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Blogger

Objectives

At the end of this session, you will be able to:

Create a blog on blogger.com

Add posts to your blog

Use the various options provided on the blogging site to maintain your blog

Access others blogs and write comments on it

Introduction

A blog originally came from the word ―weblog‖ or a ―web log‖.

A blog is a publishing platform that allows you to share information on a website. It also

enables your students to collaborate, converse and contribute to the site without

requiring advanced tools or expertise.

In simple terms a blog is like an online journal or diary. As you make entries in your

diary, you can make entries into your blog. These entries are called ―posts‖ and they

appear in reverse chronological order i.e. your latest post appears first.

A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other

media related to its topic.

In education, blogs can be used as instructional resources. These blogs are referred to as

edublogs.

Edublogs archive and support student and teacher learning by facilitating reflection,

questioning by self and others, collaboration and by providing contexts for engaging in

higher-order thinking.

You can use your blog for:

sharing information and tips with your colleagues,

providing information and additional resources to students,

allowing them to contribute and collaborate on a particular topic, and

keeping in contact with parents and allowing them to ask their queries.

Microblogging

Microblogging is the practice of posting small pieces of digital content—which could be

text, pictures, links, short videos, or other media—on the Internet. These small

messages are sometimes called microposts. Examples of microblogs

include Twitter, Tumblr, WeiBo etc.

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Blog features

There are a number of free blogs available on the net. You may choose to create a blog

on any blogging site.

However, consider the following features when selecting a blogging site.

Features of an ideal blog

Blog Post Archive - Readers should be able to view previous posts sorted by date or

category.

RSS feed - Readers should be able to know what‘s new on a blog without having to

check it regularly.

Comments System - Readers should be given an opportunity to comment on the

blog.

Spam Protection - A blog owner should be able to filter out unwanted or abusive

comments.

Search - A reader should be able to search posts, words, images, links etc on your

blog.

Social Media Integration - Blog owner should be able to integrate social-media-

sharing capabilities on a blog to enable readers to share a blog on their social

networks.

Contact Method - Readers should be able to make a connection with the blog owner.

Blogger – Creation

www.blogger.com is a free blog by google.

1. If you would like to create a google blog just sign in on blogger.com with your gmail

ID and password. If you do not already have a google account then you can create

one.

When you go to www.blogger.com you will be automatically redirected to the google

login page.

2. Sign in with your gmail ID and password to start blogging.

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If you do not already have a google account then you can create one by clicking on

'Create an account'.

Once you sign into your google account you will be directed to the personal info page.

3. Click on the 'Apps' icon on the top right of the screen

4. Then click on 'More' in the pop up that opens and select 'Blogger'.

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You will be asked to confirm your profile. You may choose to continue with your Google

profile or switch to a limited blogger profile. If you choose to continue with your google

profile, then your blog will be published with your google profile name.

Here we have chosen a 'limited blogger profile'.

If you choose to create a blogger profile, your profile will need a name. This name will be

visible to all those who visit your blog.

5. Type in a profile name for your blogs. (this step can be skipped if you have chosen to

continue with your google profile)

6. If you do not wish to receive announcement emails from blogger, uncheck the feature

announcement box.

7. Then click on 'continue to blogger'.

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8. Then click on 'New Blog' to create your first blog.

9. Once you click on 'New Blog' you will be asked to add a Title, Address and choose a

template for your blog. The address you choose will be provided to viewers who wish

to visit your blog.

10. After you have done this click 'Create Blog'.

Your blog has now been created. You can click on 'Start Posting'.

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Blog – Posting

Once you click on start posting a new blog page will open.

1. add a title to your post

2. Then create a post by adding text, videos, images anything that you want by using

the rich text toolbar

3. Explore all the post settings options. You can add labels to your post, schedule a time

to publish your post on the web, add a location from where this blog was posted,

choose to allow or deny comments from others.

Please note that you will be unable to publish if your post does not have a permalink.

4. Once you are done you can click on preview to see how your post will look

5. then click on publish

Once you publish your blog you can see it in the post list view.

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Blogger – Post list

New post

If you wish to add more posts to the same blog then you can click on the pencil icon on

the screen.

