Blogs

Introduction 1.What is a blog?What is a blog? 2.Types of blog in DB PrimaryTypes of blog in DB Primary Personal Blogs 1.Creating a blog entry on your personal blogCreating a blog entry on your personal blog 2.Creating a blog task for homeworkCreating a blog task for homework 3.Visiting someone’s blogVisiting someone’s blog 4.Ideas for using personal blogsIdeas for using personal blogs Blogs Click on the links below to find out more about using blogs in DB Primary

Community Blogs 1.How to set up a community blogHow to set up a community blog 2.Letting the children update a community blogLetting the children update a community blog 3.Setting up moderation and letting your pupils create postsSetting up moderation and letting your pupils create posts 4.Making your blog publicMaking your blog public 5.Ideas for using community blogsIdeas for using community blogs Why Blog? 1.Reasons to blogReasons to blog 2.QuotesQuotes 3.LinksLinks Blogs Click on the links below to find out more about using blogs in DB Primary

1. What is a blog? A blog is a collaborative area on which an individual or group of users record opinions, information, etc. on a regular basis. Introduction

2. Blogs in DB Primary In DB Primary each user has their own personal blog which can be updated at any time. Friends and teachers can comment on this when they visit your homepage. You or your pupils can also create blogs within your communities – these can be used to keep pupils, staff and the wider school community up- to-date what is happening in your classroom and at school.

1. Creating a blog entry on your personal blog Step 1: Navigate to your personal blog by clicking on the icon on your homepage. Step 2: When editing your blog there is a choice of tools available. As well as the text editor, you have access to the drawing, video, audio and snapshots tools. The multimedia tools mean that any pupil whatever their writing ability can contribute. This example shows the user adding a picture using the drawing tool. Step 2: When editing your blog there is a choice of tools available. As well as the text editor, you have access to the drawing, video, audio and snapshots tools. The multimedia tools mean that any pupil whatever their writing ability can contribute. This example shows the user adding a picture using the drawing tool. Personal Blogs

2. Creating a blog task for homework If you would like to set a blog task for children, this will place a notification icon on their desktop which they will see the next time they login letting them know that they have some work to complete.

2. Creating a blog task for homework When they click on the icon, they will be taken straight through to their blog task. Any instructions are shown at the top of the page. When they click on the icon, they will be taken straight through to their blog task. Any instructions are shown at the top of the page.

2. Creating a blog task for homework You can create a task for your class either directly from your teacher homepage or from within a community. We will have a look at creating a task from your homepage. Note: To create a task for a group that is not your class, please visit the community and click on the Tasks button within the community. You can create a task for your class either directly from your teacher homepage or from within a community. We will have a look at creating a task from your homepage. Note: To create a task for a group that is not your class, please visit the community and click on the Tasks button within the community. Step 1: Make sure that you have set up your class and that the My Class tile is enabled. Click on the 3 dots (Class Actions). Step 1: Make sure that you have set up your class and that the My Class tile is enabled. Click on the 3 dots (Class Actions).

2. Creating a blog task for homework Step 2: On the next screen select Create Task. Step 3: Give your task a name and from the drop down menu select the type of task you would like the children to take. There a number of options available for tasks that incorporate DB Primary tools. Later in this webinar we will take a closer look at examples of forum and a blog tasks. Step 3: Give your task a name and from the drop down menu select the type of task you would like the children to take. There a number of options available for tasks that incorporate DB Primary tools. Later in this webinar we will take a closer look at examples of forum and a blog tasks.

2. Creating a blog task for homework Step 4: Your whole class will already be added to the task. If you need to remove any members from the task click on the Previous button. Now you can uncheck any names from the task. Step 4: Your whole class will already be added to the task. If you need to remove any members from the task click on the Previous button. Now you can uncheck any names from the task.

2. Creating a blog task for homework Step 5: Once you have added pupils to the task you can write any instructions about the task, set the start and due date and choose a picture to associate with that task. The upload button allows you to add your own picture rather than the pre-set pictures.

3. Visiting someone’s blog Step 1: To visit another user’s blog you will have to first be in the same community as them. Step 2: If the People button is enabled in your community, select this to see a list of all members. Step 3: Clicking on a user’s name will take you to their homepage where you can read and comment on their blog.

4. Ideas for using personal blogs Reading Journal

Using Blogs A weekly diary Ideas for using personal blogs

A reflection on class work: children could talk about what they enjoyed, found difficult or want to find out more about. Ideas for using personal blogs

Writing in the role of a character from history or from a book Ideas for using personal blogs

Using blogs in an eTwinning context: you can have the children introduce themselves and then find someone else’s blog to comment on.

1. Setting up your Community Blog Step 1: To activate your community blog so that it shows on the front page of your community, click on the cogs at the top right of the community to navigate to your community administration area. Next, choose 'community blog' from the 'Available Panels' drop down. Step 2: On the blog admin panel of the community administration page, you can now also set the number of blog posts that you would like to appear. Click on 'save' if you are updating the information here. Community Blogs

1. Setting up your Community Blog Step 3: Click on 'save' if you are updating the information here. Step 4: You can also add a quick link to the blog on the left hand navigation panel. This link will take you to the full archive of the blog and show any previous entries made. To do this, while still in the administration view, on the quicklinks panel put a tick in the check box next to the blog feature in order to enable the link. Step 4: You can also add a quick link to the blog on the left hand navigation panel. This link will take you to the full archive of the blog and show any previous entries made. To do this, while still in the administration view, on the quicklinks panel put a tick in the check box next to the blog feature in order to enable the link. Step 5: You must click on the update button at the bottom of this list for the change to take effect.

