Blogging Done by: Sara Al AhbabiICT Advisor

What is a Blog?According to the Wikipedia definition, a blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.

A blog is basically a streamlined website that has easier technology and is designed to facilitate a two-way

conversation.

BlogsA blog is a website for which

an individual or a group frequently generates text, photographs, video or audio files, and/or links, typically (but not always) on a daily basis.

Blogs in EducationTeacher Use:

◦ Teacher webpage◦ Instructional tips◦ Classroom news for parents◦ Homework

Student Use:◦ Reflective or writing journals◦ Reports◦ Interactivity with other students

ExamplesCurious KindergartnersMs. Ross’s Second GradeMrs. Cassidy’s Classroom BlogResearch FunClassroom BlogHetherton’s BlogSchultz Center Blog

Blogging ServicesBlogger.comBlog.comSquarespace.comBlogstream.comTypepad.comEdublog

How to create blogs

In

Register

Click on http://blogger.com

If you have a Google account(i.e. Gmail), then sign in with your username and password, click on Create a Blog (go to slide 4)

Otherwise set up a new Google account by clicking on Create your Blog now

Create a Google account

Type in your email address

Retype your email address

Type in a password (8 characters letters and/or numbers)

Retype passwordType in a display

name (could be your own name)

Type the letters in the Word Verification box

Click Continue

Name your Blog

Type in a name for your blog, this is the Main Title of your blog

Type in a name for your blog address, click on Check Availability

Type in the Word Verification box

Click on Continue

Templates

Select a template (you can adjust the colours later)

Click Continue

A message will appearstating that your bloghas been created. ClickStart Blogging

Typing in a Post

• This is your first post

• Type a title for your first blog post

• Press Tab and type your blog post

• Click Save Now if you want to work on it later

• Click Publish Post if you have finished this post

Use the toolbar to change the font, size of font, bold, italicize or change the text colour. There are buttons for alignment and bullets as well. Don’t forget to highlight text that needs to be changed.

Two ways to Edit a post

When you are in a published blog page

When you are in the Dashboard

Click on Customize

Click on Posting tab

Click on Edit PostsClick Edit on the post

you want to change

Click on Edit Posts

Click Edit on the post you want to change

Labels

It is a good idea to tag your posts with labels so that they can be searched for and grouped

Ideas for labels might be Curriculum areas such as ‘writing, math’ etc

Add the labels with a comma and space to separate them

You can add labels later by clicking on Customize and then Posting tab and then Edit Posts, click on the Post that needs labels

Two ways to get to Dashboard to

change settings

When you are in a blog page When you are in the Dashboard

Click on Customize

Click on Settings tab

Click on Settings

Change Settings

• Click on the Settings tab

• Under the Basic tab type in a description (this will go under your Blog title)

• Click

Settings• Click on the

Formatting tab• Set your Time Zone• Click• Click on Comments

tab• In the ‘Who can

comment?’ select users with Google accounts or Only members of this blog

Settings• Click Always to enable

comment moderation (this means you can review comments before they appear on the blog) type in your email address

• Type in your email address so that you can receive notification when somebody has left a comment on your blog

• Click on

Settings• Click on the Permissions tab• Click on button if you are allowing more

people permission to write on your blog, type in their email addresses

• Click on the choice of Blog readers; Anybody, only people I choose (you can have up to 100) or only blog authors

Click on View Blog to see your blog at any time

Change Blog Templates

Click on Pick New TemplateTo change a template click on each of the

selectionsChoose a variation of the themeClick

When you are in a Blog PageClick on CustomizeWhen you are in DashboardClick on Layout

Change Blog colours and fontsClick on Fonts and

ColoursTo change colours click on

each of the selectionsChoose a colour from the

colour palettes

When you click on the text font, a choice of fonts will appear

When you have finished making all changes, click

When you are in a Blog PageClick on CustomizeWhen you are in DashboardClick on Layout

