This document provides guidance on setting up and using blogs for educational purposes. It defines what a blog is, lists common blogging platforms like Blogger and Edublogs, and gives examples of education-focused blog topics. The document outlines key steps for getting started like creating an account, choosing a template, and publishing initial posts. It stresses the importance of safety for student blogs and moderating comments. The goal is to teach students proper online communication and involvement through blogging.

1. Blogging 101
Emily Miller
Technology Specialist
Shades Cahaba Elementary School

2. Quick Poll
Do you:
Have a blog?
Read at least one blog?
Read 5-10 blogs?
Are you:
interested in one for education use?
interested in one for personal use?

3. What is a blog?
“A blog (a contraction of the term “Web log”) is a Web Site,
usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries or
commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as
graphics or video.”
-Wikipedia

4. Blogging Sites
Blogger (Personal Blog)
Edublogs (Education Blog)
Tumblr (Mini-Blog)
Twitter or Facebook (Micro)blog)

5. Examples
Miss T’s Talented Texans
Students describe blog
Science Today
History Today
5th Grade Math
Mr. Smith’s 4th grade

6. Why Blog?
Why let students blog

7. Safety
Require students to follow the systems Acceptable Use Policy
Enforce students to not reveal ANY information about
themselves.
Use code names, made up names, cartoon characters, book
characters, whatever you have to do to keep them safe!
Good idea to send a note home and ask for parental permission
for student to participate in blog.

8. Let’s Get Started with blogspot
Create an account with google
Set Basic Preferences for your blog
Choose a Template
Post your first entry

9. Set up an account
you create a username and password to protect access to your blog
The Display Name is the name that is posted at the end of each of your
entries in your blog. It’s your Signature.
The title of your blog is like the title of a book: it must somehow capture
the essence of what you’re trying to write-and catch your readers’
interest at the same time
Create a simplified version of your title to be used as part of your Blog
address (URL).

10. Choose a Template
A template determines the formatting that Blogger applies as it
converts your posts into the web pages that make up your blog.
Click the template’s view button to get a full-size preview of how
your blog will be formated

11. Publish your first post
The title of your blog post is used to identify your entry on both
your main page and in the previous posts section.
Type your post in the main editing area.
If desired, click Preview to get an idea of how it will look once
published. (Then click Hide Preview to finish writing.)
Finally, click Publish Post to add your entry to your blog.

12. Leave Comments
Visitors are allowed to leave comments to your blog.
The comments are listed at the bottom of every post page.
If you want to moderate the comments, leave your email in the
Settings, Comment Notification address box and blogger will
notify you every time someone leaves a comment on your blog.
This gives you the ability to approve the comments.

13. A few things to remember
Don’t just dive in.
devote a lot of time discussing proper conduct, how to upload
post, and what makes a good blog and comment.
show students examples, discuss good and bad things
remember you have to teach them the proper way to
communicate
Don’t forget students love for you to get involved.