You may add as many posts as you like to your blog. Here you can see 4 posts under the

same blog 'Geography'.

Viewing

If you wish to view all the posts of a blog then click on 'View blog'

If you wish to view a particular post in a blog then click on 'View' under the post name in

the post list.

To edit a post click on ‗Edit‘ under the post name.

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Blog view

When you go to the blog view, you can see all the posts displayed in chronological order

with the latest post on top.

A user (with whom you have shared your blog) can click on any of the posts in the

archive view.

Blogger – Settings and comments

When you create a blog, by default it is set as 'Public' i.e. everyone can view your blog.

You can change these settings from the 'post list' page.

Go to the post list page and click on 'Settings - Basic'. Choose the kind of permissions

that you want for your blog.

You also have an option of adding an admin to your blog.

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Comments

When you share your post with others you can choose if you would like people to have

commenting or only viewing rights.

1. Go to the editing view of your post.

2. In the editing view go to 'Options' under 'Post settings' on the right hand side.

3. Choose if you would like readers to comment on your post.

If you have chosen to allow commenting, then you will have to decide who can comment

on your post.

1. Go to the 'post lists' page and under 'Settings' on the left hand side of the screen and

click on 'Posts and comments'.

2. Choose 'Who can comment?' on your blog.

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Managing comments

When you send the URL of your blog/post to others they can view your blog /post and

comment on it (as per permissions given).

You may also choose to comment on your own blog.

1. Go to the blog/post view and add a comment in the box provided below the blog/post.

2. Check the 'Notify me' box if you wish to receive notifications by email when someone

comments on your blog/post.

As the blog admin you have the rights to either retain or delete the comments posted by

others on your blog/post.

You can also post a reply to each of the comments.

Blogger – Dashboard

More blogs

You can create other blogs by following the steps as given for the first blog 'Geography'.

1. To create a new blog you first need to go back to your 'Dashboard'.

You can go back to your dashboard by clicking on the blogger icon on the top right of

any screen in blogger.

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2. When you go to your dashboard, click on 'New Blog' to create your next blog.

3. Then follow the same steps as shown for the first blog.

Here you can see a new blog 'Social issues' has been created after the first blog

'Geography'.

You can create as many blogs as you want.

Following blogs

1. If you want to follow blogs written by others go to the Reading List on your Blogger

Dashboard.

Your Blogger Reading List, is located under your list of blogs on your dashboard. It will

update instantly each time a new post is published on any blog in your Reading List.

2. To add a blog to your Reading List click the 'Add' button on the left side of your

Reading List.

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3. Then type in the URL of the blog you'd like to follow in the URL box.

You can add as many blogs as you'd like by clicking on +Add.

4. Then choose whether you'd like to follow the blog publicly or privately.

5. Then click Follow.

Finding help

Web applications and tools are constantly being updated.

If you are unable to find certain buttons or you find that the steps to be followed for a

certain task on blog sites do not match with the steps given in this module, then that

may be because the tools were updated or upgraded by the license company after this

module was released.

You can always go to the help section on the site to find help on the task that you need

to perform.

1. On your blogger dashboard go to the blogger options icon on the top right hand side

of the screen.

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2. Under 'Blogger options', go to 'Blogger Help'.

3. On the 'Blogger Help' screen you will find all that you need to know about creating,

sharing and maintaining your blog.

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References

"7 Things You Should Know About...Microblogging" by EDUCAUSE. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://commons.pacificu.edu/educause/7/

Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

Blogger Help. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://support.google.com/blogger/?hl=en#topic=3339243

Bousquet, K. (n.d.). The 10 Best Free Blog Sites. Retrieved from

http://stylecaster.com/best-free-blog-sites/

Edublogs – education blogs for teachers, students and schools. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://edublogs.org/

How to Create a Blogger Blog Step by Step Tutorial - Blogger Beginners! Tutorial 2014.

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J__39eioBNw

Make Your Own Website from Google Blogger. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MxpqN7B6m8

One account. All of Google. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.blogger.com

WordPress.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://codex.wordpress.org/Introduction_to_Blogging