Tag Archives: higher education

Areavoices Digest #41 – Ole and Lena go to Sturgis?

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Awhile back during the spring flood I stumbled across a great blog called “The Adventures of Ole and Lena.” In it, “Lena” documented the troubles she and “Ole” faced living near the rising Buffalo river near Moorhead, Minnesota. It wasn’t all gloom and doom though. Lena’s blog also helps us understand Norwegian culture. Advising us on how to make lefse and lutefisk and explaining the proper usage of “Uff Da.” Well, we got the Scandinavian scoop for now and the water has subsided so what is Lena to write about now? How about her adventures at the 71st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota? The thought just makes me smile.

Ole and Lena are just two of the contributors to a blog set up by The Forum about this year’s rally. Check them out along with the other recommended blogs of the week:

Heading to Sturgis – http://sturgis.areavoices.com A blog written by people participating in this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. In addition, you might want to check out:
The Adventures of Ole and Lena: A Stud and a Hotdish – http://oleandlena.areavoices.com , a blog started by Lena to document the spring flood near their Minnesota home. Now Ole and Lena are off to Sturgis!

North Dakota State College of Science: the Science of Success – http://ndscs.areavoices.com News and information from NDSCS in Wahpeton, North Dakota. I’m so excited to add this school to our other Areavoices college and university blogs!

Minnesota State Patrol: Northwest Region – http://mnpatrolnw.areavoices.com News from the Minnesota State Patrol. A great place to check road conditions and other news from the Minnesota State Patrol.

The Presidency – http://presidentialrace.areavoices.com Local journalists are the authors of this blog that covers the 2012 campaign from a regional perspective. A hot topic with two Minnesotans battling for the Republican nomination.

Truth through Fiction – http://truththroughfiction.areavoices.com Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth – Albert Camus. Stay tuned for reviews of local authors, their works, and the author’s reflections on both.

Areavoices Digest #35 – Okay, is it casserole or hotdish?

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I had to laugh earlier today when I noticed a thread on one of my Facebook friend’s pages. She had taken a picture of a Tator Tot Hotdish she had made. What followed was an hours-long discussion about the merits of Tator Tot Hotdish and how to make it even better (if that’s even possible.) We Midwesterners love our hotdish!

I remember moving to North Dakota as a kid from the Washington D.C. area. I had NO idea what my friends were talking about when they mentioned they were eating “hotdish” for dinner. What? Like you mean a warm bowl type thing? When I came to realize that “hotdish” meant “casserole” I was all set. And years later when I was introduced to Tator Tot Hotdish and found myself saying “yah, that’s real good, then” I knew I had truly been converted to a Midwesterner (an upper Midwesterner, anyway).

That’s why I was especially attracted to one of our recommended blogs of the day, “Becoming Midwestern.” Enjoy it and the other four blogs I suggest for this week.

Becoming Midwestern – http://becomingmidwestern.areavoices.com In this blog, a young woman celebrates her new life in the Midwest after a time living in Washington state and Virginia. She says “I’ll share my experiences in North Dakota and the Midwest (lutefisk excluded), and shed a little light on the glories that the Midwest has to offer. I’ll try to become truly Midwestern.” I think this is a really fun blog that makes a take a closer look at ourselves.

 
Lupulin Libations – http://lupulinlibations.areavoices.com
Nick Rondeau is a beer enthusiast from Hastings, Minnesota. In his blog he hopes to help people find the right beer for them or help them learn more about a beer they already enjoy. He says his motto is “If you claim to dislike beer, you haven’t tried the right one yet.”

Hubbard County Historical Museum – http://hubbardcountyhistoricalmuseum.areavoices.com
The Hubbard County Historical Museum is located in Park Rapids, Minnesota. Through their blog they hope to  provide cultural, educational and historical information about what they call the “rich cultural heritage” of the region. I really liked the look of this blog. This is a great example of how to do a museum blog.

