Why do you want to blog? What purpose will it serve? If a parent were to ask you to explain or defend your use of blogging, how would you answer?  How could you explain the power of blogging to a teacher at your school to get them interested in the platform?

In this course we have been looking at different ways to tweak settings and templates, but now comes the time to ask yourself if blogging is for you.  What can you as an educator bring to blogging?

Research time:

There is much discussion in the blogosphere about the purpose and reason for using technology in education.  Read the following blog post by Will Richardson: http://weblogg-ed.com/2009/digital-inclusion/ or this post by Jim Moulton http://www.edutopia.org/blogging-purpose

Take a look at this blog post, “Thoughts on Assessment,” from a teacher on what she learned through the class blog:  http://www.teachandlearn.ca/blog/2009/02/20/thoughts-on-assessment/ and this interview with a middle school ELA teacher: http://www.edutopia.org/student-blogging-classroom-tips

Take a few minutes to look through these lists of educational blogs.  Be sure to look at blogs from several different topics.

• http://edublogawards.com/2008/best-teacher-edublog-2008/
• http://oedb.org/library/features/top-100-education-blogs
• http://www.teachingtips.com/blog/2008/06/30/50-must-read-up-and-coming-blogs-by-teachers/

As you go through the blogs ask yourself:

1. Who is the audience of the blog?
2. What information is being presented?
3. Is the best way to present the information?
4. What can you learn as a blogger from this blog?

Post your summary and reflection to these questions on your blog in your Week 3 Reflection Post.

Write your own philosophy

Now that you have had time to look through more educational blogs, and read some insight into the use of technology and it’s purposes, what is your opinion?  Should you blog?

Write a blogging philosophy statement that you can share with anyone who might ask about or question your use of blogging in the classroom.  Depending on your role in education – think of an administrator, colleague, parent, and/or student as your audience.  As you write your statement keep the following questions in mind:

1. Who is your audience?
2. What are they gaining by the blog?
3. Why is blogging better than not?
4. What are you bringing to the blogging platform as a educator?
5. What is your commitment to blogging?

Thank you for all your hard work in this course and be sure to ask if you have any questions as you continue your blogging experience! 

Before we get into widgets, it is important that you have chosen the template that you like.  Sometimes changing the template of a blog page can, and most likely will delete the widgets you have chosen to add.  Last week we explored the options of what Blogger has to offer in the way of templates.    There are hundreds (if not thousands) of other options out there!   Why look for another template?  As you get more into your blog and blogging it is nice to know there are options out there to help you get the look you want and the functionality you need.   

Find a free template from one of the many sources online. Remember there is no need to pay for a template, as there are plenty of free ones out there!  Here are a few to start with:

• http://mashable.com/2007/09/13/blogger-templates/
• http://www.bloggerbuster.com/2009/01/top-20-free-blogger-templates-of-2008.html
• http://mashable.com/2008/05/17/70-plus-new-and-beautiful-blogger-templates/
• Don’t like any of these?  Search for blogger templates and find many more! 

When deciding on a template to download – keep in mind the number or columns it offers, if it is widget ready and how each post will look with date, comments, and author’s name.  As you use more templates you will develop your own list of template ”must-haves.”

Once you find a template you like; download following the directions on the site (these directions may vary slightly from site to site).  The template will be zipped, so you will need to use your computer’s zip program to unzip it and save it in different location on your computer.  You will need to locate this file in the next steps.

Next you need to install that template into your blog. 

Be careful to read directions carefully, as all widgets/gadgets that you have added will be deleted if you have you not taken the time to save them.  Note:  If you have widgets that you’ve already added using code (if you haven’t- don’t worry – we’ll learn more about that in the next part of the assignment) you can choose to copy those codes BEFORE you change your template by clicking on the “edit” button and selecting the code to be copied.  Paste the code into a wordpad document to access after the template has been changed. 

1. On the blogger dashboard, click the Layout tab and choose “Edit HTML”
2. Under Back-up/ Restore Template – Click Browse to upload the template you have saved to your computer.
3. Navigate to the template file (make sure this is the unzipped version) and click on the xml file and click “Open.”
4. Once the file is listed in the box, click “Upload”
5. A warning message will appear on the next screen letting you know about any widgets/gadets that are about to be deleted.  If you agree to the changes click “Confirm and Save.”
6. Your template has now been changed.  View your blog to see the changes.

If you don’t like the look of the new template, try another one out.  Be sure to decide on a template before you step into the world of widgets!

Wonderful World of Widgets!

