Welcome to our free professional learning series on personal blogging! This series guides you step-by-step through the process of setting up your own personal or professional educator blog.
Refer our class and student blogging series if you want to set up a class blog.
The activities can be completed at your own pace and in any order.
Wherever you’re at — we’ll step you through the tasks designed to increase your skills while providing help to support your learning. Don’t stress, have fun, and remember to ask for help by leaving a comment any time you need assistance!
Optional workbook
Remember, we have a PDF workbook which you’re welcome to use to help keep you on track as you work through the course. Scroll down to find the ‘download’ button underneath the document.
📌 Download the PDF workbook here
The aim of this first activity is to:
- Help you learn more about what a blog is and why educators have their own personal or professional educator blog.
- Help you set up your blog, customize your settings, and change your theme.
What is a blog?
One of the biggest challenges educators new to blogging face is understanding the basics of how a blog works.
So we made this quick intro video to explain.
We recommend you start by watching the video. We’ve included explanations of key blogging vocabulary which will help as you work through this series including Footers, Headers, Menus, Pages, Posts, Comments, Sidebars, Theme, and Widgets.
Feel free to share this video on your own blogs with students, teachers, colleagues, or anyone else. Later in this series, we show you how easy it is to add videos to your blog.
Blogs? Websites? Portfolios?
Defining exactly “What is a blog?” is becoming harder to answer as the lines between blogs, websites, ePortfolios, and other online spaces blur. 
A blog is simply a website, although traditionally a website will have been more of a static space. What makes a blog different than a simple website?
- A blog traditionally would be updated fairly regularly and display posts in reverse chronological order.
- Comments have always been a key feature of blogs, providing an interactive space.
- Most blogs have pages where some key information is housed that isn’t updated very frequently (for example, an About Me page).
Nowadays, some people have a website that has a blog component; the home page doesn’t change but readers can click on a tab to view a regularly updated blog.
A blog is a blank canvas that you can use in any way to meet your needs!
Why educators use blogs
The main reasons why educators have personal/professional blogs include to:
- Share information and tips with other educators.
- Collaborate with a global audience. Increased collaboration with others leads to greater innovation and new perspectives.
- Reflect on their learning or their teaching/work practices.
- Learn how to blog themselves so they can use blogs effectively with their students.
- Create an ePortfolio.
- Document or remember professional development for their own use or accreditation.
Blogs are an important part of many educators’ PLN (Personal Learning Network).
Choosing your audience
Determining your audience is a useful first step when commencing any writing project.
Fortunately, when your writing is in the format of a blog, you have the flexibility to alter and adapt to different readers as your blog evolves.
The advantage of educational blogs is that the benefits come from the journey itself.
Despite this flexibility, it’s still advantageous to give your target audience some thought when starting a new blog.
Who will be reading your blog? Perhaps your audience will include:
- Local educators
- Global educators
- Student teachers
- Principals, administrators, and school leaders
- Parents (even if they’re not your target audience, they may read your work if you teach their child)
Stay open-minded as you embark on your blogging journey. Initially, you may choose your content for posts based on your perceived audience. As you get to know your audience more, and your own passions and interests develop, your content and writing style may evolve too. This is a natural pathway for many bloggers.
Refer to Who is Your Audience? Tips for Educators new to Blogging for more advice about choosing your audience. Back to Top
Examples of personal educator blogs
Your personal/professional blog extends your relationships outside of your school and allows you to connect with global educators who all willingly help each other.
Below are some examples of personal/professional educator blogs to see how they’re used.
This list is far from exhaustive! Be sure to tell us in a comment if you have any other favorite blogs by educators that aren’t on the list.
Click here to open this spreadsheet in a new window.
Sign up for your blog
Your first step if you don’t currently have your own blog, or you would like to use a new blog for this challenge, is to sign up for a blog.
You can use any blogging platform you would like including Edublogs, WordPress, and Blogger, however, when we write detailed instructions they will refer to Edublogs. You will be able to adapt this information to the blogging platform you are using.
Let’s go through some important things to consider before creating your blog.
1. Your Username
Your username is what you use to sign into your blog dashboard and is displayed on posts and comments you write.
While you can’t change your username, most blog platforms do allow you to change how your name is displayed on posts and comments.
Most teachers don’t allow students to use their first and last name online and often model this by using display names like Miss W or Mrs. Waters on their class blog.
With personal blogs, teachers are more likely to use their first and last name because their primary goal is often to connect with other educators.
