This document provides 34 ideas for using a classroom blog, including: 1) Choosing a blogging platform like Edublogs or Blogger. 2) Customizing the blog with a header, about section, and class photo. 3) Adding widgets, curriculum, photos of projects, videos, and resources. 4) Engaging students by having them write blog posts, record podcasts, and document class activities and projects. 5) Connecting with other teachers by making blog friends and following education technology blogs.

1. 34 ideas for a
classroom blog
Fiona Beal
@fibeal
http://fionabeal.edublogs.org
http://schoolnetsa.blogspot.com

2. What is a classroom blog?
This is a two way connection between a school-
based environment and the world.
It allows the world to peek into the school
environment and see what is happening –
and the class to venture into the world and
learn from other classrooms.
There is sharing of thoughts, ideas, events and
resources.

3. #1.Blogging platforms
Edublogs: http://www.edublogs.org
Blogger: http://www.blogger.com
Wordpress blogs: http://www.wordpress.com
Posterous blogs: https://posterous.com/
and many more…..

4. #2. Make a nice header for
your blog.

5. #3. An ‘about me’ section
Try to say something about yourself. Even if you
keep your location private say who you are.
http://2kmand2kj.global2.vic.edu.au/about/about-our-teachers/

6. #4. A photo of your class
It is great to include a photo of your class in your
‘About me’ section.
‘Zoom.it’ (a free programme) gives a great close-
up view.
http://zoom.it/dhlX
View this in a post:
http://schoolnetsa.blogspot.com/2011/08/will-you-
be-next-to-attend-partners-in.html

7. It could even be an
autocollage picture

8. Make sure everyone in your
class is in the picture!

9. #5. Add widgets to your
blog
Widgets are the little side items one puts on a blog
to make it more interesting.
Take a look at widgets on my classroom blog
http://fionabeal.edublogs.org

11. #6. Add your curriculum at the
side
It is always so
interesting to see
what the class is
learning about

12. #7. Use Live-writer to
write posts
Download and use Windows Live Writer.
You can appoint children in your class to
write the posts and just save them of-line for
you to check what they have written
http://schoolnetsa.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-not-
try-using-live-writer-for-blog.html

14. #8. Invest in a digital
camera and use it a lot!
Photos just make a blog. The parents will
love seeing what the class does

16. #9. Join Picasa to upload your
photos and share them with
parents.
Use Picasa slideshows
when you have a lot of
photos
http://picasa.google.com/

17. #10. Make slideshows regularly
Use the different sites
•Picasa - http://picasa.google.com/
•Photopeach - http://photopeach.com/
•Picture cube- http://www.picturecube3d.com

18. #11. Make a photosynth of
your classroom!
Download photosynth and let people look at
your wall decorations etc.
http://photosynth.net/view.
aspx?cid=fd71f194-6973-
42ca-85f2-f6633b18ab26

19. #12. Use talking photos.
These are great to record an outing or
something you have just done in class.
http://www.fotobabble.com/

20. http://fionabeal.edublogs.org/2011/05/31/report
-backs-using-fotobabble/

21. #13. Take photos of
projects
Add
pictures
of projects
to your
blog.

22. #14. Make videos of your
class activities and upload
them
Use your camera to
take videos and
easily upload them to
your blog. You can
upload hem directly
or use a channel as
http://2kmand2kj.global2.vic.edu.au/2011/09/2
shown in the next 1/2km-2kj-dinosaur-conference/
slide

23. #15. Get a class or school
channel on School Tube
This is a safe place for teachers to post their
videos

24. #16. Add inspiring videos
from YouTube
http://icteducator.blogspot.co
m/2011/08/21st-century-
learner.html
http://schoolnetsa.blogspot.com/2011/09/in-one-of-our-pre-assignments-before.html

25. #17. Add pages to your
blog
Blogs can look like websites with their
different pages
http://karenstadler.wordpress.com/

26. #18. Use a podcasting
programme for reading.
Vocaroo.com is so
easy for the
learners to read
into.
http://fionabeal.edublogs.org/2011/05/04/fun-with-vocaroo-com

27. #19. Display your class’s
art

28. #20. Keep a record of Science
experiments on your blog

29. #21. Post resources for projects

30. #22. Use tags for your posts

31. #23. Keep a record of your
collaborative projects
Bonding through blogging project

32. Future savers project
http://future.savers.wikispaces.com

33. Creative writing project
http://fionabeal.edublogs.org/our-stories-with-sound-project

34. The Flat Stanley Literacy project
http://grade3fishhoekprimary.blogspot.com/2010/05/british-
flat-stanley-friends-yippee.html

35. #24. Use a blog to write a
class book
Many people use blogs for writing.
What about starting a class novel with
different people writing each week?

36. A teacher from Rustenburg Primary
http://5bwrites.blogspot.com/2009_12_01_archive.html

38. #25. Keep copies of your
class’s stories and
poems

39. #26. Take photos of your
students at their extramurals

40. #27. Set up your blog so that
you have to moderate
comments
Set up your blog so that you always
get notified by email when a new
comment is posted

41. #28. Use Microsoft Photostory 3 to
make photostories of outings or
projects
http://grade4fishhoekprimary.blogspot.com/2011/05/learning-about-fish-hoek.html

42. #29. Keep a record of special
days at school

43. #30. Add fancy writing
http://www.glitterfy.com/

44. #31. Make blogging friends
It is wonderful to peek into a teacher’s classroom via their
classroom blogs.
Examples:
Grade 1: http://mrspatterson.edublogs.org/
Grade 2: http://2kmand2kj.global2.vic.edu.au/
Grade 3: http://yollisclassblog.blogspot.com/
Grade 4: http://www.classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=152060
Grade 5: http://trefz.blogspot.com/
Grade 6: http://partlowpowerhouse.edublogs.org/
Grade 7: http://millwardb.edublogs.org/
Middle School: http://tefltecher.wordpress.com/

45. Grade 1
http://mrspatterson.edublogs.org/

46. Grade 2: http://thesmarties2.blogspot.com/

47. Grade 3 -
http://yollisclassblog.blogspot.com/

48. Grade 4:
http://mskreul.edublogs.org/

49. Grade 5
http://jmundorf.edublogs.org/

50. Grade 5
http://trefz.blogspot.com

51. Grade 6
http://mistea.edublogs.org/

52. Grade 7 - http://millwardb.edublogs.org/

53. #32. Keep track of technology
blogs
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/
http://askatechteacher.wordpress.com
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
http://theedublogger.com/

54. #33. Start a Google Reader
account to easily keep track of
blog updates

55. #34. Turn your blog into a book
at the end of the year
Price list for the various types of books
http://www.blurb.com/create/book/blogbook