About me

• Baby boomer• Why blog?• How did I start?• Personal blog• Globalteacher blog• Backyard blog(globalstudent) – sole

administrator• Individual student blogs – joint administration

My personal blog

My teacher blog

Sample student blog

My blog

• Posts• Pages• Categories• Tags• Widgets – clustr maps, delicious links• Blogroll• comments

http://backyard.globalstudent.org.au

Uses

• Online journal• Digital portfolios• Lesson plans• bulletin board• Reflections

How to get started!•Read blogsSample blogs – sue davis –mobile technology in TAFEJess Mcculloch The rise of reflectionsAlannahk moturoa (from NZ just lots of bits and pieces)

Jenny lucca lucaceptClass blogsGrade 5 class in Bangkok Our online ESL classroomCollaboration nation a year 8 blog in USA

Global student/teacher• Register for a globalteacher blog• Adding in students = easy now• Give some thought to username or webtitle

(cannot be changed) eg murcha• blog title can be changed Eg ejourneys with technokids –backyard -

ros0003 -rose etc• Make sure you goto your email and activate

the link

Global teacher signin

Dashboard

Change password

Write a post

• Click on the tab “write a new post” or goto dashboard and click on the hyperlink to “write a new post”. Ensure you are in post tab.

• Insert a title in the title section• Type in your post in the writing area – there are

some formatting options available eg fontsize etc• Click save and continue continually to avoid losing

work. It will not go online until you publish• Proofread, when satisfied, hit publish

Write a post

Insert a Page

• Posts will scroll in chronological order. Ensure you add an appropriate category for your post

• Add some tags as to content of post eg reflections, skype, blogging etc

• A page will be static but viewable all the time on selection. Eg about me, digital stories etc

• Complete as for posts.

Default blog theme

Themes – choose a more colourful theme.Choose another from presentation tab, and it will activate

Widgets – are pieces of code that enhance the sidebar of a blog eg clustrmaps, avatar, category etcIf changing themes, goto presentation>widgets>grab required widgets eg meta, categories, pages, clustrmaps etc.

Comments – give depth, interactions and conversations. Can approve or delete or spam.

Blogroll

hints• Start blogging – it will find a direction over time• Blog until you feel comfortable before starting

with students• Blog regularly

• Establish a social network (links, comments, trackbacks, teacher lists, nings etc)

• Do not worry about initial appearance – just start.

Topic of first posts

• About me/class/school/facilities etc• Goals• Interests• Hobbies• Software/hardware trialled and evaluations

Resources

• Web2 telegraph – a collection of hints, trials, experiences and advice

• 25 steps – an adventure for web2.0 learning

• http://ejourneys.wikispaces.com –my wiki with lots of resources for all things web2.0

• Edublogger great tips on getting more out of edublogs

Cybersafety

• Usernames eg rose, meatballs

• Avatars• No last names/addresses/phone

numbers/other identifying details• Joint administration rights• Other staff(including principal)

regularly comment• RSS feeds to student blogs

Learning outcomes – staff/students

• A tool for reading, writing and sharing• Authentic audience• Highly motivational• Powerful learning when connecting with other

classes• Students want to share• Etc

My blogs

• http://murcha.wordpress.com (my personal ejourney with gen Y)

• http://murch.globalteacher.org.au (my classwork and ejourney with technokids, links to student blogs and other schools with student blogs)

• http://backyard.globalstudent.org.au class blog• http://christmas2.0us.wordpress.com class blog for

work at Christmas time