All posts To ensure that nothing inappropriate is published you can choose moderate all posts and comments on student blogs so that nothing is published until approved by a teacher. Blog entries only If you don't think it will be necessary for you to monitor comments this option lets you moderate just the posts. Comments only If you don't think it will be necessary for you to monitor posts this option lets you moderate just the comments on posts. All posts To ensure that nothing inappropriate is published you can choose moderate all posts and comments on student blogs so that nothing is published until approved by a teacher. Blog entries only If you don't think it will be necessary for you to monitor comments this option lets you moderate just the posts. Comments only If you don't think it will be necessary for you to monitor posts this option lets you moderate just the comments on posts. Once moderation is enabled, community members will also be able to write blog entries as well as comments on entries. Without moderation, only leaders can write entries. Moderation of blogs is set up in the same way that forum moderation is set up. Visit the blog area of your community by selecting the Blog button at the left of the page. Next click on the cogs at the top right of the screen. Click on Blog properties. Once moderation is enabled, community members will also be able to write blog entries as well as comments on entries. Without moderation, only leaders can write entries. Moderation of blogs is set up in the same way that forum moderation is set up. Visit the blog area of your community by selecting the Blog button at the left of the page. Next click on the cogs at the top right of the screen. Click on Blog properties. If you add an administrator address this will be the that will receive a notification for any pending posts and comments requiring moderation. 2. Setting up moderation and letting your pupils create posts

Step 1: Click on the cogs to go to the Community Administration area. Step 2: Click on Manage Membership button also to the top right of the page. 3i. Making your blog public

Step 3: Now click on the Access Tab and pull the slider up to public. 3i. Making your blog public Your community will now be publically accessible on the internet. The address to link to will be the url that appears in the address bar on your community front page. Your community will now be publically accessible on the internet. The address to link to will be the url that appears in the address bar on your community front page.

3ii. Allowing posts on your ‘Public’ Blogs In the Blog Properties area put a tick next to 'Allow Anonymous Comments' (This only shows when your community is public). This will allow the public to post comments on your blog, though you will have to approve these posts before they go live.

Within your class community, you can use the blog to share links, games and other learning with the children. 4. Ideas for using community blogs: Extending learning beyond the classroom

4. Ideas for using community blogs: Keep children up-to-date with new topics, or any achievements or events that are happening.. Keep children up-to-date with new topics, or any achievements or events that are happening.. Celebrating Achievement

If you have a Whole School community, you could set up a Head Teacher’s blog. In this case, set all other users to viewers within this community so they will able to view the content, but not edit or add to it. This can be done in the Manage Membership area. Click on the icon until it changes to an eye in order to change the access level within the community. When you update the community blog, anyone who is a member of this community will receive a notification on their desktop. 4. Ideas for using community blogs: Head Teacher’s Blog

Using DB Primary to run an eTwinning project will give the children an excellent opportunity to find out more about children in a different location. If you login with your superadmin account and visit the School tab in the Administration area, you can search for schools to link up with. Please get in touch if you would like us to help you find a partner school to set up an eTwin with. “The project helped the children take more pride in their writing as there was more emphasis on peer-review, since another school would be able to read and comment on their work.” – Marie Fisher, Kayes First & Nursery School, Kirklees 4. Ideas for using community blogs: eTwinning

 Giving children a wider audience for their writing can be motivating, especially for reluctant writers.  Extending learning outside of the classroom: children can access and contribute to blogs outside of school hours too.  Giving parents and families the opportunity to use a class blog as a window into the classroom.  Creating a class blog requires teamwork and collaboration. A real sense of classroom community can be developed through blogging and help establish a class identity.  By twinning with another school and developing shared blogs you can enable your class to develop connections with children in other schools. This will help the children develop a sense of understanding and tolerance. 1. Reasons to blog Why Blog?

The Year 5 pupils are keeping their own personal blogs and visiting each others’ and commenting. This is in line with our new 'Switched On ICT' scheme of work 'We Are Bloggers.' The children are loving this and have experimented with video diary, external links and incorporating Wordle into their blogs. Paul Miller, ICT Lead, Morgans Primary School, Hertfordshire Children in England should leave primary school familiar with blogging, podcasts, Wikipedia and Twitter as sources of information and forms of communication. The Rose report recommendations, Quotes Why Blog?

My year 5 and 6 class used personal blogs to record how they were doing with their D.T project (making a wall hanging using collage, sewing, etc). They added photos of their work at different stages and uploaded videos of themselves talking about their work. It was much more effective than the usual evaluation of D.T work at the end of a project and they were really enthusiastic about their blogs as they had a real purpose. Each week in ICT I showed them a new skill such as how to upload a photo but they also added to their blogs at home and shared their work with their parents. We will definitely be using this approach again. Katharine Minns, St Botolph’s CoE School, Suffolk 2. Quotes Why Blog?

3. Links If viewing this document online, click on the links below to find out more: Blogging and the secret to getting boys writingBlogging and the secret to getting boys writing: The Independent Heathfield SchoolHeathfield School: find out why the school managed to turn writing skills around through blogging. Pupils to study Twitter and blogs in primary schools shake-upPupils to study Twitter and blogs in primary schools shake-up: The Guardian Why Blog?

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