Using their full name helps others connect with them better on a personal level. For example, your username might be like suewaters with a display name like Sue Waters.
2. Blog URL (Domain)
During the creation of your blog you have to select a URL (blog address).
When you want others to visit your blog you share your blog URL. For example, the URL for the Teacher Challenge blog is https://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/
Think carefully about your blog URL. This can’t be easily changed and once your blog has an established audience, you’re less likely to want to change your blog URL.
A simple option is to use your name in the blog URL or use something that has meaning.
Examples:
- Sue Waters Blog ( http://suewaters.com/ )
- Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day ( http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/)
- The Edublogger ( http://theedublogger.com/ )
- Free Technology for Teachers ( http://www.freetech4teachers.com/ )
3. Blog Title
Your blog title is one of the first things a reader sees when visiting your blog. Choose a name that reflects the purpose of your blog or you might simply use your name.
Don’t stress too much about your blog title! You can always change it at any time via Settings > General in your dashboard.
Check out the list of personal educator blogs for ideas of blog titles other educators have used.
4. Password
Passwords are our line of defense for protecting our online accounts. The stronger your password, the more protected your accounts are. You should always use strong passwords for all accounts and use strong passwords that are different for each of your important accounts.
While remembering multiple strong passwords can be annoying, at least all your other accounts are protected even if a password is compromised for one account.
New guidelines suggest that a passphrase can be stronger than a traditional password. Here’s how to create a passphrase:
- Come up with four or more words such as mysterious triangle bingo nurse
- Avoid using personal information or well known quotes or song lyrics (these can be easily guessed).
- Add some uppercase letters, symbols or numbers if you wish eg. #MYsteriousTr1angle=Bin.go.nur5e
- Avoid making the passphrase too complex when you add the punctuation and numbers. It’s important that you can still remember it.
You’ll find more tips for creating strong passwords, passphrases, and using password managers here.
Create your blog
Now you’ve done all the research it’s time to create your blog! All you need to do is follow these instructions if you would like to set up your blog on Edublogs.
Prefer a video guide? This 15 minute tutorial is a simple orientation to blogging.
Update your profile
Your Profile page is where you can control the global settings for your username including where you set up your display name, change your password, and alter your email address.
Your Profile is most commonly used to update display name, password, and email address so we’ll focus on this.
You’ll notice there are lots of personal settings options in Your Profile and you can read more about each personal setting here.
The most important thing to update is your display name. Setting up a display name makes it easier for some who leaves a comment to quickly look at your first name to personalize their comment.
If your username is displayed on posts means they have to search to see if they work out your first name.
Here’s how to update your Profile:
1. Log into your blog dashboard.
2. Go to Users > Your Profile in your blog dashboard. 
3. Scroll to near the bottom of the page to Nickname in the Name area.
4. Change the Nickname to the name you want to be displayed on posts and comments. 
5. Click on the drop-down arrow and select your preferred publicly displayed name. 
6. Now, look at the email under Contact info. All comment notification and password reset emails are sent to this address. If you’ve set up your blog using our no email option it will look like this:
If you would like to receive comment notifications and be able to retrieve your password using the Lost Password link then we recommend you add your email address.
- Your email address is required. You may change this, but you can only use one e-mail address per username. This email address must be valid because to confirm that change an email will be sent to this address and it won’t be changed until you click on the link in the email.
7. Now scroll to the bottom of the page to the new password field. Change your password by clicking on Generate Password.
You can either use this automatically generated password or replace it with your own password. 
There is no need to update your password (unless you want to). We just wanted to show you how it is done.
8. Now just click on Update Profile to apply the changes.
Remember to always click on Update Profile whenever you make any changes on Your Profile page!
Upload your user avatar
Your avatar is an online representation of you. The user avatar is also known as your comment avatar.
You upload the user avatar via Users > Your Avatar and it displays in places where you leave comments and next to posts you publish on some themes.
The default avatar set in Settings > Discussions automatically displays next to comments you leave unless you upload your own Avatar.
Your user avatar helps your readers visualize who you are. It helps create a personal connection with your readers. Below is an example of a user avatar and display name next to a comment.
You upload your avatar as follows:
1. Select a photo. Most educators use a photo of themselves on their personal blogs.
2. Resize your image to 200 pixels wide by 200 pixels high.
3. Go to Users > Your Avatar.
4. Click on Browse and locate the avatar you want to upload.
5. Click on Upload. 
6. Move the crop area to one corner, then expand the crop area to include your full image and click Crop image. 
7. Now when you view a post where you’ve left a comment, you will see your new comment avatar. Important tips:
- If you change your avatar and still see the old avatar it may be your web browser remembering your old image.
