ClassBlogmeisterInstructions

Classblogmeister is a blog site that is designed specifically for schools. In fact, you have to get a school code from the owner of the site before you can use it. You have already looked at several blogs from this site during the course of the workshop. Now I want you to use it.
 * 1) Go to [|http://classblogmeister.com]
 * 2) Find the "Blog a Location" on the right side of the window and select TX
 * 3) Now the drop down says Select A Teacher. Find my name and click on it.
 * 4) This is a teacher page. The look is not fancy but it is totally functional.
 * 5) Now I want you to use the Comment feature of the site. Click on the Comment link at the bottom of the page and enter a comment.
 * 6) Notice that there is a message (in blue) that says that your comments will have to be approved by the teacher before they are published.
 * 7) The letters and numbers box is to prevent spammers from spamming your blog. Nice feature.
 * 8) After you have all entered a comment, I will open my email and let you see how the approval feature works.
 * 9) Notice back on the home page that there is a message that indicates that your comments have been sent to the teacher for approval.
 * 10) There is a new Approval Tool that you can use instead of waiting for email. In the Edit Mode of your blog you will see a link in the upper right hand corner of the blog. Click on it and it will open a window that will allow you to view either student Blog entries (which you can choose to approve and publish or not) or comments to your blog. (Choose Comments and click on Go)
 * 11) You should see Teacher Blog Comments listed ask links. Click on one of the links.
 * 12) Notice the information and the options. You can delete it, put it on hold for further review or for the student to make changes, or you can approve it.
 * So, as you can see, you have complete control over what gets published and what doesn't. This removes the fear of students using the blog for inappropriate things.
 * 1) Now if you go back to my home page you will see your comments.

Student Blogs

 * 1) Now I want to show you how to create student blogs. You will just have to watch here, but it is quite simple.
 * 2) I am going to click on Edit (upper left corner) to get to the edit mode.
 * 3) Click on Class Panel at the top of the page
 * 4) I named this blog Blogging Workshop #1. That would be like your first period class or you 06-07 class. I am going to click on that class to open it.
 * 5) From this page I can enter a class password. This is significant because it allows me to password protect the site and require a password to comment or write a blog entry, or you can even require a password to read the blog. Total control. This is really why I wanted to show you this blog.
 * 6) You can also syndicate your student blogs. That means that you, the teacher, and/or parents and/or any other person who is interested can subcribe to student blogs using a feed reader (or IE7) and be notified everytime the blog is updated.
 * 7) Notice the Publish Security on the left. Take a look at the options here. This is where you can control how anyone accesses the blog.
 * 8) You can even control the security of the comments (Comment Security link)
 * 9) The Display Names link lets you, the teacher, decide how students' names will be displayed on your blog.
 * 10) Class roster is just what it sounds like. I am going to add each of you as students in my class. When I am finised you will have a student blog in my class blog.
 * 11) To open your student blog you will need to go to my class blog and click on your name. Once you do that you will have to log in to get to the edit mode.
 * 12) Click on Articles and create an article. (It doesn't matter what it says. Just put some stuff in the article.)
 * 13) Click on the Request Publishing box when you are finished and click on Save.
 * 14) Now as the teacher I will review the posts and either allow them to be published, delete them, or hold them for updating. I will do that now.
 * 15) Back in the edit mode of my teacher blog take a look at the control panel and see what options you have here.
 * 16) Take a look at the Documentation link at the top of the page.
 * 17) Notice at the very top of the page there is a template button. Click on the arrow to easily change the look and feel of the blog. Pretty cool.
 * 18) One last feature that you might find really useful. Notice on the upper left side of the blog there is a Related Links feature. Right now it has one link in it to these instructions. I will add another one. (Add a link to http://bloggingintheclassroom.wikispaces.com/. Name it Blogging In The Classroom.