Check out Sue Waters’ tips on creating an About page.

Creating a subsciption widget in your sidebar is a two-step process:

1. Burn your feed: By burning a feed at Feedburner, you create a way to track stats and give readers several options for subscribing to your blog–no matter what feed reader they may be using.
2. Add sidebar widget: Add the RSS icon to your sidebar to give readers one-click access to subscribing.

Also, consider giving readers the option to subscribe via e-mail, just in case they aren’t familiar with RSS/readers or they prefer e-mail subscriptions.

Post your group’s response by commenting on this post. 

Post your group’s response by commenting on this Post.

Post your group’s definition of a blog by commenting on this post.

How do you get people to visit your blog? How do you find people to talk to–to enter into conversations and collaborations?

Here are a few tips:

• Read and comment on other people’s blogs. When you comment, be sure to type in the address to your blog. Other people will read your comments and click on your name to learn more about you.
• Add your blog URL to educational blog lists like Support Blogging and Teacher Lingo.
• Find a niche (what’s your passion? your special area of expertisement?) and share things people really want to know. Avoid just journaling (Who really cares about what you ate or what movie you watched?)
• Use more than just text. Incorporate multimeda elements like images, Vokis, videos.

In this final task, you will work on your own to create and post to your blog a lesson integrating blogging.

                            Step by Step Directions For Classroom Teachers

For Other Educators (Administrators, Curriculum Coordinators, Literacy or Math Specialist, Educational Technologists…)

Edublogs Planning Sheet Task 3 

Creating your first blog will be very easy.

Step By Step

1. You at least looked at the planning sheet above, right?
2. Remember that links from this page open in new windows (this window is just behind the windows that open).
3. In a moment, you will start a step by step process for creating a blog. It is so easy you will laugh. If you get stuck, ask your neighbor, or come back to this page and refer to the links on the left.
4. If you need instructions in how to create the blog, check out the videos or manual in the links at left.
5. Go to edublogs.org and create your blog by enter your info. in the boxes (Don’t forget your planning sheet).
6. After you create an account, you must validate it with a link Edublogs will send you in an e-mail. Open your e-mail and click on the link to get started.
7. Now for the fun part! Using the resources in the links at the left, personalize your blog:

• Choose a template.
• Update your profile.
• Write a post.
• Create an “About Me” page.
• Upload a blog avatar.
• Choose widgets for your sidebar.
• Add some links to your blogroll (maybe some favorite blogs you found earlier).

Remember, this page is right behind the new window if you get stuck, but you won’t get stuck because this is so easy!

Now that you’re familiar with the dashboard, let’s move on to creating a blogging lesson for your students.

Visit more sites and sample blogs to define blogs and formulate ideas for using blogs–for yourself and with your students.

On to Task 3  →

Take a moment to reflect. Leave a brief comment responding to these three items:

1. One thing I learned today…
2. One thing I can immediately use with my students…
3. One thing I’m a bit confused about or want to learn more about…

Thanks for all your hardwork. Go forth and blog!