making your blog 

 

Make Your Blog!

1. Create a Gmail account. Go to Gmail.com, and sign up for one if you don't have one or would like a new one to be used exclusively for this class. 
2. Be sure to write down your new username and password. 
3. Please choose a username that is appropriate for a university course and one that is as close to your actual name as is possible.
4. To create your blog, choose from your apps; the icon looks like a small grid at the upper right of your Gmail page. Scroll until you see the icon for "Blogger," and choose it.
5. Choose "create a blog." 
6. You might want to follow this tutorial, or just start designing your blog; it's easy if you ...
7. Design simply. Choose a simple template, and then select the "customize" button to make your design choices. Remember to "apply" to blog after you decide upon the choices that you like. The apply button now takes the form of a tiny floppy disk icon in the lower right of the editing field. 
8. You can make interesting design choices by selecting "Design" from the upper right of the main blog page. Or, you can begin designing by using the menus you will see at your "My Blogs" page (clicking the Blogger icon will take you directly there). 
9. Choose wisely, and remember that good design depends upon readability, which includes:

•  A good amount of "white space" (clear space for legible text). 
• "Openness." Try to avoid the temptation to overcrowd your blog with images, but also ...
• Include images strategically. Choose images to reflect your disposition to the class, to writing, or to some particular thing you're reflecting upon in a post.
• Choose fonts and colors carefully for readability. 
• Provide captions for your images, especially if you download them from the Internet and are not using images that you created. For your caption text, write "image source" in very small, light lettering. Then, highlight the link icon in your menu options, and paste in the copied URL (web address) from which you found the image.

IMPORTANT: In the past, I've offered instructions on how to make your class blog private. Some students manage just fine. Others hit snags. If you choose to create a Blogger blog for your 20% blogging & a good portion of your 20% participation, please understand that I won't be leading the effort to make your blog private; that will be up to you and it will involve adding each email address — mine and your peers' — in your Privacy Settings. So, if you don't choose to create and use a Blogger blog, it will be readable online.That said, I doubt anyone is online just waiting to hop on your mandatory college writing class blog ツ. 

Note: There are 2 blogs from fall semester students listed at the Blogroll, at right. Take a peek to see what they've done. These are excellent models! I will take them down and add your new blogs to the blogroll as soon as you send me your blog's address to bkyburz@pnw.edu. Please include your new gmail address, class name and section number. If you'd put your section number in the subject of your email, that will be tremendously helpful. Thank you!

How to locate your Blogger Blog's Address

Go to your Blogger Blog.

Go to "Dashboard."

Go to "Settings."

Go to "Publishing." There, you should find your blog's web address. If you have not specified one (if the field that says "Blogspot address" is blank), go ahead and give your blog a name. 

Start blogging! If you haven't already written about the 5 essential course concepts (as suggested in the Welcome post at this blog), I suggest starting with reflective writing about a picture you like that's currently topmost in your files. Post the image, and write about what it means to you. 

Be sure to give some feedback to 2-3 peers' posts.

Note you can compose and "save a draft," so you needn't publish each time you write. 

Revision is wonderful. 

Happy blogging!