To start a new Post

From your Blog Page From the Dashboard

Click on Customize

Click on Posting

Click on New Post

Add PhotosClick on the Insert Photo buttonChoose a Layout (none, left, center and

right)Choose an Image size (small, medium and

large)Click on the Browse button

• Navigate through your hard drive to find your photo

• Click Open• Click on Upload Image

• Click Done• You may need to click and

drag the picture where it needs to be placed on the page

Click on View Blog to see your blog at any time

Insert a Movie from your Hardrive

• Click on the Insert Movie button• Type in a title for your Video in

Video Title• Click on the

Browse button • Navigate to where your video is saved• Click Open• Click on I agree to the Upload

Terms and conditions• Click on• Click

Posting ‘Youtube’ movies

Go to youtube.com and find a movie to embedClick on the Customize buttonClick on a colour borderClick on the ‘Don’t include

related videos’Click in the box containing

code Press Ctrl C (or Command C)Click on the Edit Html tab in the

blog posting window, click where the movie is going to go

Press Ctrl V, click on the Compose tab and you will see the movie in the Posting box, click on

Add Page Elements

When you are in a Blog PageClick on CustomizeWhen you are in DashboardClick on Layout

Click on ADD A GADGET

Select a Gadget, insert the changesand click Save

Some useful Gadgets

Click on TextType in a Title Type in whatever text you

would like to add to the gadgets side of your blog. This might be an introduction to you and what your blog is about

ClickYou may need to move a

gadget if it is not in the right place, just click onit and drag to place it

Add a Picture

Click on Picture Type in a Title (name of your

Picture) Type in a caption if you have

one You can choose a link or you

can choose an image from your computer

To choose an image from your computer

Click on the Browse button Navigate to where your picture

is saved on your Hardrive Click Open Click Save

Add a list Click on Link List Type in a Title (in my example I have made a list

of useful websites) Type or paste in the Internet

address in New Site URL Type in the New Site Name Click on Repeat procedure until you have

all your links Click Save when you have

finished adding to the list

Add a Blog List

• Click on Blog List• Click on Add a blog to

your list• Type in a Blog Address• Click • To add more

click on

• Click Save when you have finished

Add Labels (Tags)

Click on LabelsChoose whether you

want to view your labels alphabetically or By Frequency

Click Save

This is a very useful Element. This displays all the ‘tag’ labels you have added to your blog and how many instances that label has appeared in your blog.

Add a Slideshow

Click on SlideshowClick on Source and

choose where to get your photos

In this example select Flickr

Click in the User OptionType in your

UsernameClick Save when you

have finished

Adding Widgets

Click on HTML/JavaScript

Type a titlePaste (Ctrl V) the code

into the content boxClick Save when you

have finished

This is a very useful Element. This is the one you choose when you want to insert a ‘Widget’ by copying and pasting the code.

Moving Gadgets

If you have checked your Blog and you don’t like where a gadget is placed then you will need to move it. Click on the gadget (in this example My Blog List), click and drag it down to place it. Click

You can edit a Gadget at any time by clicking on Edit

You can delete a Gadget at any time by clicking on Edit and then

How to remove the Blogger Navbar

If you are creating this blog for a class you may want to remove the ‘Navbar’ as students could click on ‘Next Blog’ and it might have inappropriate material

When you are in a Blog Page, Click on CustomizeWhen you are in Dashboard, Click on Layout TabClick on the Edit HTML tabIn the HTML template

Find a line of space anywhere on the templateand type this code

#navbar-iframe{height:0px;display:none;}

Click on Preview to see if the Navbar has gone (if it hasn’t then you haven’t typed in the code correctly; note the style of the brackets)Click Save Template

How do edit your blog?

If you have a Navbar

Click on Sign In, type in your User Name and Password and you will see the Dashboard appear

If you do not have a Navbar then type in http://www.blogger.com (just blogger.com will work)

Type in your User Name and Password and you will see the Dashboard appear

Widgets you might like

• http://clustrmaps.com/index.htm Cluster maps

• Type in your blog address and email

• Press Ctrl A to select all of the code, then Ctrl C to copy

• Click on a new Page Element, choose HTML, paste the code, type in a title, click Save

• http://www.librarything.com/ Your Library

• Join now with a username, password and email

• Add books and comments• Click on Blog Widgets• Highlight the code and

copy• Click on a new Page

Element, choose HTML, paste the code, type in a title, click Save