspect of PR that you would like to discuss. Some students like to choose a theme based on their interests: nonprofit, entertainment, sports, fashion, etc. Others read Ragan’s PR Daily and find ideas in there. If you’re stuck for an idea, ask a classmate, then ask me. (I’d much prefer for you to come up with your own ideas, but I can assign some if necessary.)

How will you evaluate the overall blog at the end of the semester?

  • See the draft of the rubric. (The points may be different in my different classes, but the categories of what I am evaluating are the same for each class. I will have the proper rubric available for each class by the middle of the semester.)

Can I see some examples of outstanding blogs from your previous semesters?

Other questions? Just let me know.


4 Replies to “A Dozen FAQs About Blog Assignment, Spring 2011”

  1. I love this initiative, Barb. And I know your students will find willing readers like me who look forward to young practitioners’ fresh perspectives on our profession. Following a few folks like me (@doctorjones) and Martin Waxman, Dave Fleet, Ed Lee, Jeremy Pepper and others on Twitter and letting us know you have some blog posts you’d like to get a point of view on isn’t a terrible idea. Maybe Barb will give Extra credit for a successful blogger pitch 😉

    I look forward to reading some interesting posts from minds who are exploring the communications world for the first time. It’s an interesting business with a quirky set of practitioners who are always learning themselves. Even guys like me who worked in PR for 18 years before moving to the ad side.

    Best of luck and happy typing!

    Dave

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