creating a Blog with Blogger
Tutorial and Directions
The video and directions below were created for a professional development session in January, 2013. It refers to the lakevillefalcons.org Google accounts, but you can do this with any Google account.
Be sure to read the directions below the video too, because some of the initial steps have changed since the tutorial was recorded.
Follow the steps below to create the pages and other changes for your blog.
You can play the tutorial video all the way through before you begin or you might choose to watch it a piece at a time as you work through the steps below.
Note: Another tutorial created by someone else is at the end of this post in case you need to see it presented a couple ways.
The video and directions below were created for a professional development session in January, 2013. It refers to the lakevillefalcons.org Google accounts, but you can do this with any Google account.
Be sure to read the directions below the video too, because some of the initial steps have changed since the tutorial was recorded.
Follow the steps below to create the pages and other changes for your blog.
You can play the tutorial video all the way through before you begin or you might choose to watch it a piece at a time as you work through the steps below.
Note: Another tutorial created by someone else is at the end of this post in case you need to see it presented a couple ways.
1) Sign into Google using your username and password. The video shows us starting at a specific page, but you sign into Google by clicking in the upper right of almost any Google website.
2) The video refers to a "more menu", but that has changed. Now you click the Apps icon and More at the bottom. Then click on the Blogger icon.
2) The video refers to a "more menu", but that has changed. Now you click the Apps icon and More at the bottom. Then click on the Blogger icon.
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Sign in using the same username and password that you used for your Google account. (Blogger uses Google accounts, so you don't have to make a Blogger account.)
3) Create the blog by making up a display name, a title for the blog and the website address. (Your display name and website address need to be something no one else has used before.)
4) Use the drop down menu to select Settings. You don't have to change the Privacy settings at this time, but locate them so you know how to make changes later.
Note that by going into the Settings area you have accessed the administrative side (back-end) of your blog site. All edits and new posts that you make can be done from this area.
5) Change the name of your Home page to Blog.
Note that your blog posts show up on the Blog page, but we actually call the entire website itself a "blog".
6) Add a page to your blog titled About Me. Type content on that page about yourself. Include at least a couple sentences about why you chose to be a teacher.
7) Add a page to your blog about one subject you teach. Type content on that page about the class and include at least one project or lesson that you did recently.
8) Change the order of the pages any way you like (it affects the order they'll appear on your site) and choose where they will be displayed on the blog (along the top or side).
9) Write your first blog post.
10) Be sure to add a picture to at least one of your pages. If necessary, have someone take your picture so you can post it on your About Me page.
11) Also, add at least one link on one of your pages that would take a reader to another website.
12) Click the View Blog button at the top of the screen to preview your blog.
13) Go to the Layout area of the Blogger site and explore your options there. You can edit the header, move elements around or delete them. Make at least two changes to your layout.
14) Go to the Template area of the Blogger site and change the template for your blog. Explore the options and find one you like.
15) Go to the Stats area of the Blogger site to see what types of statistics can be gathered. Note that there probably won't be any since you will need to attract readers to you blog first.
16) Send the web address for your blog to at least one other teacher. You can find the web address in a number of ways, but the easiest is to click View Blog, then copy the address from the address bar into an email. Do not send the link to the back-end of your blog because only you can access that.
17) If someone sends you a link to their blog, look it over and write a comment on their blog post.
18) If you get done with the steps above and you still have time, add more content to your blog. You can make a new page for another subject you teach or you could complete one of the pages you started above. Explore the Blogger Profile section too and complete that information.
And here's another tutorial for setting up a blog in Blogger. This is up to date and may contain some details I didn't address in the above directions.
3) Create the blog by making up a display name, a title for the blog and the website address. (Your display name and website address need to be something no one else has used before.)
4) Use the drop down menu to select Settings. You don't have to change the Privacy settings at this time, but locate them so you know how to make changes later.
Note that by going into the Settings area you have accessed the administrative side (back-end) of your blog site. All edits and new posts that you make can be done from this area.
5) Change the name of your Home page to Blog.
Note that your blog posts show up on the Blog page, but we actually call the entire website itself a "blog".
6) Add a page to your blog titled About Me. Type content on that page about yourself. Include at least a couple sentences about why you chose to be a teacher.
7) Add a page to your blog about one subject you teach. Type content on that page about the class and include at least one project or lesson that you did recently.
8) Change the order of the pages any way you like (it affects the order they'll appear on your site) and choose where they will be displayed on the blog (along the top or side).
9) Write your first blog post.
- Think of something interesting that happened in class or at school in the past week. It could be a lesson you taught, something you learned or an event worth reporting about.
- Make a title for your post that fits that topic. Your titles need to attract attention if you want readers, so choose your wording carefully!
- Write a few sentences about it.
10) Be sure to add a picture to at least one of your pages. If necessary, have someone take your picture so you can post it on your About Me page.
11) Also, add at least one link on one of your pages that would take a reader to another website.
12) Click the View Blog button at the top of the screen to preview your blog.
13) Go to the Layout area of the Blogger site and explore your options there. You can edit the header, move elements around or delete them. Make at least two changes to your layout.
14) Go to the Template area of the Blogger site and change the template for your blog. Explore the options and find one you like.
15) Go to the Stats area of the Blogger site to see what types of statistics can be gathered. Note that there probably won't be any since you will need to attract readers to you blog first.
16) Send the web address for your blog to at least one other teacher. You can find the web address in a number of ways, but the easiest is to click View Blog, then copy the address from the address bar into an email. Do not send the link to the back-end of your blog because only you can access that.
17) If someone sends you a link to their blog, look it over and write a comment on their blog post.
18) If you get done with the steps above and you still have time, add more content to your blog. You can make a new page for another subject you teach or you could complete one of the pages you started above. Explore the Blogger Profile section too and complete that information.
And here's another tutorial for setting up a blog in Blogger. This is up to date and may contain some details I didn't address in the above directions.