 
Happy Green Life – http://happygreenlife.areavoices.com
When she was a little girl Laura Caroon picked up garbage in the park to do her part to help save the planet.  Now as an adult she continues to embrace the green living lifestyle. Her blog offers tips and advice on topics such as which recycled bag to choose or how to clean your reusable water bottles.
Lake Superior College News – http://lakesuperiorcollege.areavoices.com
News and happenings from Lake Superior College in Duluth, Minnesota. A nice looking blog with plenty of pictures of campus events and projects.

Areavoices Digest #34 – How to keep Facebook friends from cringing

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You know those Facebook posts – the ones that make you scream “Ewwww! TMI!” Too much information. They share intimate details of their lives, whether it’s potty habits of their children or a fight they’re having with their ex-husband. Makes me cringe. That’s why I’m especially excited to welcome a new blogger to Areavoices who hopes to give us a little help in becoming better users of social media. She writes just one of the blogs I’m recommending in this week’s digest:

Social Media Etiquette Tips - http://facebook101.areavoices.com
Geneva Nemzek is a college student and avid social media user. She says in her blog she’ll share “tips and tricks on how to become a member of social media that other people don’t cringe at.”

East of Weedin’ – http://eastofweedin.areavoices.com
Author Emily Zimmer says she likes to garden and cook and with this blog she hopes to share her successes and failures with both. 

The Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo Chamber – http://fmwfchamber.areavoices.com
 This blog provides news and information about the happenings of the Chamber of Commerce serving the Fargo-Moorhead- West Fargo area.

WDAY 970AM – http://wdayradio.areavoices.com
WDAY-AM is one of the oldest radio stations in the Midwest. It went on the air in 1922 and can be heard throughout eastern North Dakota, western Minnesota and northern South Dakota. This blog is currently providing updates on progress to restore transmission towers damaged in the Memorial Day storm. The blog will also provide news about ongoing station programming, contests, and more.

Ridgewater College – http://ridgewater.areavoices.com
This blog has been created to be an interesting look into happenings at the Willmar and Hutchinson campuses of Ridgewater College, as well as the higher education landscape in Minnesota.

Areavoices Digest #30 – Let’s Talk Movies, Golf and More!

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After a couple of pretty heady news days, some Areavoices bloggers are looking to have a little fun. This week’s list of recommended blogs includes a couple of new movie review blogs as well as blogs about golf, running, politics and education.

Let’s Talk about Movies – http://film.areavoices.com – “Let’s Talk About Movies” is an Areavoices blog where community members can offer up reviews and opinions on film and engage one another in discussion. It’s a chance for film lovers who might not have the time to start their own blog to  participate and contribute their opinions.

 Cinema Bazaar – http://cinemabazaar.areavoices.com  “Cinema Bazaar” is a blog where you will find weekly movie recommendations for your viewing pleasure. These recommendations will vary from week to week and will feature anything from mainstream blockbusters, indie films, cult classics, midnight movies, and everything in between.
Rep Bruce Vogel – http://repbrucevogel.areavoices.com I’m so happy to see more politicians taking advantage of the Areavoices platform to talk to constituents. Representative Bruce Vogel represents District 13B in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Vogel is a Republican serving the Willmar area. 

 
 
Dakota County Technical College – http://dctc.areavoices.com This is a nice looking blog full of news and information about Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Minnesota. They’ve only been blogging a short time, but they’re doing a great job.
 

18 Holes with Jack…Daniels – http://fmgolfguy.areavoices.com Many of us  are looking forward to getting out on the golf course. Corey Herlickson is the head golf professional at The Meadows Golf Course in Moorhead and his blog will provide tips and advice for the golfer and highlight some of the best holes and courses in the area. 
 
Adventures with Amanda – http://adventureswithamanda.areavoices.com Amanda started this blog to document her efforts as she trains for the Fargo marathon later this month. She’s a frequent contributor to the community running blog, but this blog is her personal journey
 

FM Community Theatre – http://fmcommunitytheatre.areavoices.com Since its founding in 1946, the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre (FMCT) has provided a wide range of dramatic experiences to the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area and surrounding rural communities. This blog shares news, information and photos about the theatre’s many productions.

