March 2008

Join our class blog! What is a blog? A blog is a free webpage that you can edit. You can add text, pictures, video or audio to share with your teacher, classmates and even friends and family back home. Many people think a blog is the same as a diary – this is true, except anyone in the world can read your blog! Why do I need a blog? In your English class, every student has a blog. In class, we use blogs for homework and for class activities – it is great for improving your writing and grammar as well as lots of other things! Also, it will be an excellent record of your time in the UK. How do I set up a blog?

• Go to http://www.blogger.com/. Click on the orange arrow which says “Create your blog now”.

• On the following screen, enter your email address (don’t worry it will be safe!) and the other details it asks for. If you already have a Google account you don’t need to do this step – you can just sign in. Accept the Terms of Service and click on the orange arrow.

March 2008

• Use your full name for the blog title and blog address, or if you want to choose a different name, that’s OK – it’s your choice! Make sure the address is available by clicking “Check Availability”. Click on the orange arrow again.

• Choose a template that you like – again it’s your choice! Click on the orange arrow again.

• Congratulations! You have set up your blog! Click on the orange arrow to start your first blog.

March 2008

• There are lots of settings for you to customise your blog. We only need to change two of them:

• Go to the Settings tab.

• Then the Email tab.

• Enter your teacher’s email address in the BlogSend Address section so your teacher will get automatic emails when you change your blog.

• Don’t worry about the Mail- to-Blogger Address.

• Save your settings.

• Go to the Permissions tab.

• Invite your teacher to become a Blog Author for your blog so they can help you if you have any problems with your blog.

• In the Blog Readers section, make sure Anybody can view this blog so your classmates can read and see your blog too!

That’s it – you’ve finished setting up your blog! If you like, you can change any of these settings at any time – you can change the style, the layout, the colours. Have a look at the different options and experiment! If you have any problems or questions, please ask your teacher.

March 2008

Publishing your first post

• In your first post, please write a short introduction about yourself. Try to include details of where you live, what you do in your country, what your hobbies are and any other interesting information! It is great if you can upload a photo too – to do this, press the image button:

• Here is an example of a blog entry together with a photo. When you are finished, check your grammar, spelling and punctuation, and click on the orange “Publish Post” button.

March 2008

• The following screen will appear:

• Click on the link to “View Blog” and then your blog will appear: Congratulations! You are now officially a blogger! Write down the address of your blog here for your records. You can find the address in the address bar at the top of the screen: Ask your teacher for the address of the class blog and write it in this box for your records: Remember, this is YOUR blog and you can add anything you want to it – text, pictures, videos, music. There is only one rule – EVERYTHING MUST BE IN ENGLISH!!

Good luck and enjoy it!

http:// .blogspot.com/

http:// .blogspot.com/