Have you ever noticed google ads, rotating banners,  or icons with info on them that changes? Those are examples of widgets.  What exactly is a widget?  According to wikipedia, a  widget is short for a window gadet. A widget on your blog is a visual part of your page and will display all your links, text, images, and other information in the sidebar of your blog.  Blogger comes with pre-made widgets (blogger calls these items gadgets) such as the polls, archives, comments, followers, etc., but you can also add other third party widgets through embeddable code.

On this blog there are 2 sidebars to the right of the page.  They include information such as tags, links, clustrmap and Shelfari.  The last two listed come from other websites that you join and copy the code onto you own blog.  They add a personal touch and provide insight into who you are.

This week you will learn what a widget is and how to use them to spruce up your blog.).

To get started, you need to make sure your blog theme is widget ready.

1. On the blog dashboard, click on the Layout tab – and make sure “Page Elements” is selected.
2. Click on “Add a Gadget.”  Depending on the layout of your blog page you have opportunties to add gadgets to different areas of the page.
3. A pop-up window appears with a listing of basic gadets.  Choose one of these gadgets to add to your blog by clicking on the “+” icon.
4. Customize the gadget as needed in the next screen and then choose save.
5. The gadget is now added to your blog. 
6. You can repeat this process and search through the entire gallery of gadgets – including searching the Featured and most popular.   You can even search for gadgets based on key terms.
7. Add at least 5 more gadgets from the different categories to your blog.

Third Party Widgets

You don’t have to rely on what blogger offers in the way of widgets.   Sometimes you can find widgets from other sites that you want to include in your blog. 

1. Look for the embeddable code on that site and copy the code. 
2. Click on ” Add a Gadget” on your blogger page.
3. Under the Basics Tab -Choose HTML/JavaScript
4. Give the widget a title if needed.
5. Paste that code into the text box provided. 

Here are some sites to check out for third party widgets ideas:

• dop.io – https://drop.io - a secure file drop off zone – students could turn in homework
• feedjit.com – http://feedjit.com – tracks visitors to your blog.

Your assignment this week, on your blog:

1. Find a template from a source other than blogger and practice downloading and installing it.
2. Add at least 5 gadets/widgets from blogger.
3. Add a third party widget to your blog.
4. Answer the following questions on your blog as a new post:
   • What did you learn?
   • How will you use what you have learned?
   • How did you feel about this information?
   • What makes a template work for you? What do you look for in a template for your website!
   • What widgets did you add this week?
   • What purpose do you see for widgets on your website?
   • What questions do you still have about blog templates and widgets?
   • What would you like to see covered next week?

Switching to Blogger is easy. Here are a couple of short video tutorials to get you started.

• Create a blog using Blogger.com- a video created for the auditory/visual learner feel free to pause it as you watch and complete the steps on your own.
• Remove Next Blog- this video shows the steps to remove the “Next Blog” link from your blog. I used the directions at My Digital Life

 Changing Your Blog’s Settings

Comment Moderation   We’ll begin by looking at the comment moderation settings. By default, Blogger is set to “Never review comments before they are published.” This means that anyone can comment on your blog and it will be published as soon as they click they “Publish Your Comment” button. There are pros and cons for this setting. We would recommend “Always moderating your comments before they are published,” but if you’re interested in reading more about it; here are a couple of posts that address comment moderating.

• Comments & Moderating With A Gentle Hand- This post talks about previewing comments, editing, and the importance of having terms of use posted on your site. 
• Do we need comment moderation? - Library TechNZ discusses comment moderation for their site.

Guest Bloggers – When you first decided to embark on your journey toward blogging, one of the fears expressed to us was not having enough time (and it may still be one of your top concerns.) Utilizing guest bloggers is one way to get back some of that time. Here are a couple of articles that discuss the advantages of having guest bloggers and examples of how guest bloggers can contribute.

• The Advantages of Having Guest Posters on Your Blog- This site may not focus on educational blogging, but many of the reasons for having a guest blogger are the same.
• Learn Me Good - This blog has several guest authors and since he tagged them as “guest blogger” they were easy to find.

Here’s the how-to video if you’re having trouble finding the settings to allow comment moderation or guest authors.

There are a few other things worth exploring in the Settings tab on your blog. This video highlights a few of them but feel free to explore on your own. Pay special attention to the portion that allows you to set up an email address to publish to your blog.

Mail-to-Blogger- The Mail-to-Blogger feature turns any email account into a blog-posting application. In Settings | Email you can create a Mail-to-Blogger address which you will use to send posts via email to your blog:

To post to your blog via email, you need to configure your Mail-to-Blogger email address in Settings | Email:

 

The format of the email address is username.secretword@blogger.com. Note that this email address must be kept secret. Otherwise, anyone who gets it will be able to post as you.

