Getting+Started

**Getting Started**
As we begin this series we ask that you set up a blog to record your explorations. If you aren't familiar with blogs (short for web-log), they are an easy to use online journal. It's really a website where you can record your thoughts, add links and share what you have learned. People use blogs for all kinds of reasons. Teachers in Shutesbury use them as [|classroom webpages] .[| Cooks] use them to share recipes. [|Educational professionals] use them to share the latest research and best practices.

For our purposes, the blog will accomplish several things. It will:
 * allow you to become familiar with blogging software
 * it will serve as a personal journal of your explorations through this course which you can refer to in the future
 * it will provide us with a way to check in on how you are doing
 * it will serve as a record of completion of the course
 * and we promise--it will be fun!

Here's a fun cartoon on why blogging will save you time! Created by Richard Byrne, Free Technology for Teachers Blog. media type="custom" key="6775589"

Before you start take a look at the [|Common Craft Show] for a simple overview. There is free blog software available to get you started:
 * Setting Up Your Blog:**
 * [|Blogger]
 * [|Wordpress]
 * [|livejournal]

You may use any blog software you wish. For it's ease of use, we'll be using blogger. Registration and setup is similar with each.

From Blogger, select create Blogger account. If you do not already have a Google account, you will need to complete the registration form. If you do have a Google account (from gmail, Google docs, etc), you will log in to your Google Account.
 * Step 1. Create an Account **

The title of your blog can be anything you'd like. "Sally's Web Exploration" "Fun on the Web"... The URL is the link and that can be the same (sallyswebexploration) or something different (webexploration). Remember there are no spaces in the URL.
 * Step 2**. ** Name your Blog **

Have fun personalizing your blog with the layout and color choices.
 * Step 3**. ** Choose a Template **

Now you are ready to add your first post! Don't worry if you see a typo or change your mind about what you wrote; you are always able to go back and edit your posts. The single most important thing to remember when posting to your blog is to hit "Publish Post" or "Save Now."
 * Step 4**. ** Your First Post **

We'll get into adding links, images and video later, but there is one more thing you must do: control your privacy settings. **Permissions** ** You also choose who can view your blog. By default, it will be viewable by anyone. If you'd like to limit that, you may select "Only people I choose". If you choose to limit, be sure to invite your school facilitator, so that we may read your blog. Most use the default setting to allow their blogs to be read by anyone and we recommend this option. **
 * Step 5**. ** Privacy Settings **
 * Comment **
 * Click on the "settings" tab on the top left, then select "comments." To avoid spam or inappropriate comments, only allow registered users to comment and set comment moderation to "always." You may enjoy getting comments, but you want to control them and make sure they are appropriate for your audience. **