- Hold the Ctrl key and press F5 to clear your browser cache.
Check your settings
The General Settings is where you configure the broad settings of your blog including your blog title, tagline, blog admin email address, and timezone.
The most important setting to update in General Settings is your timezone. Educators often assume that blogs are automatically created set to their timezone and weeks later wonder why the post and comments date and times are weird.
The other important thing to consider is the blog admin email address. This email address is where all comment moderation emails are sent. If you want to receive comment moderation emails you should add your email address.
You’ll find more information on the configurations options in General Settings here.
Here’s how to change your timezone:
1. Go to Settings > General. 
2. Select your timezone from the drop-down menu option.
3. Click Save Changes.
Customize your blog theme
Your theme is what controls the look and appearance of your blog; this is what people see when they visit your blog. This is how you give your blog its personal touch.
Like most things in life, first impressions count. Great blog themes make good impressions on readers so that visitors are more likely to check out your blog. Overwhelming themes detract from your blog content.
Every newly created blog normally has the same default theme. The last thing you want is to look like all the other blogs.
Customizing your blog theme is normally one of the first things most people want to do when they first log into their blog.
Tip: having a few posts on your blog may help you visualize your theme’s appearance better.
Let’s finish off getting your blog started by showing you how to customize your theme!
Using the theme customizer
With the theme customizer, you can customize your theme and see the results in real time before activating the theme.
Here’s how to change your theme using the theme customizer:
1. Go to Appearance > Themes
2. Click on ‘Live Preview‘ below the theme you want to use.
Or if you want to customize your current theme, click on ‘Customize‘ under the current theme.
3. This loads the customizer. Now all you do is work through the control panels on the left to customize the theme. You can then preview the theme changes in real time before activating it on your blog.
4. Once you’re happy with the changes you just click ‘Save & Publish’.
Here’s a quick summary of each customizer control panel:
We recommend you leave the static front page set to ‘Latest Posts’. Most personal blogs use a blog post page for their homepage. You’ll find more detailed information on using the customizer here.
Almost all our themes include an option to upload your own custom image header. A custom image header means you can obtain a much more customized look and feel adding your “own personal touch” to your blog.
You upload your own custom header image as follows:
1. Click on Add new image in the header image section of the customizer. 
2. Choose an image from your media library or upload a new image from your computer.
- Only .jpeg, .gif, and .png files can be used for image headers.
- For best results, we recommend you re-size the image to the exact dimensions recommended for the theme before uploading using an image editing program.
3. Click on Select and Crop. 
4. Click on Crop image. 
5. Your new header image should appear in your blog preview window.
6. Click Save & Publish on the Customizer to activate the new header on your blog. 
Back to Top
Uploading your own background image
Most themes allow you to add images to your blog’s background.
A background image is another great way of adding that personal touch to your blog. You upload your own custom background image as follows: Click on Background Image in the Customizer.
- If you don’t see the Background Header section in the Customizer, it means the theme doesn’t support this option.
3. Click on Add new image.
4. Choose an image from your media library or upload a new image from your computer.
- Only .jpeg, .gif, and .png files can be used.
5. Click on Choose Image. 
Once you have selected an image the background image options will appear:
- Background repeat: controls if the background image is repeated. Choices are:
- No Repeat — background image is only displayed once on the page.
- Tile — background image is tiled horizontally and vertically.
- Tile horizontally — background image only repeats horizontally.
- Tiled vertically — background image only repeats vertically.
- Background position: allows you to control the position of the background image. Options are left, center, and right.
- Background attachment: determines if you want the image to scroll with the content or to remain ‘fixed’ in place when a reader scrolls down the page.
For best results, we recommend you use Tile, left and Scroll.
6. Your new background image should appear in your blog preview window. \
7. Click Save & Publish on the Customizer to activate the new background on your blog. 
Commonly asked theme questions
Here are some answers to questions about themes we’re commonly asked.
1. Can I upload my own theme?
Because of the way blog platforms like Edublogs and Blogger work, you can only use the themes provided and can’t upload your own custom themes.
Remember that custom image headers and backgrounds are very effective ways of customizing your theme to meet your needs.
2. How do I change the font color, font size, and text color?
Some themes have extensive theme customization options which aren’t supported by the theme customizer.
