usf blogs – setting up a class blogcenter for instruction and technology last updated: july 11,...

CenterforInstructionandTechnologyLastUpdated:July11,2016

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USF Blogs – Setting up a Class Blog

Log in for Returning Users | Signing in to your Existing Blog

If you have already created your account, you are a returning user.

• Go to usfblogs.usfca.edu > click ‘Log In’ and enter your USF username and password to edit your blog

Returninguserlogin


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*For First Time Users | Create Account and Make a New Blog Step 1. If you have never created an account in USF Blogs, do the followings: Visit usfblogs.usfca.edu, scroll down and click the green ‘Get a Blog ‘button.

Step 2. Enter your USF Username, USF Email address. Then choose default ‘Gimme a site!’, and click Next. (Note: if you are a student and the system gives you an error for using [email protected], try go back and use [email protected])

Firsttimeuser:Createaccountandnewblog

mailto:[email protected]


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Step 3: Enter a Site Name, Site Title, Privacy option. Choose a USF template if desired, and click the Signup button.


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Step 4: Activate link in your email. Open a new browser window and check your email. Click the Activate link to activate your blog before going any further.

Step 5: After you have activated your email link, you get a confirmation as follows. Now, click the Log in link to enter your site.

Note: If for some reason you have landed on a Wordpress screen, click the [old] USF Connect button and authenticate with myUSF username and password. (You do not need to use the username and password Edublog provides you in the email.) *Always log in with your myUSF username and password.


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Step 6: Themes Your blog is defaulted to the basic responsive Edublog template unless you have chosen from one of the four USF templates when you are setting up your blog.

New: Web and Digital Communications has provided four official USF templates for our community bloggers. If you would like to retain the University feel to your blog, please select from any of them. You can also change to any other themes if you later change your mind.

If you would like to change your blog theme, choose Appearance > Themes


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**Steps 1-6 above conclude the creation of your new blog. If students wish to join the instructor’s blog, continue to Step 7. Step 7: Students - Want to Join a Class Blog? You need teacher’s approval. Your teacher must have created a class blog first. To join your instructor’s class blog, choose My Class > Join a Class.

Enter your teacher’s blog name (find out from your instructor!) Then click Send a request to join.


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Teacher will receive a request notification on her Dashboard of the Class Blog. Once the instructor clicks Approve, the student will get a notification email of acceptance.

Sample of a student’s notification email of acceptance

Step 8: Find Teacher’s Blog under My Sites Student can now login to usfblogs.usfca.edu, and click My Sites to see the instructor’s Class Blog. Notice that students have less available tools on the left navigation sidebar on the Class Blog.

(Instructor’s view)

(Student’s view)


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Step 9: See Classmates’ Blogs - If a student wants to see a list of other students’ blogs on her own site, choose Appearance > Widgets > drag Class Blog to the right column.

A Student’s View of his Class Blog


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Create Teacher’s Blog Follow Steps 1–6 to first create a new blog if you have not done so. Step 7: To make your blog as a Class Blog, choose My Class > Create a Class Note: If you have selected the ‘Class Blog USF Template’, you do not need to do this. Simply continue with class blog and teacher’s options under Settings.

Choose My Class > Settings and check the box next to ‘This is a Class Blog’. Choose to allow or disallow students to show posts; moderate comments on class blog main page; allow Readers to read each other’s blog posts etc.


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Step 8: Instructor can display a list of the students’ blogs on the sidebar by choosing Appearance > Widgets > drag Class Blog to the right column. (optional)

A Teacher’s View of his Class Blog

When students got approved to join a class blog, the students’ blogs become part of the teacher’s class blog. Instructor can also choose My class > Student blogs to view all students’ blogs. To see all student users in the class, choose My Class > Students Users.

Auto Display Comments If you choose to have the Comments automatically appear, set as follows:


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Moderate Comments If you want to moderate your comments, you will need to set Discussions as follows, and have to approve them before they appear on your blog. Choose Settings > Discussion and set as follows:

Under Comments in the Dashboard, if there’s comment, it has a red exclamation alerting the owner of the blog to approve. See the 3 steps example below.


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Resources:

How to create a Class blog: http://help.edublogs.org/how-do-i-create-a-class-using-my-class-tool/ How do students create their own blog and join a Class blog: http://help.edublogs.org/how-do-students-create-their-own-blog-and-join-a-class/ How to create student blogs using My Class: http://help.edublogs.org/how-do-i-create-student-blogs-using-my-class/ http://help.edublogs.org/how-do-students-create-their-own-blog-and-join-a-class/#.VqqQ8SXy06w.email How to add students as users to a Class blog: http://help.edublogs.org/how-do-i-add-students-as-users-to-a-class/

http://help.edublogs.org/how-do-i-create-a-class-using-my-class-tool/

http://help.edublogs.org/how-do-students-create-their-own-blog-and-join-a-class/

http://help.edublogs.org/how-do-i-create-student-blogs-using-my-class/

http://help.edublogs.org/how-do-i-add-students-as-users-to-a-class/

usf blogs – setting up a class blogcenter for instruction and technology last updated: july 11,...

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