Thing 2 - Create your own blog

Blogs are websites containing entries (called “posts”) which appear in reverse chronological order, with the most recent post at the top of the page. Traditional websites require a bit of tech know-how, but blogs are easy to create and can be maintained by almost anyone, making them a great choice for classroom and educational use. Blogs first appeared as personal online journals, but now are used for all purposes and by all types of people, including organizations. Watch this video to learn more about blogs:

If you can't see the video, click here to watch it on the Common Craft website.
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To complete Thing 2 you must:
A. Set-up your own blog
B. Create an avatar for your blog
C. Register your blog address with the program facilitators
D. Reflect on Thing 1 and Thing 2 in your new blog.

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A. Create Your Blog
Now that you have an idea of what blogs are, let's see how easy it is to create your own! This is an important task, as you will be using your blog to reflect on your progress throughout this 23 Things program. At the end of each Thing, you will be asked to post to your blog – and project facilitators will read your blog to verify that you have completed all tasks.There are many blog services available. We will be using Blogger. Watch this video to learn how to set up your blog then go to Blogger and create your own. Be creative when naming your blog --- do not call it "23 Things." Also, remember to use your Google account email and password that you created when you registered for this program.

IMPORTANT NOTE: How you choose to identity yourself on your blog is up to you. You can blog under a screen name, anonymously, or with your real name.

B. Create an avatar -- a representation of yourself.
Go to http://avatars.yahoo.com/ , design an avatar [representing you or a younger version of yourself] with a school, library, or classroom background. (You will have to set up an account if you don't use Yahoo!) Save your avatar and export to your blog.

[HINT: Here's how to export your avatar to your blog. When you are on your Avatars.Yahoo.com page, go to "home" tab and look to the right column. One of the options is: "EXPORT: Use your avatar in web pages and blogs and more." Click there. Then, in the Center of the page, 0ne option is your avatar's HTML code. Copy the code, go to your blog. Sign in. Click on "new Post" and then select the "DESIGN" tab. You will see various page elements. Select add a gadget, where you want your avatar to appear. Then select the page element marked "HTML/Java Script" from the list. Paste (Control V) the HTML code in the box marked content (you can put a name for your avatar in the box marked title.] Each blog application: blogger, wordpress, edublog, typepad, and so on has a unique method of exporting avatars and other images onto your pages. Be sure to use the ‘help’ menu within your application to work your way through any problems you run into. You can also call on your 2.0 friends to help – just ask!
These exercises are all about discovery! Have fun … and happy blogging!

C. Register your new blog address with the program facilitators -
Please send an email from your gmail account to the program facilitators at newington23@gmail.com that includes the following:
your name
the url (web address) of your new blog
[If you are not a member of the Newington Public Schools community, please do NOT send an email to register with us]

D. Reflect -
Blog Prompts for Thing 1 & Thing 2
At the end of each Thing, you will be asked to post to your blog. Your reflective post should provide insight into what you’ve discovered and learned. Write about what worked, what didn’t, what you might try in your classroom, any surprises, frustrations, or eureka moments. We will offer some blog prompts. You do not have to answer all the questions nor should you feel limited by them -- they are just prompts to get you thinking. Make sure that the title of each blog post refers to the Thing that you are writing about (by number) -- give this first post the title: Thing 1 and Thing 2

Why are you participating in 23 Things? What do you hope to learn? What new insights did you have during Thing 1? How does writing on the Internet, knowing anyone could read it, change how you write or feel about writing?

Curriculum connections:
Idea #1: Lead your students into areas of ‘big idea’ inquiry with a blog. You can get thoughts rolling, provide research links, and finish up with classroom discussions. Create one for the next school, local, state, or national election.
Idea #2: Start a book discussion blog -- it is a library and language arts favorite. Start one today and then branch out into other topics such as pro/con topics of interest.
Idea #3: Promote campus activities, conduct student surveys, and gather opinions.