Blogging Done by: Sara Al Ahbabi ICT 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.

Blogs A 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 Education Teacher Use: ◦ Teacher webpage ◦ Instructional tips ◦ Classroom news for parents ◦ Homework Student Use: ◦ Reflective or writing journals ◦ Reports ◦ Interactivity with other students

Examples Curious Kindergartners Ms. Ross’s Second Grade Mrs. Cassidy’s Classroom Blog Research Fun Classroom Blog Hetherton’s Blog Schultz Center Blog

Blogging Services Blogger.com Blog.com Squarespace.com Blogstream.com Typepad.com Edublog

How to create blogs In

Register Click on 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 address Retype your address Type in a password (8 characters letters and/or numbers) Retype password Type 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 appear stating that your blog has been created. Click Start Blogging

Typing in a 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 Posts Click 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 Customizeand 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 address Type in your 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 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 Template To change a template click on each of the selections Choose a variation of the theme Click When you are in a Blog Page Click on Customize When you are in Dashboard Click on Layout

Change Blog colours and fonts Click on Fonts and Colours To change colours click on each of the selections Choose 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 Page Click on Customize When you are in Dashboard Click on Layout

To start a new Post From your Blog PageFrom the Dashboard Click on Customize Click on Posting Click on New Post

Add Photos Click on the Insert Photo button Choose a Layout (none, left, center and right) Choose an Image size (small, medium and large) Click on the Browse button 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 embed Click on the Customize button Click on a colour border Click 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 Select a Gadget, insert the changes and click Save

Some useful Gadgets Click on Text Type 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 Click You may need to move a gadget if it is not in the right place, just click on it 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 Labels Choose whether you want to view your labels alphabetically or By Frequency Click Save

Add a Slideshow Click on Slideshow Click on Source and choose where to get your photos In this example select Flickr Click in the User Option Type in your Username Click Save when you have finished

Adding Widgets Click on HTML/JavaScript Type a title Paste (Ctrl V) the code into the content box Click Save when you have finished

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 Customize When you are in Dashboard, Click on Layout Tab Click on the Edit HTML tab In the HTML template Find a line of space anywhere on the template and 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 (just blogger.com will work) Type in your User Name and Password and you will see the Dashboard appear

Widgets you might like Cluster maps Type in your blog address and 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 / Your Library / Join now with a username, password and 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