Blogging

1. Blogging Done by: Sara Al Ahbabi ICT Advisor

2. What is a Blog? According to the Wikipedia definition, a blogis 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.

3. 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.

4. 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

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

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

8. 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

9. Type in your email address • Retype your email 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

10. 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

11. Select a template (you can adjust the colours later) • Click Continue A message will appearstating that your bloghas been created. ClickStart Blogging

12. 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.

13. 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

14. 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

15. When you are in a blog page When you are in the Dashboard • Click on Customize • Click on Settings tab • Click on Settings

16. Click on the Settings tab • Under the Basic tab type in a description (this will go under your Blog title) • Click

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. When you are in a Blog PageClick on Customize When you are in Dashboard Click on Layout • Click on Pick New Template • To change a template click on each of the selections • Choose a variation of the theme • Click

21. When you are in a Blog PageClick on Customize When you are in Dashboard Click on Layout • 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

22. From your Blog Page From the Dashboard • Click on Customize • Click on Posting • Click on New Post

23. Click on View Blog to see your blog at any time • 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 • 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

24. 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

25. 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 tabin 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

26. When you are in a Blog PageClick on Customize When you are in Dashboard Click on Layout Click on Add a Gadget Select a Gadget, insert the changesand click Save

27. 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 agadget if it is not in the right place, just click onit and drag to place it

28. 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

29. Click on LinkList • 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

30. Click on Blog List • Click on Add a blog to your list • Type in a Blog Address • Click • To add moreclick on • Click Save when you have finished

31. 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. • Click on Labels • Choose whether you want to view your labels alphabetically or By Frequency • Click Save

32. 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

33. Click on HTML/JavaScript • Type a title • Paste (Ctrl V) the code into the content box • Click 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.

34. 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

35. 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 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

36. 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

37. http://clustrmaps.com/index.htmCluster 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