"You still haven't set up a blog?" A How-To Guide to Blogger

You'll need more than good fortune to pass if you haven't set up a blog yet.

"What do you mean 'a real computer'?
Are you implying this can't do everything?"

I'm pretty shocked that, this late into the school year, there are still students who have yet to set up a Blogger blog for displaying their public classwork. If you have yet to do that yet (or you're just curious about how to do it), here's my How-To.

WARNING: you can do this process on your iPads, although I find it much easier to do on a real computer. However, when it comes to actually making blog posts, I'd strongly suggest that you use Blogsy, the app that I'm very willing to buy you with your money if you just let me know. For step-by-step instructions on how to set up Blogsy, check out this post.

1. Log in to Blogger.com. You may use your TAPA email information or your own Google login.
   
   
2. If the next page asks you if you want to connect to Google Plus, tell it no. I don't have a screenshot, but skip it. You don't want that setting on.
3. When you see this page, click on "New blog" to make a new blog. Duh.
   
   
4. Put in your new blog settings. Use the following as a basis:
   
   • For the title, you can use something simple like "Bobby's British Blog" or "Alex's American Lit Arena" or "Erin's English II Place" or something like that.
   • For the address, I prefer your first name and ID number (e.g. Chris9989.blogspot.com).
   • For the template, I don't care. Pick whichever one you want, and later, you can change it to something cooler.
   When you're done, click  Create Blog! .
   
   WARNING: For your own safety, please don't use your first and last name anywhere on here. You can use Firstname and LastnameInitial (e.g. ChrisW, not Chris Webb). There are lots of creepy people online, and while they can find you if they want to bad enough, let's not make it easy on them.
5. Now that you're blog is completed, do a sample post. Again, this is way easier to do with Blogsy, but for this first time, the website is fine.
   
   
6. Make your first post. Be sure to include a title, the body text, and images so you get full TOAST points. And when you're done, don't forget to publish it.
   
7. Check your work. Once you've published it, you'll get to this screen.
   
   Click on  View Blog  to see your final page.
   

Ok? Ok! Make sure your blogs are set up and ready to go!

Tweet, tweet, tweet... If not yet, you soon will be.

A couple of classes have either begun using or will begin using Twitter as an educational tool. I've used Twitter for a long time myself (Follow me here, @EvilMrWebb), but I'm only now getting into the idea of students to use it to express themselves mid-class.

Been on Twitter for a long time (@webby37), but it's about time I have a "smart" account. TAKE THAT, LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM.
— Chris Webb (@EvilMrWebb) October 18, 2012

The easiest way to explain it is that tweeting is essentially a text message you send to the entire world. There are different ways to talk to different people or different groups of people, but, in a nutshell, it's a public text message conversation. You're not supposed to be able to say everything you want; part of the game is being forced to say what you want to in less characters (140 to be exact). As you tweet more, you'll find yourself thinking in 140-character blasts, and in no time, you'll be a master at this social network.

So, before I require it from you, get over to Twitter and sign up for an account to figure out what this is all about!

How to build a speech in 6 easy steps

Originally posted 1/18/12.

Today in class, we went over the 6 steps to building a speech, but we didn't have a chance to go over the last 2 slides. Here's the slideshow, if you want to check it out:



Also, if you want to download this as a PDF for your iPad, this link will make it happen.