Hi Richard and all – Happy New Year to everyone.

On the subject of blogs, there has indeed been an explosion of these in recent years. As with any sort of information on the web, students need to be advised about ensuring that they critically assess the blogs they read and do not simply accept everything they read as being accurate or even ‘truthful’.

If, as you say, a blog is primarily being used as a means of ‘update and inspiration’ can I suggest that the list is augmented (and since we all seem to be modestly including our own work) with Biz/ed’s In the News (http://www.bized.co.uk/dataserv/chron/)?

In the News has been posting articles – which some have called a blog – since 1^st October 1997 – long before the term blog was ever coined. There are over 3,250 ‘blogs’ in the archive covering many different aspects of business and economics. We have taken some of these articles and recorded them as podcasts (http://www.bized.co.uk/dataserv/chron/interactive.htm) for teachers and students to listen to and have included questions along with guidance on how to tackle them. The podcasts have been running since July 2005 and there are now in excess of 80 of these available to users.

 

Members of the list may also like to know that Biz/ed has a new product that we have recently launched called Network which allows teachers to share resources, ideas, engage in fora, create and edit wikis – and of course post and comment on blogs. Network is free and is now available to all.

Regards

Andrew

 

 

 

 

The start of the New Year begins in earnest with a return to school today, admittedly for an inset. Still time to reflect and resolve to keep New Year's resolutions, one of which is, as list moderator, to make more regular contributions to this mailing list.

The last posting by anyone was on Sunday, November 30 and since then there's been an eerie deathly hush.

I can quite understand why as increasingly colleagues are relying on blogs as a source of update and inspiration.

Perhaps the time has come to call time on ECON-BUSINESS-EDUCATORS but let us all wait some time yet and see if this prodding from the moderator can generate a worthwhile set of threads

Paradoxically, I am posting an update on blogs relevant to our two subjects and a request for further recommendations.

In no particular order my favourite subject blogs are:

Business Studies

Two obvious spring readily to mind:

1.       Jim Riley's Tutor2U blog with regular updates on business events and quizzes

2.       Peston's Pick from the BBC.

The third is a group blog I run jointly with Ian Marcouse called business studies teacher. Modesty forbids that I expand any further safe to say I'm very proud of my posting about the teaching implications of a fightback by natural chewing gum local cooperative from a Mexico , via the UK's own Waitrose against the might of Wrigleys. Some of my most challenging students have a particular interest in the benefits of chewing gum, so why not discuss the business studies ramifications with them :-) See Reversing a declining industry: organic chewing gum

Economics

Again no surprise to see Tutor2U: Geoff Riley as the number-one blog for economics teachers and students. I'm almost embarrassed to include the link:-)

What is a surprise, at least to me, is to see the growing expertise and excellence of a one-teacher blog called Economics help. Focuses on helping students and one which is much referenced by my class.

As for specialist teacher orientated blogs I always enjoy Bryn's AS Economics especially now it's mentioned my own group blog, I run jointly with Nancy Wall (from Jan), called economics teacher 

For news updates I rely upon a feed from the BBC BBC Economy News 

Are there any other blogs I missed that list members feel are essential space lead to any self-respecting news aggregator?

In particular, what are the best examples out there have individual school departments making use of blogs in teaching and learning?

Do share

And finally happy New Year

 

 

Regards

 

Richard Young

Director of ICT & Business Education
Deputy Head of Sixth Form (Year 12)

Wood Green School

Woodstock Road

Witney OX28 1DX

 

Tel 01993 702355 (switchboard) 01993 899549 (direct)

Fax 01993 774961

www.woodgreen.oxon.sch.uk

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