This document provides instructions for creating and maintaining a blog through the School Wires platform. It emphasizes that blogs should focus on educational content and not publish full student names. The key steps outlined are to log into School Wires, select eFaculty and your name, create a new page as a blog, name and save the page, and then use the general, posting, and comments tabs to configure and post to the blog. Some example topic ideas are also provided such as book clubs, current events, and science experiments. RSS feeds are also briefly explained as a way to syndicate and distribute blog content.

1. Blogging
An informative presentation on the creation and maintance of a blog
through School Wires

2. What is a blog?
Wikipedia Definition
Blogging in Plain English

3. Important to Remember
How many students have the internet?
Do not publish full names of anyone in class
Absolutely must create guidelines.
Content! Don’t mistake activity for
achievement. Remain focused.
A blog is not a website it is an interactive
place to communicate information.
Must let me know so we can get user names
and passwords for the students

4. Creating your blog
Log into SchoolWires
Select eFaculty and your name
Select New Page
In the following window you will choose the type of page
you are creating.

5. Name and Save Page
In this window you will name
your blog page
The Postings will then open and
you will select the Edit option

6. The following window is where you will control the blog
page
General Tab allows you to create a specific date and time to
post a comment and and the bottom
of the page you can select or deselect the Active
button
Posting Tab is where you enter posts for the blog
Comments Tab here you select whether or not you want
comments on a specific posting.
Do the comments need to be approved?
Who is allowed to comment on this blog?
REMEMBER TO ALWAYS SAVE ANY CHANGES YOU MAKE

7. Clever ideas for your Blog
Discuss a reading Book Club for students
assignment
Post Writing assignment
Create a blog about how to and assign 1 student to post
study comment
Current Events Reflections on a field trip
with pictures and movies
Homework Help
Science experiments
Journal for Research Project

8. Some Examples of Blogs
Albert the Bear’s Blog Chestnutwold
Ms.O’Connell
Mrs. Travis Classroom Blog
Civil War Sallie
MS Ms. Gilmore
13 Colonies
MS Mr. Mahar
Pie Day Blog
Chestnutwold - Jane
Daubman Election Day
Blog Awards 2009

9. RSS Feed
What is it and why is
it important?
RSS in Plain English
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.
RSS is the format for distributing news and other web content. When you put content into RSS and send that content to other
people or websites, it's called a feed.
Feeds are very powerful. They attract the interest of the search engines and they reach new audiences.
Every blog has a feed. Most of the new social media sites are using RSS Feeds to distribute their content. Twitter runs on RSS
feeds, Facebook and MySpace use feeds.
You can add feeds to your news and tap in to the power of the social web. A feed will increase the reach and visibility of your
news content.