Step by Step Setup a Blog for Class

A. Pre-Class day 1 - Set up a FILTER and LABEL in Gmail.

1. Go to your gmail account for class and click on SETTINGS>FILTERS>CREATE A NEW FILTER

2. Type a unique filter name that your students will be able to easily type CORRECTLY (ex. abc123, Prada, Gucci, etc.)and type it into the "SUBJECT" box

3. Click NEXT STEP

4. Click SKIP THE INBOX and APPLY THE LABEL and from the dropdown box NEW LABEL

5. Type a Label name like FALL A 2009 L7

6. Click CREATE FILTER

B. Create a blog

1. Go to www.blogger.com

2. If you have never created a blog before, you should see a button CREATE A BLOG . (If you have a blogger account, just click CREATE A NEW BLOG from the dashboard window)

3. In the ‘new blogger window” you will need to choose the name people will see in your blog entries and comments.

4. In the next page, you will choose your blog title and URL (you must CHECK THE AVAILABILITY of the URL but not the title)

5. Choose your template and click CONTINUE

6. et voila, you have created a blog

C. In Class DAY 1 - Instruct all students to go to http://www.gmail.com/ and create a gmail account (available in arabic as well) and send an email to your gmail address with the filter name you chose in step A2 as the SUBJECT.

D. Pre-class Day 2

1. Send a reply to each students email so they will be added to your contacts list.

2. Send a blogger invitation to each student with these 7 steps:

a. Go to blogger dashboard

b. Click SETTINGS>PERMISSIONS

c. Click ADD AUTHORS

d. Click CHOOSE FROM CONTACTS

e. Click once on each student’s email address and add to the list

f. Click DONE

g. Click INVITE and you have now invited everyone but they have not accepted (to be done next IN CLASS)

E. In class Day 2

1. Have one student connect to the overhead

2. Have her follow these easy 4 steps to show the others

a. Open the email from you with the invitation (should be on top)

b. Click the link in the email

c. Fill in her gmail password

d. Click ACCEPT INVITATION

3. Have other students follow along

Finally

At the same time, view your Settings>Permissions page to make sure all students are becoming authors. Troubleshoot students who may be having trouble. Once all students have accepted the invitations you will see their names in the list as ‘authors’ whereas you will be the ‘admin’ Any students who have not accepted the invite or have had technical problems will continue to be in the lower list of ‘invited’ Also, remember that you can add authors anytime by clicking SETTINGS>PERMISSIONS>ADD AUTHORS and adding their email address (separated by a comma if there is more than one) and clicking INVITE.