Creating a Blog
Google has a tool called "Blogger" that allows you to quickly and easily create a classroom blog. You edit the blog at Blogger, your students will access it at YOURCLASS.blogspot.com.Try to choose a very short name for your blog like "mrlastname" if you can to make it easier for your students to find it.
Posts vs. Pages
Most of the things you publish in a blog are posts, there are date sensitive and will be displayed in your feed from most recent to oldest.For items that should be semi-permanent, create a "page". When creating tab links to your blog you should first create a page and then link to that.
Templates
Choose a template that looks nice, but try to take care that it isn't distracting. Many of the templates will allow you to add a picture to the background, if you have a really nice picture that you like that doesn't clash with the template, this is a great way to make it your own.The Layout of Your Page
There are lots of layout options that you can choose, but it is probably best to just leave the page alone completely. It is pretty standard to have a large column to read (your feed/blog/agendas) and then a smaller column to the right for extra navigation and organizations. This is pretty much universally understood, the default for blogger, and probably best left alone.Which Pages to Include
What Navigation Tabs to Include/How to Make them
Home-Playlist("agenda")-- This is the main feed of your blog, on any day that you are using technology, this is where your agenda should be. It will allow you to easily edit and modify it throughout the day if you need to change it for a particular class period, and then it will also maintain a record of what you have done throughout the year.Table of Contents -- A list of the major units that you are working on throughout the year. It will probably link to other pages with the details for a particular unit.
Classroom -- this is a link to https://classroom.google.com/ when a student clicks on this, it will go to their classroom page. Be sure to check the box for "Open in New Window".
Google Drive -- this is a link to https://drive.google.com/ when a student clicks on this, it will go to their drive page. Be sure to check the box for "Open in New Window".
Web Apps --
Document Library --
About/Syllabus --
How to Integrate Two Subjects Using the Same Blog
Create an agenda feed for each subject you teach using labels. See Jam's page.For this to work:
- Add the "Labels" gadget in layout if you don't already have it. (Labels are exactly like #hashtags.)
- Then create a post for each "subject", and add a label to the post like "ELA7" or "Photo". (In the future these labels don't have to be typed again, you just have have to click on the appropriate one.)
- Click on the subject label you want to create a feed for, this will open a new tab. Copy the URL for this tab.
- Add the URL to your "Link List" in layout.
- Your done.
What "Gadgets to Add"
When editing your site, you can click the "layout" tab and edit which features are included on your blog.In the top of the page third row down you will see a "Navigation" box. Click "Add a Gadget" and Choose "Link List". This will allow you to link to pages on your website or elsewhere on the internet for easy navigation. There should not be very many links here, so make them very important ones that your students will use constantly. See the note on what navigation tabs to include elsewhere in this document.
In the right column, be sure to include the following gadgets:
- Labels (Set for "Cloud" and "Frequency")
- Blog Archive
- If you have a lot of links to include, add a "Link List" here and put items that won't fit in your navigation bar
Using Labels Effectively
In a blog "labels" are the equivalent to #hashtags on social media websites. You should add label tags to EVERY post that you create. This allows students to quickly find information and search by label rather.Create a set of labels that you will use consistently, you can add more at any time. Possible label ideas:
- Agenda
- Homework
- AR
- Google Drive
- GAFE+
- The name of what ever app or website you are using
