Chapter 3

How to Create a BlogHow to Create a Blog

What Is A Blog?

• It is a frequently updated personal journal chronicling links at a Web site, intended for public viewing (Bing Dictionary)• Many blogs are commentaries or news outlets

about a certain subject• The Blogs are primarily textual• Other types of Blogs include:

– Art Blogs– Photo Blogs– Video Blogging– Podcasting (Audio Blogging)– Microblogging (Very short post)

What is a Blog? Cont’d

• Jorn Barger, editor of Robert

Wisdom, coined the phrase, weblog, referring to “logging the web” (1997)

• Peter Merholz, broke the term down to we blog on his webpage, Peterme.com (1999)

• Shortly there after, Evan William at Pyra Labs devised the term “blogger”

Blog vs Website & Wiki

• Most blogs are interactive• Unlike a static website, you are

able to comment back • You can even leave messages via

a widget on a blog• Unlike a Wiki you can only

contribute to a blog in comment form

• Only the publisher can edit the material on a blog

Rise of the Blog

• 2002 saw a increasing popularity in connection with breaking and spinning news stories

• Bloggers political influence was demonstrated when bloggers focused on the controversial comments Majority Leaders Trent Lott made at a party

• The mainstream media didn’t cover the story but bloggers everywhere broke the news…leading to Lott’s eventual resignation

• By 2004, political candidates and news outlets were using blogs as a tool to reach out to people and help them form opinions

• In 2005, Fortune Magazine wrote a piece listing eight bloggers business people couldn’t ignore

Steps To Starting a Blog

1. Find a decent blogging provider that appeals to you. The most popular providers include LiveJournal, Blogger, WordPress.com, Xanga and Webs. These sites are pre-made with templates and push-button publishing that don't require much technical know-how.

2. Once you sign up, you'll have a gallery of ready-made templates to choose from. With these, you can pick a color scheme and layout for your blog.

1. Most sites come with a set of predefined layouts and schemes that you can choose from. Select one and personalize it. Then add your name, interests, images, etc.

2. If you want to, get a more unique template, there are some sites up that have many of these that might make it look better. For example, PimpMyProfile.com or Pyzam.com.

3. Add blogging freebies like buttons, images, blog chalks, imoods, tagboards (for example, myshoutbox.com), guest maps, guestbooks, comment boxes for readers' input, etc.

4. Explore other blog sites that offer more features for a small fee, such as Typepad.com and.

Steps To Starting a Blog cont’d

5. Decide whether you want your blog to be private or public:

do you want any Internet visitor to be able to read your blog,

or do you just want your friends and family to be able to read it? Most blog sites offer the ability to password-protect your published posts so only those who you approve of can view what you've written.

6. After you've set up your blog, write a few posts to test it out, and make any adjustments to the layout or style that you see fit. Like if you just got a new template, you'd check your blog to see if you like it, right? At first, it will seem tough to figure out what to write, but once you get into a routine of daily blogging, you will find it addictive. Write about your day, your thoughts, events, ideas, fears, pleasures, the news, current affairs, art, or anything you are interested in!

7. Visit other blogs to build a blogging circle. When you leave comments, add your blogging address so they can visit you too. (Note: This will not work if your blog is private)

8. Publish your blog by sending the URL to your friends or publish the URL on your website. Add the URL to posts you make on other blogs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnploFsS_tY

6 Steps to Choosing a Blogging Software

1. What Are Your Goals for Your Blog?The blogging software you choose is largely dependent upon your goals for your blog.

 2. Do You Need to Significantly Customize Your Blog's Design?

Blogging software varies in terms of its ability to allow bloggers to customize the appearance and layout of their blogs with logos, specific fonts, designs and more. It's important that you determine the amount of customization you want and need for your blog before you select your blogging software.

 3. Are You or Is Someone You Know Technical?

Different blogging software platforms require varying amounts of technical skill and knowledge. While there are blogging software options that even the most technically-challenged people can navigate and use successfully, many of the blogging software packages that provide advanced customization and features require at least some technical ability.

 

6 Steps to Choosing a Blogging Software

4. Will Your Blog Have Multiple Authors?Some blogging software platforms are easier to configure with multiple authors than others. Determine your author needs before you choose your blogging software.

 5. Do You Need Custom Email Addresses Tied to Your Blog's Domain

Name?If you want to have email addresses customized to match your blog's domain name than your blogging software options are more limited. Even if this is something you may not need in the short term, it's important to think about it now before you choose your blogging software.

 6. Do You Have Money to Spend Each Month on Blogging Software and a

Blog Host?Your budget will have a significant impact on the blogging software you choose. While there are many free blogging software platforms available online, those free blogging programs typically offer limited features. Although those limited features are usually adequate for the average blogger, they may not be enough for your blog depending on your long term goals for it.

How does a Blog work in education?

Common answers among teachers:1. Communicate with Parents

Since it’s not always easy to interact with due to busy schedules

and large class sizes, a blog is a way to still keep in touch. Announcements, the days activities, positing syllabi, are ways of keeping your parents up to date and making your classroom more interactive

2. Communicate with Peers

Everyone can benefit from open discussions about the challenges that we face as educators. A blog allows professionals from other schools, districts, states, a way to communicate, share and keep an open dialogue about our experiences

3. Showcase Students Work

A blog is an opportunity to showcase a students work to an audience that goes beyond the classroom. Giving them an incentive for doing their best. This can also help other teachers with ideas on teaching a specific subject.

4. Assignment for students

A blog can be a way to take a writing assignment and giving it a real world perspective for a student. Students posting assignment on a blog gives them the opportunity to receive feedback regarding their work, other than the teachers. It can be an interactive peer review.

http://sonnyucf.edublogs.org/

Securing Your Students

• Students blogging does raise certain concerns.

Such as who is viewing their material and making sure that the material on the blog stays relevant to

the class and subject.• Classroom blogging is still a relatively new tool

that educators are utilizing, so there is no real security measures to these issues.

• But that’s why educational blogs are important - they can serve as a place where teachers can debate these topics among their peers and work out answers that are appropriate for their classrooms and communities.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Blog

http://weblogs.about.com/b/2008/05/12/create-a-blog-in-4-easy-steps-for-free.htm

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2006/05/what_exactly_is_a_blog_anyway.html