We created this presentation for teachers to use when getting started with Blogger.

1. Becoming a
with
Dorothy Burt

2. Getting started is as easy as 1, 2, 3
http://blogger.com

3. IS as easy as 1, 2, 3
Getting started
But
We suggest you stop
and think through a
few things BEFORE
you go through the
easy process...

4. IS as easy as 1, 2, 3
Getting started
1. Who is going to own this blog -
both now and in the future?
You? Your school? Your students?
this determines the email
address you use
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5. IS as easy as 1, 2, 3
Getting started
2. What do you want people to
see as the title of this blog?
Think of it like the name of a book or a movie!
Use this as your Display name
AND your Blog Title

6. IS as easy as 1, 2, 3
Getting started
3. Create your blog URL
You can make this easy for people to remember!
http://twbt.blogspot.com
You can make this impossible for people to remember!
http://
TheWorldsBestTeacherinallofAotearoaNewZealand.blogspot.com
check if your school has an
T established protocol

7. IS as easy as 1, 2, 3
Getting started
So
If you have decided
those three things
then you can create
your blog in under 5
minutes!

8. You are now a
with

9. Your blog is now official
But
We suggest you stop
and make it
function a whole lot
better before you
let kids loose on it

10. Customize your Settings
In the top right corner of your blog
screen you will see this...
or this
Click Customize OR Dashboard

11. Customize OR Dashboard
will both get you to settings so you
can start to
Customize your Settings

12. Customize your Settings
These settings are often ignored in
the excitement of setting up a blog
and going ‘LIVE’
Following are some of the things we
have learned by trial and error...

13. Customize your Settings
Worth stopping and writing a description to help
potential subscribers know what you are about...
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ar
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BEWARE! This is also the
tab where a person with
your password can delete
your blog

14. Customize your Settings
Most of the default formatting settings are fine
BUT you need to scroll half way down the page to
a very important setting for kiwis - you MUST
change this….
The default says Pacific
and is deceptive for Kiwis.
That is the pacific coast of
USA - so all your posting
times will be wrong if you
leave it set on American
time zones...

15. Customize your Settings
The comments settings are at the heart of why
we are blogging in our Manaiakalani schools so
we will go through them carefully.
By not making it easy for people to comment we erect barriers ourselves - and we have to ask what
it the point then?
The safety net is daily checking
of comments made….

16. Customize your Settings
Comment moderation is a tricky one….
We suggest that if you turn comments moderation on you are erecting
a barrier to our students participating. In this Web 2 / social
networking age they exist in they expect to see instant publishing or
they are turned off.
So where does that leave us as educators responsible for our
students online safety at school? Next slide please….

17. Customize your Settings
Comment moderation made easy...
The teacher ‘owning’ this blog MUST commit to checking their email at least once
a day and can skim through comments very quickly. Inappropriate comments are
easy to delete. And DO include email addresses of others with a valid interest in
this blog eg the class email address or parents if students have individual blogs.
If the teacher can’t commit to checking their own email then
they do need to turn comments moderation on, sadly...
Next slide please….

18. Customize your Settings
Comment moderation made easy...
We also have a responsibility for the ongoing education of our
students about online behaviour in terms of:
their own safety
how they interact with others
appropriate language (formal v informal etc)
how ‘real world’ values operate in the virtual world
A computer setting should not be replacing us
as educators or we are enabling our own
extinction!

19. Customize your Settings
The final comments setting to mention
This erects a barrier in two ways:
the young and the old get frustrated and give up
you lose the ability to schedule posts to appear at a time that
suits you
Why make it the default? If you have issues with spam go ahead
and activate it. If not, choose NO

20. Customize your Settings
This is well worth taking a look at. You can own
the blog but give up to 100 authors the right to
post. They can’t change any settings, just
upload posts.
This is the way to include
students in a class blog. Don’t sign
them in under your email. Add
their class email as an author...

21. Customize your Settings
is complete!
It is worth taking the time to do
this as you only ever revisit to
tweak something like adding an
email address...

22. Customize your Layout
The fun stuff
This is where you change how your
blog looks and add all the little
‘widgets’ you see on other people’s
blogs. Personalise it….
Get ready to Bling your Blog

23. Customize your Layout
Use Firefox as your browser
Important warning!
Internet Explorer and Safari do
not allow all the layout options
and you will be frustrated

24. Customize your Layout
Making it reflect me and my class
V
Attracting audience
V
Informing audience

25. Customize your Layout
Templates, fonts and colours
While this is personal taste, do remember the basic
idea of a blog is so that people can READ stuff!

26. Customize your Layout
Page Elements
- our favourite place to visit
Main thing to remember is to click
SAVE when finished!

27. Customize your Layout
Header (Blog Title)
V
Easy to add your own instead of the default template one...
But don’t make it too big or
people won’t scroll down to
read your posts. You need to
have a VERY popular blog to
get away with this!
600 pixels X 150 pixels works

28. Customize your Layout
Side Bar
In my opinion what
you put at the top
of your side bar
has the next
biggest influence
on whether
strangers stick
around and read
your blog.
Have a quick look at a few
blogs and see if you agree.

29. Customize your Layout
Side Bar - all those widgets!
They are lots of
fun as well as
providing
information
Most are easily
‘borrowed’ from
other blogs
They do slow down the
speed at which your blog
opens
They are likely to be
blocked by lots of schools’
firewalls

30. You should now be a
with
with a funky and functional blog!

31. If you want to know more about how
to attract an audience to your
blog...
Click here to see a presentation
or visit
http://manaiakalani.blogspot.com
Dorothy Burt