DLU Workshop Module: Kidblog Objective: Participants will explore the ways in which Kidblog can be used by students to express a point of view on a subject and support it with evidence in a safe and supervised online environment. Find helpful resources at: bcpsODL.pbworks.com

Why Blogging? Blogs in Plain English: http://youtu.be/NN2I1pWXjXI

Read and Reflect What resonated most with you? 12 Reasons to Blog with your Students: http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2011/05/12-reasons-to-blog-with- your-students.html What resonated most with you?

Each Student’s Portfolio and Blog Posts Reading Class Math Class Mrs. Weaver Your Kidblog Account Kidblog’s Structure Reading Class Teacher Johnny Megan Kyle Your Class Blog Site Kyle Post 9/23/13 Each Student’s Portfolio and Blog Posts Each class blog site can have up to 200 students Teachers can have unlimited class blogs Students can be members of many different class blogs and all their posts can be accessed in their own portfolio

User Guide page 5

Student View

Code: ****** Instructor- put your workshop blog code here…. Create a fake “student” account for the purposes of this workshop.

Show the dashboard from a teacher’s perspective (User Guide page 9)

Follow the BCPS Kidblog Migration Directions to set up your account Participants must follow the Kidblog Migration Directions. When you are creating an account, you are setting up your “file cabinet”

Student Profile User Guide page 10

Create Your First Class User Guide page 3

Essential Settings General Change class name, description, and URL if needed Choose a class Avatar Themes/Sidebar Choose a graphic theme for the class blog site Choose to hide certain widgets from the sidebar Users View/Add/Edit user information Privacy Set who sees student created blog posts Set who can comment on student posts Suggested: Require post approval at first, but eventually turn it off Categories Create categories to organize your posts (by topic, unit, content area, etc.) Connections Connect with other Kidblog classes to view and comment on their posts (if they allow) User Guide page 7

User Guide page 7

User Guide page 6 Students’ individual post permissions can be changed (limited by the global options you made available to them). “Pinning” a post will keep it at the top of the blog list (teachers only).

Blog Etiquette Your class blog should always have a pinned post with a welcome and “code of conduct” to remind students what is expected of them. Create a post outlining your class blog etiquette.

Adding Users Option 1- One at a Time The student display name should be their first name and the first letter of their last name Their password should be their BCPS external password User Guide page 8

Adding Users Option 2- Bulk Upload Get students’ BCPS external passwords from your tech liaison. Create one Excel spreadsheet for each class with the students’ display names in the first column (first name and first letter of last name) and their BCPS external passwords in the second column Save each spreadsheet as a “CSV (Comma Delimited) (*.csv)” file Follow the directions on Kidblog to upload and bulk-create the users for each class User Gude page 8

Option 3- Student Set-up Adding Users Option 3- Student Set-up Access your Join-Codes and enable the student join-code. Direct students to go to kidblog.org and choose “Enter your Class Code” After entering the code you provide, they are prompted to create their account (and should use their first name, first letter of their last name, and BCPS external password). ****** User Guide page 8

Student Access to Kidblog Students need the URL or a shortcut to their class blog site (www.kidblog.org/class/ClassName). Once at the class blog site, click “Log In” in the upper right of the screen, choose the correct name from a drop-down menu, and enter the password. Page 2 User Guide page 4

For Further Reading Available on the bcpsODL workshop wiki: Paper Blog Lesson Two sample parent introduction letters: Kidblog_Parent_Intro_Letter.doc  blogging-letter-to-parents.doc How to Write a Quality Comment Comment Starters Blogging Rubric Blog Terms Crossword

How does Kidblog address P21 skills? Identify one concrete way that you plan to use Kidblog in your instructional practice.

Thank you! Please complete the workshop survey (which will be emailed to you) in the next 24 hours If you are enrolled in DLU, you have 10 days to complete your reflection and mail to DLU@bcps.org Email me any time with questions! instructor@email