Areavoices Digest #27 – From Conquering Bulldogs to Sharing Mommas

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It’s been a big week for the University of Minnesota Duluth – First the victory in the NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship. Now they’re part of areavoices. Okay, I admit, the first thing might be a little more exciting for them. But we here at areavoices are pretty excited to get the UMD news blog up and running. It’s just one of the new blogs featured this week on our news websites.

University of Minnesota-Duluth – http://umdnews.areavoices.com   In my opinion college and university blogs have been among our most successful on areavoices. Given that most universities employ communications professionals, their blogs are usually full of news and information and they tend to post pretty frequently. I’m excited to see that UMD has now joined UMC, MSUM, UND, NDSU and the other college and university blogs. For a complete list of university blogs now being featured in our papers just go to www.areavoices.com and look under College/University.
 
I Got it from my Momma – Mothers and daughters sharing memories, talents, passions and heirlooms – http://igotitfrommymomma.areavoices.com. I’ve never seen a blog like this on areavoices. It’s written by a college student who is seeking to highlight mothers and daughters and their traditions. That might include how they share a common hobby, or how mom passed down a recipe to her daughter (recipe included).She’s also done book reviews and shares information about breast cancer and it’s genetic links. I really like this one.

 Dive95.9 – http://dive95.areavoices.com – this rock radio blog takes a look a community happenings and events in Fargo-Moorhead. They also review music, entertainment and  restaurants.

 MATBUS Blog: http://matbus.areavoices.com. News and information from Metro Area Transit in Fargo-Moorhead.
 
Ask Eric – Helpful Hints to Life’s Conundrum – http://ericmcclellan.areavoices.com Eric McClellan is a licensed family and marriage counselor in Woodbury, Minnesota. He’s fairly new to blogging, but I think his first few posts show a lot of potential as a resource for child-rearing and more.

And one final note: Would you like to write about home improvement, gardening, golfing, fishing or any other summer-related topic? I’m trying to get a jump start on great blog content for readers this summer. If you have something you’d like to share, please consider writing a blog on areavoices. There is a ton of information right on this blog. Watch our videos, or look at our frequently asked questions. Let me know if you have any questions.

Areavoices Digest #26 – A whole lot of hockey and more!

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Most weeks in this look at recommended areavoices blogs I suggest 5 or 6, but this week (as Regis Philbin might say) “I’M OUTTA CONTROL!”

Much of that has to do with the topics around the water cooler this week. For some it’s spring flooding for others it’s the Frozen Four. So many of my recommendations this week revolve around that.

 
First, with the University of Minnesota Duluth and University of North Dakota both in the Frozen Four this week, I expect blogs on the teams would be pretty popular. If you’ve never read blogs about the Bulldogs or the Sioux on areavoices, you might want to check out these blogs:
 
UND Hockey: http://undhockey.areavoices.com
News and notes from Grand Forks Herald writer Brad Elliot Schlossman
 
UND Sports: http://undsports.areavoices.com
The official blog from the University of North Dakota
 
Minnesota Duluth Bulldog Hockey – http://umdhockey.areavoices.com
College, pro and amatuer hockey news from Zack Friedl of Insidehockey.com
 
Rink and run: http://rinkandrun.areavoices.com
Minnesota Duluth hockey and endurance sports from Kevin Pates of the Duluth News Tribune.

For those looking to follow flooding in the Red River Valley – two new flood blogs:
 
City of Fargo – http://cityoffargo.areavoices.com
West Fargo Public Works – http://wfpublicworks.areavoices.com
 

 Now to the rest of the recommended blogs:
 
University of Minnesota Crookston – http://umcrookston.areavoices.com 
I’m really excited to see UMC get up and running with this news and events blog.
 
Home and Away – http://homeandaway.areavoices.com – A travelogue from places near and far
Suzzanne Kelley is an editor and historian who has spent the last 20 years in the Great Plains. She writes about that and about her travels to New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
 
Sundog – http://sundog.areavoices.com
In 2011, Sundog was voted as “the best place to work in North Dakota.”  Their areavoices blog is written by their team of marketing and technology experts who plan to examine innovations in the industry.
 
