Week 2 – The Wonderful World of Templates and Widgets
Wonderful World of Templates!
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:
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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.
- On the blogger dashboard, click the Layout tab and choose “Edit HTML”
- Under Back-up/ Restore Template – Click Browse to upload the template you have saved to your computer.
- Navigate to the template file (make sure this is the unzipped version) and click on the xml file and click “Open.”
- Once the file is listed in the box, click “Upload”
- 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.”
- 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.
- On the blog dashboard, click on the Layout tab – and make sure “Page Elements” is selected.
- 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.
- 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.
- Customize the gadget as needed in the next screen and then choose save.
- The gadget is now added to your blog.
- 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.
- 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.
- Look for the embeddable code on that site and copy the code.
- Click on ” Add a Gadget” on your blogger page.
- Under the Basics Tab -Choose HTML/JavaScript
- Give the widget a title if needed.
- 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:
- Find a template from a source other than blogger and practice downloading and installing it.
- Add at least 5 gadets/widgets from blogger.
- Add a third party widget to your blog.
- 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?
Welcome
Welcome to Advanced Blogging, a way to learn Web 2.0 tools online and in your own time. The goal of this course is to expand on the foundational blogging course you’ve already taken by looking more closely at the “behind the scenes” parts of a blog. The focus will be on what is most useful for educators about these tools and how you can implement it in your job to positively affect learning. You will also be given an opportunity to expand your “Personal Learning Network” by interacting with other people across the district, and with experts around the globe.
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.
Music from Playlist.com
