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 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:
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.
There will be 2 Glow Meets on Tuesday 1st September:
https://meet.glowscotland.org.uk/bootcamp
2pm and 4:15pm
I will open the ‘Room’ on Monday at 10am for a short while if you need to test Glow Meet.
Writing in public needs a bit of thought.
The following steps take you through blogging with the Glow Blog’s WordPress solution. They are also outlined in this week’s documentation:
Creating a blog .
Privacy Settings you need to make your blog public to participate in the Bootcamp.
Adding Users, Setting Roles
Creating a Post
What is a blog, Why are you blogging?
It is worth thinking a wee bit about what you already know about blogs, and what you think you will get out of blogging. We will have a discussion about this and you are encouraged to blog about this as part of week 1.
If you write a blog post you can look back later and see if your ideas change.
Other areas for discussion:
Here are some rules to think about and discuss, do you think they are good ones? Why?
Try and make two blog posts this week. Categorise them both ‘bootcamp’. Send John the URL (web address) to the first one.
We would suggest that if you are working in a class that you make these first posts as shared writing. This will allow you to start to to set expectations about content, style ect. We also suggest that you should regularly refer to/talk about e-safety when you publish anything to the internet.
* Did we mention that you should categorise your blog post as bootcamp and send the link to the post to John ?gw09johnstonjohn4@glowmail.org.uk*
Visit the bootcamp blog, visit other participants posts. Leave comments on each others blogs.
You may want to make your blog look nice, here is how to add a header image:
Here is the Glow Help blog post: Custom Header Image | Glow Blog Help
Downloads: Adding a Header MS docx | Adding a Header PDF
Presentations from the Glow Meet;
Hopefully we are all ready to start the bootcamp next week.
Still plenty of time to Signup for Blogging Bootcamp #2
The only thing you need to do in preparation is make sure your Glow logon works.
There will be a blog post on Monday 31 August outlining week 1 activities. I’ll also email them to you.
The schedule page gives a rough outline of the 5 weeks activities.
We will have 2 glow meets to kick off the bootcamp on Tuesday 1st September.
One at 2pm, one at 4:15 pm
these should last for 30-45 minutes.
The content will largely be the same but the first one will be slanted towards pupils the later to teachers.
the meet will be at:
https://meet.glowscotland.org.uk/bootcamp
This will only be open at the specific times.
If you want to test Glow Meet in your establishment drop me an email with a few possible times and we can try it out.
We will try and provide enough help and support materials for you to take part in the bootcamp without joining the meets. We will try to supply all the information in multiple formats, different folk seem to learn in different ways.
You will be posting material to the internet, it will be viewable by anyone with an internet connection. make sure you are aware of school policy around this.
We will be discussing Internet safety as part of the bootcamp, but teachers should be aware of the issues and their responsibilities.
I’ll be joined in running the bootcamp by Chrissie Lamont, you can get in touch with either of us with any questions and we will try our best to answer them.
Featured image on this post: Image from page 48 of “Athletics and football” (1894) | Flickr – Photo Sharing!
The bootcamp will take you through creating a blog, adding features and a range of blogging activities. Classes will have the opportunity to link up with other glow blogs and the world wide blogging community.
It will run from Week beginning 31 August for 5 weeks.
Each week there will be ‘technical’ tips, blogging challenges and discussion points that can be carried out in your classroom and on your blog.
What you need: A Class, somewhere to blog (glow for example). No technical knowledge needed.
While most of the technical support will be aimed at glow users the bootcamp is open to any classroom.
Some of the information will be ‘old hat’ if you are already blogging, the challenges will hopefully still give you something to blog about and provide an opportunity to network with other classes.
Image: Welcome message. | Flickr – Photo Sharing! – Public domain
Glow Blogs uses cookies to enhance your experience on our service. By using this service or closing this message you consent to our use of those cookies. Please read our Cookie Policy.
