Organising

Blog naming system

Decide the default Title system for each blog.

  • Are you going to show the student name? First name only?

  • We have gone with Name @ Name of School

URL system

    • For multiple blogs the naming system must be absolutely consistent

    • We have gone with schoolinitials+firstname+firstletter

    • ie pes+firstname+firstletter

Create a ‘Super Admin’ email address

This super Admin user will 'own' the blogs. This way management have access to them at any time. When students move from class-to-class over the years the blog can be easily accessed. And of course if anything unpleasant happens the school can take charge of the situation quickly.

  • IF you are a Google Apps for Education school, then yes, do create an email account inside your school domain eg blogowner@myschool.school.nz

  • If you are NOT a GAFE school, then use a public gmail address

  • If you are NOT a GAFE school, create an email using your school domain or you will have lots of complications IF you shift to becoming a GAFE school in the future

  • See here for a long explanation of this

Create a Blog template to use for every student

  • Create a template blog and set it up exactly how you would like it to be for each student

  • Export the template as an .xml file using the Backup function in the templates setting

Create a master spreadsheet containing all the student info needed for blogs

This master spreadsheet will need to include:

  • Student name, email address, class, year level etc

  • Create the blog URL on THIS spreadsheet

  • Tip: use the formula Nevyn Hira has written for us to automate the URL creation quickly and , more importantly, accurately

=lower(concat("http://",concat(concat(concat("PES",A5),left(B5,1)),".blogspot.com")))


Blogger Spreadsheet from KPE TV on Vimeo.

Teacher Dashboard or go it alone?

Decide if you are going to manage the blogs manually or

Are you going to investigate Teacher dashboard for your school and have posts and comments displayed in a Teacher Dashboard Tab?

This video may explain this a little more