The Scene- http://thescene.areavoices.com
“The Scene,” is written by Amy Martz of the Grand Forks Herald. It’s aimed at young Grand Forks area adults. The idea is to put a spotlight on conventional and not-so-conventional events, activities and even community service endeavors. The Scene’s motto: “You’re making plans. We’ve got ideas.”
 
Understory- http://understoryrfpl.areavoices.com
Current scoop on the gallery exhibits and community programming at the River Falls Public Library.

Check out these blogs and many more in our areavoices directory. www.areavoices.com. As of today we  have about 480 areavoices blogs featured on Forum Communication Properties. We’d love to have more!

Enjoy!

Areavoices Digest #25 – A great new to keep all those product recalls straight!

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This is our 25th areavoices digest. Shouldn’t we have a party or something? I’ll get right on that.
 
 
EXPLORE MINNESOTA – http://exploreminnesota.areavoices.com   I’m really excited about this one. As you’ve heard, we’ve really been focusing lately on getting more tourism and CVB’s blogs started. This one is written by Chuck Lennon with the Minnesota Department of Tourism. Chuck was anxious to get this going. His first post features Joe Mauer singing. Can’t beat that! 

 
PRODUCT RECALLS – http://productrecalls.areavoices.com. We hear about product recalls all the time. But who can remember all of them. That’s where this blog will come in  handy. Beth Kern of the Wadena Pioneer Journal had an idea to take all of those press releases she receives from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and turn them into a blog. I think that’s a great idea. 
 
THE PERPETUAL EXPLORER – http://perpetualexplorer.areavoices.com  Written by Victoria Gelling, she says this is “a blog about the joys and headaches of travel.” I think we can all relate to this blog.
 
 
The runners keep coming on strong on areavoices:
 
RE-RUN: FINDING MY FEET ON THE RUN AGAIN – http://rerun.areavoices.com Blog author Sally Wurpts is a longtime runner who recently walked away from the sport. She says, “The past year has been one of the most difficult and challenging, both personally and professionally, and something had to give.  So, running and I ‘took a break.’  But as I looked to start a new chapter in my life, I realized, I wanted running to come along.” This blog details her journey as she laces up her running shoes again.
 
The final two blogs are both education-related:
 
CONNECTING LEARNING TO LIFE – http://packerpaths.areavoices.com The career center at West Fargo High School has been blogging since 2008. It’s a well-written look at planning for your career path. 

 
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA WOMEN’S CENTER- http://univwomencenter.areavoices.com
The primary goal of the Women’s Center is to coordinate efforts toward the removal of social, political, and economic barriers to women’s full participation in society.

More information at your fingertips with areavoices directory

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Back in college, my friends Janet and Jill and I competed in a lip sync contest as The Pointer Sisters. Why do I tell you this in my blog post about areavoices? It’s because of the song we sang, “I’m so excited!” That is how I’m feeling today upon the completion of our areavoices directory page. Maybe it’s a stretch to pull out an old song from the 80′s to communicate my feeling over this project or maybe I’m just a little loopy after going through all of the blogs featured on Forum Communications company websites over the past week or two. How many blogs is that, you ask. More than 400!!!!  That is 400 different blogs with information ranging from opera to astronomy, from Minnesota Twins to Wisconsin wildlife, from knitting up north to knoephla in North Dakota. All that, plus news and information from schools, businesses, cities and counties in our region. Check out the areavoices directory either at www.areavoices.com or by clicking on Directory link right under the titles “Featured Staff Blogs” or “Featured Area Voices” on the newspaper home page.

The directory has been out for a couple of weeks now and in that time, I’ve fielded some questions which I’ll address here:

1. Why isn’t my areavoices blog on the list?

Remember this is a featured blog list. That means at least one Forum Communications newspaper or broadcast website has chosen to feature you. In all, there are more than 2,000 areavoices blogs. These are the 400 that have been pulled out to be featured. Of course, all areavoices blogs can still be found at www.areavoices.com.

