Making it…
Getting your blog up and running
There are lots of blogging sites out there, most of which are free. Perhaps the two most popular free ones are Blogger.com and WordPress.com and setting your first blog site up can take just a few minutes, a relatively modern computer and a reasonably fast internet connection.
You will need an e-mail address. You could use your existing email address or you might choose to set up a new one purely for blogging purposes.
Choose a name for your blog e.g. ourclassblog This would give you a blog address something like http://ourclassblog.blogspot.com or http://ourclassblog.wordpress.com - depending on which of the two blog platforms mentioned you decide on. Why not get the class to compete in coming up with a short, sharp and succinct name?
The person setting up the blog and consequently deciding on its look, presentation, posting privileges is known as the Administrator – so that’s you, or your ICT co-ordinator. Once the set-up is complete you will be allocated a User Name and Password to access the Admin Control Panel whenever you want. Look on this as being the Master Control info - so keep it to yourself!
In the Control Panel you can authorise ‘posting’ privileges to pupils - either as individuals or as a group (or groups within the class). A post is the latest information that you are going to put on the blog. If you do give this privilege to pupils, they would have access only to areas of the Control Panel needed to create posts. In the Control Panel, you also set pupils’ user names and passwords and they would not able to change settings or moderate comments - more on that in the Safety First section. Similarly, for larger projects, you, as the Administrator, can delegate administration issues to other Administrators (what a relief!) Great if someone’s off on a course or similar - the blog doesn’t grind to a halt.
That’s it. Once you’ve created your blog, you’ll be able to create posts and start publicising your new blog to parents, other schools and beyond! And, as you begin to create and promote your blog, don’t forget to consider some of the inevitable issues of internet and copyright safety.
Firstly, as the headteacher of Hope Primary School, thanks for featuring us in your excellent magazine article. Our pupils in our small (47 pupils) will be thrilled to have their blog rules celebrated this way - thanks.
I considered the use of blogger, as your article suggests, but was alarmed by the ‘next blog’ button which blogger creates - who knows where this button might lead to…? Instead I opted to use an educational blogging organisation called ‘ethink’. It’s free like blogger, but is ideally suited for schools. I understand edublogs is another educational alternative. I’d be interested to hear what you think. Thanks again.
Thank you for that superb suggestion John. There are, as we said, a few issues to be aware of when it comes to blogging with children but, as you have discovered, it has endless exciting possibilities that make “treading carefully” worth while.
Thanks again and all the best
Tim