Also be sure to specify whether or not you prefer your email posts to publish automatically. If this option is not checked, then your posts will be saved on your account but will not appear on your blog until you log in to Blogger.com and publish them yourself.

Once you have saved your Settings, you can send email to your blog. The subjects of your email letters will be the titles of your posts, and the body of the emails will be the posts themselves. To include an image in your post, you can attach an image to you your email.

Notes:

• Sometimes email programs append text to the bottom of each sent message; to make sure this cruft doesn’t get posted to your blog, put #end at the end of your post.

(2009). How do I post via email?- blogger help. Retrieved July 13, 2009, from Blogger Help Web site: http://www.google.com/support/blogger/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=41452

Playing with the Blogger Templates

There are multiple templates available in Blogger under the layout tab (Edublogs calls them themes and they’re available under the design tab.) Each time you change your template in Blogger; you’ll have to edit the html again to remove the “next blog” feature, so you may want to find one that you really like before taking the time to edit the html code.

Assignment 

1. Comment on the Introduction post with the information about yourself and the web address for the blog you’ll be using for the course.
2. Read through this week’s blog post and watch the embedded videos.
3. Adjust the settings on your blog to moderate comments, reflect the correct time zone, and make any other changes you deem appropriate.
4. Use the Mail-to-Blogger feature. You can either ask a classmate, a friend, or try it out yourself. Set up the secret email address described above and give it to someone you trust to write a post or draft. 
5. Answer these reflection questions in a blog post on your blog. 
   •  
     • What did you learn?
     • How will you use what you have learned?
     • How did you feel about this information?
     • Do you feel that comment moderation is a benefit or a detriment? Why?
     • Who did you ask to try the Mail-to-Blogger feature? Did it work? Would you use this with your students? colleagues?
     • What do you not want to forget about this week’s information?
     • What questions do you still have about blog settings and templates?
6. We want to address your needs, so week three will include a topic of your choice. Please comment on this post with an idea or concept that you’d like to see covered in Week 3.

Optional Extension Activity

1. Ask a classmate to be a guest blogger on your blog (You may do this by commenting on their blog or emailing them directly.)
2. Accept a classmate’s request to guest blog for their blog.

Resources to Complete Assignment (Guides & Tutorials):

• Create a blog using Blogger.com- a video created for the auditory/visual learner feel free to pause it as you watch and complete the steps on your own.
• Remove Next Blog- this video shows the steps to remove the “Next Blog” link from your blog. I used the directions at My Digital Life
• Blogger help and tutorials
  • Blogger:tour
  • Video Tutorial
  • More Features
  • Blogger Help

   

   

   

   

The Basics

The course is a three week course with 7 staff development hours being earned upon completetion. Each Wednesday you will be given a new set of tasks to help you learn about advanced blogging features. These should be completed by the following Tuesday. An outline of each week is available in the course syllabus.

Assignments and Time Commitment

We are expecting everyone to spend at least 2 hours a week on the given tasks. The first week you’ll comment on this blog and adjust many of the settings on your blog to complete the assignment. During the second week you will learn about the wonderful world of widgits, jazz up your blog, and share some of your favorites. While a majority of the course requirement includes you working on your blog, we also encourage you to cheer on other members of the class and invite them into your Personal Learning Network (PLN). We also ask that you check into the course at least three times a week. Since this is an online class, the only way we can see you is for you to post a comment or participate in the forum. So no lurking, be an active part of the class!

Communication

Questions can be asked at any point by using the Forum section of the blog. You are encouraged to help answer other people’s questions if you can. All communication should flow through the blog. If you have a question about something, chances are several other people do as well. If you need to contact a facilitator directly, refer to the emails listed on the Course Facilitators page. Please allow 24 to 48 hours for an email response and 72 hours on a weekend.

New this session, we are offering a live chat once a week. This will take place on Monday evenings from 8pm-9pm. You can access the facilitator that’s on duty through a private chat room (no screenname needed!). See the Support page at any time for directions on logging into the chat session.

To get the process of getting to know each other started, please leave a comment to this post introducing yourself. Please let us know:

• Your name
• Your blog’s address- this was created in the last class as a personal reflection blog. If you’ve modified the blogs purpose and are using it for your educational role, then feel free to create a new blog for this
• What your job is
• Some bit of personal info
• What you hope to learn from this course

In case you haven’t noticed, Edublogs.org, the platform we initially recommended for blogging has increased advertising on it’s sites. Words within the blog post are highlighted and link to outside ads, because of this, this course will use the Blogger platform. You get to decide if you’d like to switch platforms, or continue with Edublogs. The examples, ideas, and assignments are universal to blogging.