Entries Tagged 'Tutorials' ↓

Leaving comments on blogs is one of the best parts of blogging. Comments give the blogger feedback (hopefully positive!) about their writing, and it’s also a fun way to practice your own English. Giving someone a positive comment on their blog is an easy way to make someone smile! 

Let’s practice leaving comments on each other’s blogs. Here are simple step-by-step directions: 

• Find your classmate’s blog. You can see them all listed by class here on this site. 
• Look over their posts, then find one you like.
• Click the “Comments” link, which is usually at the end of the post (but sometimes at the top)

• Type in the required info: your name, email address, website URL (optional), and an anti-spam code (if necessary).
• Type your comment. Comments can be short, but I recommend making them a bit longer to give you more practice. Try to write what you liked or learned from the post, and ask a question (or two). This will make it easier for your classmate to respond. Oh, and if you find a problem with your classmate’s site, let them know. For example, let them know if you could see the video clip or photo, or if there was some strange-looking text or mistake. This is very helpful feedback.
• Click the “Submit Comment” button at the bottom.
• That’s it! There is no step 7! Enjoy reading your comment. Edit it if you find some mistake.

A “blogroll” is a list of links to various websites on your blog. These are links to websites you think are cool and interesting. All blogs have this type of list of links- they help connect your readers to information you find helpful.

It’s easy to add links to your blogroll. Here is how to do it: 

1. In your Dashboard, click Write > Link

2. Type in the link’s name, URL address, and a short description.

3. Click Save

One cool thing about Wordpress blogs is that you can create new pages on your site. This makes it easier to organize your writing. Each page can have a clear purpose. I want you to create a new page for your textbook assignment writing. This will separate your topic-focused writing from your class work and make your blog better. 

Here is how to add a new page to your blog: 

1. In your Dashboard, click the Write a New Page button.

2. Type in the page title (Assignments), then copy and paste your assignments from their Google Doc into the text area. Click Publish when you’re done.

3. If your “My Weekends” assignment is on the first page of your blog, then go to Manage > Posts and delete it. 

4. Finally, click Visit Site and look at your blog- can you see the link to your new Assignments page? 

Here’s a quick review on how to write a blog post: 

1. Login to your blog (yourusername.edublogs.org > Enter your username & password, uncheck Remember Me)

2. In your Dashboard, click the Write New Post button on the right.

3. Type in a title and some text. You can format the text as you like using the various buttons. 

4. Add a tag or two to your post (Tags are key words that describe what your post is about. They are important to add because they help people find what you have written)

5. Choose a Category for your post. This will keep your posts organized and easier to find. Create new categories as you need. Remember: Put all of your textbook writing assignments into an Assignments category. 

6. Click the Preview this Post button to make sure it’s okay.

7. Click the Publish button.

Here are some instructions on how to set up your blog: 

1. Change your blog’s title and tag line

In your Dashboard, click Settings. Change your title, tag line, and then click Save Changes. A good title reflects your blog’s theme or focus. 

2. Decide on a cool design

Go to Design and pick a theme that you like. Remember that not all themes are the same- some you can change more than others. For example, if you want to put your own picture at the top (image header), look for the words “customizable header”. Themes with customizable header images have the Custom Image Header menu option. 

To change the header image, click Custom Header Image menu link > Choose File, find an image on your computer (in your class folder, for example), and then click Upload.

After your photo is uploaded, crop your image: 

Back in your Dashboard, click Visit Site and make sure your new header image looks good. If not, go back and repeat these steps until you are happy. Tip: Collect several images from the Internet in your class folder and change your blog’s look from time to time. 

Hey, the new image looks good, don’t you think? Can you guess where this photo was taken?

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