2. How can I get my blog featured?

Your first step is to make sure we know about it. I’m amazed at the fantastic blogs I’ve just stumbled upon as I look through areavoices postings. It’s my job to recommend you to the newspaper and broadcast editors, publishers and news directors. I can’t make that recommendation unless I know about you. Once I do, I can forward your blog address to the editors. In the end, it’s their decision whether your blog is appropriate for their website.

3. I’m not sure if I’m a featured blogger. How can I find out?

First, look on the directory. If you’re in the directory, you’re featured by at least one property. If you’re not on the list, you can certainly email me and I can doublecheck whether you’re a featured blog or not. tracy.briggs@fccinteractive.com.

4. I know I’m a featured blogger, but I’m still not in the directory. What’s going on?

A couple of possible things. First, I’m human. I might have messed up and for some reason not typed you into the directory. Of course, after I profusely apologize I’ll make things right. The other possible reason is more intentional. To keep our featured blog list as up to date as possible, we take blogs out of the directory if you have not made at least one post in that blog in the last 3 months.   It was our decision to do this to make sure the directory was not bogged down with blogs that are no longer active. I am more than happy to put your blog back in the directory once you start posting in that blog again. Just let me know.

5. How can I get a  next to my blog?

We put the  next to the blog if it has been created in the last 2 weeks or so. If I missed a , please let me know.

So that’s it. And while I said earlier that I was excited by the completion of this project, the fact is it will never be completed. The directory is almost a living, breathing entity. Okay, I’m being a little dramatic. But the fact is, I’ll be monitoring and managing this directory from now on. It will evolve and change. If you have questions, problems or suggestions I’m ready to hear them. I have time now that I’m no longer a Pointer Sister.

Areavoices Digest #15 – January 19, 2011 – Welcome COBBERS and more!!!!

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Here is this week’s list of recommended blogs.
 
@Concordia – http://atconcordia.areavoices.com – We’re excited to get Concordia College up and running on areavoices. The communications just started blogging last week, but already the blog has delivered interesting content about the happenings at this liberal arts college in Moorhead, MN. It’s also a visually appealing blog. They’ve done a nice job with graphics, photo and video. 

 
Travel Leaders/Travel Now, Inc. – http://travelnow.areavoices.com – I’m so glad to see more travel blogs starting on areavoices and this is a good one! It’s full of travel advice and tips for more efficient and economical traveling.
 
The Life of a MN Resort Owner – http://lifeinnorthernminnesota.areavoices.com -  I thought this was a nice slice of life blog. It gives us a peek behind the scenes into what it takes to run a resort in lakes country. This blogger runs the White Birch Resort near Park Rapids and I’ve enjoyed reading about the goings on there. 
 
Slightly Chilled – where we let the puck and the beat drop – http://slightlychilled.areavoices.com  This is a blog written by reporter Ryan Clark about the Fargo Force and USHL. I’m not a huge hockey fan, but I found the blog interested and slickly produced. 

 
WindSports by Kotikites – http://kotikites.areavoices.com – Okay, this one is a little off the beaten path, but I figured why not? It’s fun. This is a blog about wind sports. We have enough of that around here, right? The bloggers run a business that sells power kites that are targeted for sports like kitesurfing, kiteboarding and kiteskiing. Gets our minds off snowblowing and floods, right?

Areavoices Digest #14 – Traveling the World with Tator Tots and Barry ZeVan the Weatherman!

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I’m resuming my weekly look at areavoices blogs you might want to consider. This is an eccletic group of topics. But I think a mix you’ll find informative and entertaining!
 
UND Sports -http://undsports.areavoices.com/ Senior Associate Athletic Director Sean Johnson just started this blog last week. He’s hoping to use the blog platform to talk about things he wouldn’t normally get talked about in the paper or on the University of North Dakota Sioux website. He wants to use it to promote Sioux Booster clubs in the region, share game promotions and other information regarding UND sports.
 
