Getting started with blogs

 

 

 

A blog can tell a story:

http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/

 

Why use a blog?

Weblogg-ed has gathered suggestions here.

 

 

Other ideas for using a blog?

--Reflect on how schools are changing and new things you are learning

--Communicate with your students and community

--Appoint a scribe from the classroom to post each day/week

--Share professional reading

--Blog on a theme, like technology and education or books you teach.

--Use a blog to track one particular research project and what students are learning

--Going on a trip -- can share trip with students/staff

--Share book reviews

--Students who are traveling can keep a blog of their travels/experiences

--Can be used as a website for all info from the classroom

--Recipe exchange

--Live blog a workshop to share it

--Voting and instant communication

--Link to articles and have students read it and discuss

--Can upload content/videos/podcasts

 

 

 

 

Six and seven year olds explain their classroom blog from Room 9 Blog   New Zealand class

(link to their video on Teacher TUBE)

 

Sites that host blogs:

o Edublogs www.edublogs.org  (also learner blogs)

o Blogger www.blogger.com

o Blogmeister  http://classblogmeister.com/

 

Creating your own Edublogs blog.doc

How to create your own blog!

 

 

 

Instructions for Edublogs:

o Create a user name(this will also be the web address so choose carefully).

o Enter your email so you can approve blog posts.

o Your blog will be created and a link will be emailed to you.

 

o Basic Settings

-- To moderate and approve comments, use the Options--Discuss area. (Check all boxes under Options--Discussion)

-- OR Users have to login (under Users) Not recommended

-- Presentation—controls the theme or design; the "sidebar widgets" allow you to drag and drop items to show on your page

-- Write—this area allows you to write or manage posts.

-- Manage—this area allows you to edit, approve, or change posts

--Blogroll--the blogroll area allows you to create a list of other recommended blogs or sites

 

When creating a post--

--Assign a "category" or "tag" for your post so that they will be sorted by subject in your sidebar.

 

***Advanced tips--

--Assign the "blogroll" category to any listed in your Blogroll area.

 

--To add pictures or files:

Use the file upload area. This appears when you are writing your post.

Upload the file, click within your text where you'd like the image to appear, and then click "send to editor."

 

 

More examples:

o Schools http://mabryonline.org/blogs/

o On technology http://www.weblogg-ed.com

o Corporate blogs: http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/id/A287JD9GH3ZKFY

 

Blog "reading list":

 

Our WHS blogs

K5 Tech blog (Margie Brown)

Mabry Middle School  (schoolwide blogs)

Cool Cat Teacher (enthusiastic tech leadership)

Tech Chick Tips  (two Texas teachers who also have a podcast)

Smith's 9th Grade Class  (example of using scribes from Arapahoe HS)

The Almighty Bloggers (New Zealand student blog)

Edinger House  Classroom blog;  look on right for link to other elementary classroom blogs from around the world

Room 9 Blog   New Zealand class    Class sets their own blogging rules here.

 

Some Important Blog Voices to get you started:

 

Weblogg-ed   Will Richardson

2 Cents Worth   David Warlick

Tech Learning Blog  (Technology and Learning's blog features many different key education bloggers)

 

For Librarians:

Joyce Valenza's Never-Ending Search blog

Practically Paradise

Book Moot (book recommendation blog--has a great list of other author and book review blogs)

Gargoyles Loose in the Library (a fun library blog)

A Library By Any Other Name 

 

 

Blogging permission guidelines or letters for parents:

Blogging letter levels of privacy (from Clay Burell)

 

 

No time to go read blogs? Have them come to you!

Use sites like Pageflakes or Bloglines or Google Reader to have content delivered to you all in one place.