J Harrington’s ICT Blog

Fodeys are brilliant, my kids use them as a fun way to reflect on their learning!!

A  recent comment has spurred me to write a short post offering some direction and ideas on how to enter the world of educational blogging. There is so much out there that it can be overwhelming sometimetimes. New tools and applications are emerging all the time…where does it all start and where does it stop? Looking back over my journey so far I think the following advice is what I would pass on to beginners.

1. Watch Edublogs Support Videos .These are tutorials that explain step by step how to get started.

2.Read The Edublogger which provides excellent instuctions on how to add in all those extras like Clustrmaps and Vokis.

3. When you have a problem check the Edublog Forums. If you have a problem it is more than likely others have too. The answer may already be there or you can ask a question yourself. Also reading the forums makes you realise there are many people like yourself seeking answers and unsure of how to do things.

4.Most of your learning occurs as you blog not before you blog, so just get started! When I started this blog I didn’t know anything, and if you follow the posts you can probably track the skills I have picked up as it has grown for example making a Voki and embedding videos from Teachertube.

5.This blog is my technical/learning/sharing blog. Then I decided to make one to engage students in their learning and encourage them to become confident and familiar with Web2.o technologies. I created a new blog about a little blue creature from another planet who is now called I-Quad. Children from our school are invited to contribute and take on challenges both at school and at home. The response has been great, and we now have students from prep to year 6 as well as the wider community becoming involved in I-Quads adventures!

6. You should have fun! When you are comfortable with your basic skills have some fun with widgets. I think of them as my toys, my favourite being the Clustrmaps. They are especially great with kids because not only do they enjoy seeing their audience grow, but you can also branch out into mapping, geography etc..

7.I think the best advise is just get started! Check Horsham West PS homepage, where all the staff have begun blogs and like you many are just beginning, but the learning curve is steep.

Good Luck!