Since I have arrived – a collection of traveling tales by a mother and daughter – http://travelnotebook.areavoices.com/    Since I Have Arrived is a collection of travelling tales by Merrie Sue Holtan and her daughter Johanna. Merrie Sue is a talented freelance writer who has lived throughout Minnesota. Her daughter, Johanna is currently living in Scotland. I’m excited about this one. Merrie Sue is a great writer and I think she’ll bring us some entertaining stories as she travels the globe with her daughter. One of her last posts was the appeal and confusion about tator tot hotdish in Europe. (Oh, they have so much to learn!)
 
A Senior Moment with Barry ZeVan – http://seniormoment.areavoices.com
Formerly known as Barry ZeVan the Weatherman on Channel 5 in the Twin Cities and Channel 7 in Washington, D.C. in the 1970s, and later on Channel 11 in Minneapolis during the 1980s, Barry ZeVan is a colorful character. He was even featured on The Daily Show with Craig Kilborn.  Barry wants his blog to reflect his thoughts about life as a senior citizen, as well as great memories. He currently lives in the Twin Cities area.

And finally as the New Year starts with people trying to pay off Christmas, a couple of interesting MONEY blogs:

Forum’s Financial Fix-up – Helping readers fine tune their finances – http://financialfixup.areavoices.com A very practical blog which examines how three families work through their finances with the help of the Village Family Service Center. They’ll learn about investing, saving and paying off debt. Great user friendly content for the entire region. GREAT MONEY BLOG.
 
In the Black – http://intheblack.areavoices.com/ - Blogger and financial counselor Nancy Kvamme looks at practical ways to save money such as cooking all of your week’s meals in one day and the high cost of clutter. Another good money blog.
Happy reading!

Welcome UND Sports!

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I’m excited to announce today that the UND Athletic’s Department has now started on blog on areavoices. http://undsports.areavoices.com. It’s pretty clear many areavoices readers are craving UND sports info. We have several bloggers including sports reporters and fans writing about UND sports and the athletic department has assisted in providing content for those blogs. But now, you’ll get UND sports info right from horse’s mouth  or should we say right from Senior Associate Athletic Director Sean Johnson’s mouth? Johnson says this blog will provide content you  might not otherwise find in the newspaper or on their website. He says he’s going to focus on media appearances, luncheons, tv and radio shows. You’ll also learn about game promotions and events.

Teachers: Here’s a great idea for your class!

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I would never presume to call myself a teacher. After all, I only teach one night class every other year. But I will tell you this past fall, my class did something that I’d like to suggest to all of you teachers out there. We started a class blog. Ours is called, “The Cobber Connection” and it features the posts of Broadcast News Writing Students at Concordia College here in Moorhead. Over at Minnesota State University-Moorhead a digital media class is doing a blog called, “Doing it Downtown” where they write about the happenings in downtown Fargo-Moorhead.

I started the blog after a few of my students told me they were interested in careers in digital media. It was the first time, teaching this class that I had as many students interested in pursuing digital media rather than more traditional forms. So I figured, given my new job and the ease of areavoices,  a class blog would be a perfect fit.

And it has been. I told the students they were required to make just 3 posts all semester. (What’s funny, is that the overwhelming majority of their posts came yesterday, the last day of class. Procrastination is alive and well). Anyway, I gave them carte blanche regarding what they could write about. That was the fun part. They gravitated toward their interests. One of my students wants to go into sports broadcasting. He did posts about Cobber sports and why the BCS system is a sham. Others tackled tougher topics including sexual assaults on college campuses. Others chose to write about themselves and their families. One student shared why she’s obsessed with teacup pigs. Another, argued that chivalry is dead because of women. Interesting reading.

The fact is, college and high school teachers are sending students into a very different world than the one we entered years back. I was not prepared to learn about digital and online journalism. There was no such thing. These students will need this skill set even if they choose to pursue careers in traditional media. Broadcast and print reporters need to understand blogging and writing for the web as much as they need to understand the who, what, where, when and why of journalism.

If you’re worried about what your students might write, there is a solution. I set myself up as administrator. So while they did all the writing, I had to look through each post before it ever appeared on the blog. You can build in safeguards so content you don’t wish to share won’t get shared.

Obviously, class blogs are great tools for journalism and media classes in college and high school. But I would say that other classes might benefit as well. It gives the student a chance to share their ideas and thoughts, and see it published online.

