Blogging 1: Setting up and writing to your first blog

Aims:

To set up a blog

To look at how you could use one teacher-led blog: to share students' best work; to connect with other colleagues online; to set up a learning log

What have people said about this course?

"A great course. Much to think about. Can't wait to try it out."

"I can start using this immediately: this Friday!"

"Very interesting"

If you've done this course you might be interested in...

Blogging 2: Using blogs in the Primary / Secondary classroom

Making your blog look good

Making your school website dynamic

Course help:

To set up a new blog:

Click to view the screencast guide to creating your blog  (Flash movie, 3MB)

• edubuzz.org - Go to Share
• Create new eduBuzz blog
• Create a new blog
• Make up a username you'll remember (jblogs). Don't include any punctuation marks (like .) in your username.
• Put in an email address you use (jblogs@myschool.elcschool.org.uk)
• Make up a meaningful blog address (exc-el.org.uk/blogs/sensiblename). It defaults to your username, so it's worthwhile changing it to something short and memorable (gullanep6). Choose carefully, as you can't change this later.
• Make up a meaningful title (Primary 5 - not so good, lots of Primary Fives; Primary Five @ Law - Good, specific).  This is easy to change later if you change your mind.

• Confirmation is sent to your email address. Look at that now.
• Note down your new password and click the confirmation link.
• Login with the new password.

Things you might do once logged in for the first time:

• Change the password to something memorable. (It's under My Profile, in the top right of your screen.)
• Use My profile to add your first name and last name. Once that's stored, you can choose how you want your posts identified.
  • The default is your username, e.g. gullanep6, but you'll be able to choose Bloggs, Joe, Joe Bloggs etc.
• Write your first post
  • Try making a link to the person that taught you how to blog or gave you the idea, by highlighting the link text and using the "Make / edit hyperlink" button (it looks like a chain link).
  • Try making the first paragraph bold.
  • Click Publish when you're done.
• Change the look (or 'Presentation') of your blog. Choose a new template.
• Activate some new 'Plugins' to make the sidebars of your blog interesting, or to add extras (e.g. a calendar or 'Now Reading' section).
  • You'll need to activate the Sidebar Widgets plugin first. If your theme's widget friendly, you'll then see a Sidebar Widgets option under Presentation.
• Add some links to your favourite teaching/learning resources to the side of your blog in the 'Blogroll'.
• Have a look under Options / Discussion to check you're happy with how Comments will be handled.
  • Before a comment appears:

    • An administrator must approve the comment (regardless of any matches below)
    • Comment author must fill out name and e-mail
    • Comment author must have a previously approved comment

Advertise your blog's existence:

• Put the blog address at the bottom of your email signature
• Make a poster for the classroom and school entrance
• Put it in letters home to parents
• Tell other bloggers in the eduBuzz community, by leaving comments on their blogs. This is also how you can start some links between classes. Find other eduBuzz blogs in the Explore section of the eduBuzz site.