My favorite tip from the article was the "Teach them how to blog" tip, specifically the part about doing a paper blog beforehand. I think this is an excellent idea and a way to get the students excited and informed about using the blog.
I think many times we assume that all the kids are going to know what we're talking about and how to go about using the resource. I think many kids may not know what a blog is and by doing a paper blog you could get them feeling comfortable about the blogging experience in an environment where it would be ok to practice first. I think if you were just to put them out there without doing a practice paper blog, many students would feel nervous about having their thoughts displayed in such a public space like the internet.
Another unique aspect of the paper blog is getting them used to writing in a blogging style, which may be different than academic writing or essay writing. By having a hard copy of their first post you could mark down notes and suggestions for specific parts of their writing. This could come in handy if the students are feeling lost or in need of direction. While you could comment on their online posts and offer direction, the paper format is a much easier way to do this.
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