If you’re interested in learning more about setting up a class blog, please contact me. I’d love to tell you more about it.

Now I must go back and read more about those teacup pigs.

Areavoices Digest #10 – Nov 24, 2010

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First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to all you! Before you head out for SAFE travels this Thanksgiving I have  a few announcements from the areavoices community.
If you still would like to weigh in on our Black Friday chat….go to http://topics.areavoices.com. People are sharing their favorite Black Friday deals. You might learn something
Now to our recommended blogs of the week:
 
Middle Minnesota – Views of a Moderate Poll – http://middleminnesota.areavoices.com  This is a blog written by State Representative Al Juhnke from Kandiyohi County in West Central Minnesota. He says “as an endangered species, that is a political moderate, I thought it may be interesting to publish my views from time-to-time. I Chair the House Agriculture & Veterans Affairs committee.The best overall description I can give you of myself is that I am a ‘Pro-life, pro-gun, pro-snowmobile, pro-scratching, pro-spitting rural Minnesota Democrat.’ Politics, Agriculture, and rural life views…stay tuned and enjoy.” 
 
Our goal on areavoices is to get more politicians to start blogs. Rep. Juhnke posts pretty frequently and usually links people to relevant news stories from his district. If you’re a lawmaker, I’d love to help you start your own blog.
  
So much to do in Grand Forks - http://novac.areavoices In a way the title of this blog is a little misleading. Writer Marie Strinden actually profiles entertainment happenings throughout eastern ND and western MN.Strinden is with the North Valley Arts Council. She is the site administrator of www.culturepulse.org, the free website with listings of every arts and culture event going on in North Dakota and near eastern Minnesota. This is a really good looking blog. It has sharp graphics and great photos and Marie is a good writer.
 
Ridgewater Voices – http://ridgewater.areavoices.com – We welcome Ridgewater College as our latest college news blog. Ridgewater has campuses in Willmar and Hutchinson. Their writers said they plan to write about campus happenings as well as goings on on the higher education landscape of Minnesota.
 
God Tracks – http://godtracks.areavoices.com – God Tracks author Julie Holmquist is a writer/editor with a passion for sharing stories about God. The award-winning journalist, wife and mother of four lives in Wisconsin and wants to know if you’ve seen God’s tracks in your life. I would compare Julie’s blog to Chicken Soup for the Soul or the popular book series, Small Miracles. Holmquist shares nuggets of coincidences and faith in everyday life. I think people will enjoy her uplifting stories.
 
Computer and Technology – http://computers.areavoices.com - Jeff Kuschel is the owner of computer business and has worked in the field for 15 years. His last post concerns staying safe while online shopping. Pretty relevant as we hit Cyber Monday. 
 
 
 
HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING AND SAFE TRAVELS!!!!!!

Areavoices Digest #9 – November 17, 2010

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Areavoices Digest #9 – November 17, 2010

Another week and more schools are jumping on board with areavoices blogs. Areavoices is a fantastic place to share school news. In additon to our newest school blogs, check out some of our other recommended blogs in this weeks’ digest. 
 
 
Valley City State University News – http://vcsunews.areavoices.com  VCSU is the latest of the colleges to join areavoices with an official school blog. Information on the happenings at VCSU not just for Valley City, but for the entire region.

 
Moorhead High Theater – http://moorheadhightheater.areavoices.com – Moorhead Theatre is known for it’s spectacular, award winning productions and the parents who are running this blog have thrown their heart into making it blog look great! You can find video from their latest production of Tommy. Check it out!

 
Bigger Small Talk – http://biggersmalltalk.areavoices.com – Jodee Bock is a business consultant and career coach. She conducts training sessions throughout the region about what she calls “riskful” not “wishful” thinking. About her new blog with us she says:   “this blog will ask some important questions, not because I have any answers, but because I think more often than not, the answers are in the questions. When we ask better questions, we will get better answers. When we challenge each other to really think and respond rather than to repeat and react, we will be creating a brand new experience with every conversation.” 

