Ellen Bryan, senior Telecommunications news option major, is one of this year's eight chosen student bloggers for Ball State University's website. In compensation for her blogging services, Ball State has given her a 16-gig Wi-Fi iPad and an high-definition Kodak camera to keep.
Bryan said she is required to blog at least once a week for a full academic year on the topics of her choice.
"The blogs are uncensored and completely unedited. We choose the titles and what we write about," she said.
Bryan said through the use of her new iPad and camera she is trying to make her blog more about Ball State than herself.
Julie Tuttle, associate director of Web Development, said all eight student bloggers received an iPad and HD Kodak camera, with the exception of one returning blogger who received an iPod touch and camera from last year.
Ball State hopes that by providing the student bloggers with an iPad and camera their blogs will be more interactive. At least 50 percent of their blogs need to include photos, video or audio, and now the students have the tools to do that, Tuttle said.
"The whole goal [of the blog] is to reach out to perspective high school students and their parents. We hope these perspective students will read through the blogs, but chances are if there are photos and video it might appeal to them more," Tuttle said.
Bryan said she got involved with blogging when she received an e-mail from Tuttle saying she had been recommended.
Tuttle said Bryan was recommended through the Telecommunications department.
If a student is interested in becoming a blogger, Tuttle recommends they go through their departments.
"We contact department chairs and deans to ask for recommendations. If their department recommends them, we bring them in for an interview," Tuttle said.
Students then go through the interview process and are required to write a sample blog entry, list possible topics they might cover and fill out information about what activities they are involved in both on and off campus, Tuttle said.
This past weekend the new 2010/2011 bloggers received training. They were shown how to use the blogging software, went through their expectations and blogging tips and learned how to post blogs to the site, Tuttle said. The new blog site will be launched at the end of September.
When it comes to next year's student blogger's compensation, Tuttle said they will see how it goes this year.
"We want to make sure the students are using the technology. Their goal is to make the blogs interactive," she said.
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