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
• 12 Reasons to Blog with your Students:
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2011/05/12-reasons-to-blog-withyour-students.html
What resonated most with you?
Your Kidblog Account
Kidblog’s Structure
Your Class Blog Site
Each Student’s
Portfolio and Blog
Posts
Kyle
• 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
Student View
Code:
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Create a fake “student” account for the
purposes of this workshop.
Follow the BCPS Kidblog Migration Directions to set up your account
Student Profile
Create Your First Class
Essential Settings
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Change class name, description, and URL if needed
Choose a class Avatar
Choose a graphic theme for the class blog site
Choose to hide certain widgets from the sidebar
View/Add/Edit user information
Privacy
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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
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Create categories to organize your posts (by topic, unit, content area, etc.)
Connections
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Connect with other Kidblog classes to view and comment on their posts (if they allow)
General
Themes/Sidebar
Users
• 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
1. The student display
name should be their
first name and the first
letter of their last name
2. Their password should
be their BCPS external
password
Adding Users
Option 2- Bulk Upload
1. Get students’ BCPS external
passwords from your tech liaison.
2. 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
3. Save each spreadsheet as a “CSV
(Comma Delimited) (*.csv)” file
4. Follow the directions on Kidblog to
upload and bulk-create the users
for each class
Adding Users
Option 3- Student
Set-up
1. Access your Join-Codes
and enable the student
join-code.
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2. Direct students to go to
kidblog.org and choose
“Enter your Class Code”
3. 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).
Student Access to Kidblog
• Students need the URL or a shortcut
to their class blog site
(www.kidblog.org/class/ClassName).
Page 2
• 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.
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
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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
[email protected]
• Email me any time with questions!
instructor@email