 
Northern Lights Boy Scouts – http://nlcbsa.areavoices.com – Northern Lights Boy Scouts serves all of North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota. Their blog is well done and has become a great place to share news of upcoming boy scout events in the region. 

 
I would like to make note of a couple of new health related blogs. They include:
 
Health Out Loud – http://healthoutloud.areavoices.com  – “We are excited at Douglas County Public Health to launch the blog – Health Out Loud! In this blog we want to create an active dialogue with all of you to reach out and share reliable health information. Here you’ll find health updates, links to health-related sites and various articles of interest, focusing on health topics locally and in our state. Blog post authors will primarily be Health Educators from our Public Health Department; Amy Reineke, Crystal Hoepner and Jessica Peterson. Please bookmark and visit us often.”   It was hard not to take notice of the headline of their last post, “Your appeal to the opposite sex could TRIPLE as a non-smoker!” These women know about attention-getting headlines!
 
Kandiyohi County Drug Free Communities Coalition – http://kcdrugfree.areavoices.com  – this group started blogging last October and has done a nice job giving us information about tobacco, drugs, etc while also making the blog look really nice. 

 
Also, we now have at least 5 rotary clubs blogging with us. I won’t list all of their urls, but here are a couple that you could look at if you’re looking for examples for clubs in your area: http://farmingtonrotarymn.areavoices.com and http://rosemountrotary.areavoices.com 
 
 
As always if you’re interested in starting a blog just let me know. I’m happy to help!

AREAVOICES DIGEST #8 – NOV 10, 2010

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it’s been an exciting week here on areavoices. Not only did we host our first ever “areavoices walkthrough” yesterday, but we’re welcoming some new individuals and organizations to the platform. Check them out:
 
MS SIMPLICITY – http://mssimplicty.areavoices.com – Melissa Schmalenberger is a lawyer by trade, but a few years ago she startled dabbling in home organizing and soon found it taking off. Melissa has her own website and has been very active blogging on it. She’s also very active on Facebook and has built a national following. I’m really excited to get her own board. She frequently writes about easy meals to make for busy families, or things such as how to handle all of those papers your kids bring home from school. Great practical advice. She told me this morning, she’s hoping to run a list of Christmas organizing tips in the coming weeks. 

 
EAST METRO WATER – TIPS AND TALES FOR KEEPING WATER CLEAN – http://eastmetrowater.areavoices.com. This blog is written by The East Metro Water Resource Education Program. It’s a partnership formed to improve local surface and groundwater resources through education and outreach about non-point source water pollution. While it’s most relevant to communities such as Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Lake Elmo, Forest Lake, Stillwater, etc from what I’ve read there is environmental information that would appeal to anyone interested in environmental issues.
 
FILL THE DOME 2010 -  http://fillthedome.areavoices.com – For the past few years,  K-12 students in Fargo-Moorhead and some outlying communities hold a massive food drive to fill the Fargodome with food. It’s been a huge success and they’re doing it again on Nov 22-23rd. They were blogging on their website, but we got them to start on areavoices to get more exposure for this wonderful project. 

Speaking of schools….two more schools are on board with us:
 
JAMESTOWN COLLEGE NEWS – http://jamestowncollegenews.areavoices.com  – Jamestown College has now started its official school blog to share the latest news from campus. 

 
DAKOTA WESLEYAN NEWS – http://dakotawesleyan.areavoices.com – Dakota Wesleyan out of Mitchell, SD has also started an official school blog to share the latest news from its campus. This blog is really well done. It’s has a nice look to it. Great photos and good information. It’s a nice example of how a college can utilize a blog to share its message.

Way to go Sioux and Spuds!

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Welcome to Areavoices University of North Dakota and Moorhead Area Public Schools! Both UND and Moorhead started their news blogs within the last few days. Now it’s going to be even easier to get the lastest news from the two schools. You’ll see their blogs featured on many Forum Communications Company websites , including In Forum, WDAY and WDAZ. To check it out for yourselves go to:

http://undnews.areavoices.com

http://moorheadareapublicschools.areavoices.com