PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY: How to create a blog and why is it useful

Welcome to the most productive session you will have had during the last academic year.

During this session you will create your own website or blog and ensure that students are able to access a variety of resources outside of Lancaster School. This will mean that students can raise their academic level, bcome more organised as well as understand that their teachers are at the cutting edge of technology. Okay here we go:

PART 1: STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO CREATING A BLOG

1.Click on the following link which will take you to Blogger who have created the programme for our blog: http://www.blogger.com/

2.On your page you should click on the orange arrow stating 'create your blog now'

3.Input your Gmail address in the box. Try not to put in a hotmail or yahoo address (or Lancaster since we shuld not be using this address) as it will make things easier.

4.Fill in the other boxes on this page and click on the arrow at the bottom.

5.The next page is important. This is where you are going to give your blog or website a name. Rather than a long and forgetful name like mine, try and think of something that is catchy and related to your subject.

6.Click on the arrow and you then create a template or design for your page.

7.You have now created your blog.

PART 2: HOW TO USE YOUR BLOG

A blog can be used in a number of different ways.

• Discussion of news stories (http://gillettsggg.blogspot.com/2008/05/food-crisis-in-mexico.html)



• Notification of homework (http://gillettsggg.blogspot.com/2008/02/igcse-form-5-homework-revision.html)



• Assessment instructions and rubrics (http://gillettsggg.blogspot.com/2008/05/form-2-assessment-rubric-for-china.html)



• ANY OTHER IDEAS?

PART 3: CUSTOMISING YOUR BLOG

The layout of your blog can be changed. When you are in your blog you can click on 'Dashboard'. This is the area that Blogger provides in which you can get hints and tips about how it can be changed. From here you can click on 'layout' and through this you can move parts of your blog around.

PAGE ELEMENTS: On the layout screen you shuld see a box that states 'Add a page element'. If you click on this box you will presented with different options for 'adding' different sections to your blog. For example on my blog I have a news feed from the BBC News website which is updated by the BBC. I have another page element which is a series of links to websites that are useful in Geography. You could also add a gallery or add a box which tells the reader a bit more about you.

APTURE : Have a look at the following post -http://gillettsggg.blogspot.com/2008/05/earthquake-in-iceland.html.

When you roll your cursor over the words Iceland and earthquakes it presents the reader with either video or further information. This is created using a program called Apture (http://www.apture.com/). Download it from the Apture website.

It is really easy to use:

1. Post an entry on your blog


2. View your blog


3. Login to Apture


4. Highlight a word in your post that you would like to show more information about, e.g. Iceland news report in a video


5. Apture will automatically flash up and provide you with ideas. Just follow the instructions.

There are many, many other things that you can do with your bLog such as add adverts from Google or from Amazon or many other companies. I have added a weather forecast for Mexico City as well as a bookstore from Amazon displaying books that I think are interesting and useful for geographers.

Good luck!