This second iteration of the bootcamp ran during Autumn 2015. We have now turned off the syndication and no more posts will be pulled into this blog.
The Announcments page may be useful in exploring classroom blogging. The original: Blogging Bootcamp has been reorganised to serve as a resource and guide for use by anyone wanting to run a blogging course of their own or to learn a bit more about blogging in the classroom.
If you signed up for the bootcamp, please fill in this survey. It will help us if we organise similar activities.
Even if you decided the bootcamp was not for you or you could not take part please fill in the form.
There were a few requests for more information on some topics during the Week 5 Glow Meets, here are some links that should help. Get in touch if you need more information.
As usual we will have Glow Meets at 2:00pm and 4:15pm on Tuesdays.
http://meet.glowscotland.org.uk/bootcamp.
Recordings:
2:00pm meet
4:15 meet
This week we will be focusing on posting audio and video. It is also a chance to ask any technical questions. Please bring these up in the Glow Meet or better still drop me a mail so that I can be prepared.
We will also be looking a ways you can join in with communities of bloggers: Making connections Quad blogging, #shareourlearning, the local and global community.
Handbook of Digital Storytelling from Digital Commmonwealth team is a resource which helps people develop digital storytelling skills. Highly recommended.
Review of your blogging so far. What has worked? How are you going to take this forward? Review classroom organisation.
I would also like to collect some feedback on the bootcamp, I will probably send out yet another email next week with either some questions or a link to a survey.
As part of Week 5 we will be challenged to post some audio or video. Here are some resources to help with audio.
A 5 minute introduction to Audacity, a free cross-platform audio recorder.
As usual there will be 2 Glow Meets of Tuesday 2:00pm and 4:15pm
https://meet.glowscotland.org.uk/bootcamp
The powerpoint files and recording will be added to this post after the event.
2pm Meet – watch again | 4:15 Meet – watch again
This weeks Tasks:
We will look at Galleries in a bit more detail, captioning images and using featured images on posts. We will also look at how featured content works in the twentyfourteen theme.
Adding an image gallery – Glow Blog Help
Adding an Image Gallery MS docx
Adding an Image Gallery PDF
From the Glow Blog help, Adding Media: Download: Audio and Video MS docx | Audio and Video PDF
Why and when would you use text, images, audio and video? What are the good and bad points of each, both from a creator and consumers point of view?
1. Photoblitz: Create a photo Gallery in response to at least 5 of the following ideas.
Try using the captions to explain your photos.
Week 3 already! I am guessing most folk feel like time is speeding on.
There have been some great posts to the bootcamp this week.
Widgets are used to add features and functionality to the sidebar (usually) of your blog. Widget placement is dependent on themes.
Widgets on Glow Blog Help blog
Download: Widgets docx or Widgets PDF
Plugins add functionality to your blog.
More information on Plugins wp4 on the Glow Blog Help where you can download Plugins MS docx or Plugins PDF
We will look at changing theme. You may not actually want to change themes on your blog, it can have major effects but the Glow meet and Video here will show you how.
Themes wp4 | Glow Blog Help
Themes PDF
Themes MS docx
How do you organise posting to your blog in the classroom. There are many different ways to do this, what fits your situation best. If you are not in the classroom think about how you can keep up a blog. When should this fit in your day or week?
What is you favourite website? Why? What is good about it? This will help with the Challenge.
Three this week:
How to take a screenshot is a great site to find out how to take a screenshot.
Remember to categorize your posts bootcamp!
Update: I am afraid I did not manage to record the Glow meets for this week. Apologies. Here are the 2 presentations used:
The recordings of yesterday’s Glow Meets are now online:
2pm Pupils Meet
You need your Glow username and password to view them. Hopefully these will help if you did not make the meeting.
It is easy enough to follow the bootcamp without using the meets, as I hope all necessary instructions are in the weekly blog posts.
Remember all of the information about week two is in the blog post:
Blogging Bootcamp Week 2
Where you can pick up the bio poem template.
I’ve added a post about finding images
Finding Images | Blogging Bootcamp #2
Whit a few suggestions about where to get pictures for your blog. If you know any more leave a comment on that post with a link.
Your bootcamp posts are flowing into the bootcamp blog
Please visit them and leave comments. This can be a good way to model writing online for pupils if you are starting blogging. try to to encourage pupils to write about the suggested challenge topics if they are categorising their posts bootcamp.
Remember posts need to be categorised bootcamp to get pulled into the bootcamp.
This came up during the week 2 GlowMeet.
Looking for images for your blog leads you into a potential minefield of copyright.
There are many images on the internet that you can use but that come with certain conditions. These conditions may include things like you can use but not edit, or that you must attribute.
Attribution is quite tricky, it means that you must give credit to the photographer and also respect the rest of their conditions. In the example about, I’ve not edited the picture (NoDerivs), I am not making money on this blog(NonCommercial) and I am attributing and linking back to the owner.
This is pretty difficult for adults and more so for younger pupils.
Here are a few of the many sites that will help you find images you can use.
‘Portrait of a baby girl’ | Flickr – Photo Sharing! No known copyright restrictions.
Last week was a quick one. Don’t worry too much if you didn’t keep up and get anything posted. I am a drill sergeant wearing sandals rather than combat boots:-)
As always get in touch if you have any questions and need a hand.
There will be 2 Glow Meets, 2pm and 4:15 on Tuesday
2pm Glow Meet: Images, why use them, legal and safe, Using nicknames to keep safe, avatars & commenting.
4:14 Glow Meet: Comment settings, Plugins (14 Colors), Images.
https://meet.glowscotland.org.uk/bootcamp.
The Topics for Week Two are: Images and Plugins
We will also revisit commenting and comment settings.
Adding an image wp4 | Glow Blog Help
Adding an image to a post MS docx
Adding an image to a post PDF
Plugins add functionality to your blog.
More information on Plugins on the Glow Blog Help where you can download Plugins MS docx or Plugins PDF
Why use images, where to get them and which sort of images should you use, legal and safety considerations.
A picture of learning.
Take a picture that shows what learning looks like in your class. Categorise as bootcamp
Class poem, what are we like, bio-poem. Categorise as bootcamp.
You could do this as a whole class or individually.
Here is a help sheet from readwritthink:
Bio Poem Help Sheet
Here is an example from 2007 on the class blog I was running:
Slides.
We have had a request for the slides used in the Meet.