They often include options to change font color, font size, and text color. These types of themes add a theme option menu item under Appearance once the theme is activated. To do more extensive customization, you go to Appearance > Theme Options.
You can also change font type, size, and color in posts or on pages using the Supreme Google Webfonts plugin. Back to Top
Your Task
Blogging is about sharing, collaborating, and learning from each other. Here’s your chance to ask a question, comment, and get involved!
We’d like you to add your voice and ideas to our ongoing conversation about blogging by undertaking one or more of the following tasks:
- Visit some of the blogs on the examples of personal educators blog list then leave a comment on this post to tell us which were your favorite blog(s) and why. Be sure to tell us if you have any other favorite blogs by educators that aren’t on the list.
- Leave a comment on this post and tell us how you went setting up your blog. For example, you could tell us what theme you chose and why? Or what you found easy? What aspects were hard and you would like to know more about?
- Leave a link to your blog in a comment on this post so we can have a look at your new blog.
How to leave a comment: Scroll down to find the comment box. Write your comment, then enter your name and email address (email addresses are not published). Enter the anti-spam word. Press submit and we will moderate your comment ASAP.
I love https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/ because she provides a variety of media and topics that apply to all subjects and grade levels. Plus it really looks pleasing to the eye.
I started my blog before this course, but have not done much to it. I want to revamp it serve as an online portfolio and have more regular blog posts. I need to set up a realistic schedule for blogging. My blog is http://learnservelead.edublogs.org/
My new blog” https://jeninri.edublogs.org/ Yes, I jumped the gun on naming it without really reading how to title it, lol
I I liked the Phosphur color schemes, so went with that one. I still need to upload an avatar…but need to be on my home computer for that.
Some blogs that I read: https://pernillesripp.com/ ‘; freetech4teachers.com; http://blog.web20classroom.org/
Love everything about this course. I signed up for EduBlogs some time ago but got frustrated while trying to set everything up. Thank you for putting together this valuable resource!
Here is my new blog http://pisteamshs.edublogs.org/
Leah Luchsinger
Simple but extremely helpful – thanks for the advice!
Thank you for the list of blogs! I have been following Cult of Pedagogy and Larry Ferlazzo for a while now and I am so excited to have new ideas to check out. Two Writing Teachers is where I will be reading for a bit.
I had already set up my blog before this lesson, but I am looking for a photo to change my header now- thanks for the step by step directions!
Here is my blog: http://mspoolereads.edublogs.org
I love the name of your blog and the meaning behind it! I’m glad the header directions helped too.
Kathleen Morris
Edublogs Community Manager
@kathleen_morris
Thank you for creating such a clear and simple set of directions. There is great advice here, too!
I feel that some blogs had more information than others. For instance, Larry’s Ferlazzo’s post regarding what is the best seating arrangement blog was not as informative. It only asked a question, it did not give any articles to do research on, only a question. It was a great question, but I would have provided articles about different seating arrangements.
Setting up my blog went well, it is an assignment for an early childhood class at a local college. My theme/ title is enriching students.
Here is the link to my blog. http://jlukjanowicz.edublogs.org
I love the clean look of Pernille Ripp’s blog. It is so easy on the eyes and easy to read. I have read John Spencer’s book Empower. His blog contains the energy that I found in the book. I also enjoy reading the Two Writing Teachers blog. There is so much on their site about writing.
I am using Cute Frames for my blog. It is fun and uplifting.
The steps in this course are really helping me dig deep into using this blogging platform.
Thank you.
Here is my blog: http://everydaycounts.edublogs.org/
I didn’t realize I needed to comment on every lesson, so I’ve come back to do that now! Thank you for this course and helping me set up my new blog. http://msbrandsclassroom.edublogs.org
1. I love Cult of Pedagogy. I love the technology courses she helps you go through! Always gives me some inspiration to try in my classroom!
I also love https://www.thomascmurray.com/blog/. Thomas Murray has some great videos and blogs about education that are very inspiring to leaders. His latest was called Our Hidden Stories and was a great read!
2. I set my blog up to focus on the faces that work in my school district. I was hired this year for a part-time gig as our communications coordinator. This has been a very fun job for me and I really wanted to show off the wonderful people that work with us every day! I thought a blog would be a great way to do this. I searched many themes and came up with Oria that I liked the best. I used a Header picture of our high schoolers graduating and though this could change as we progressed through the year.
3. http://409communicator.edublogs.org/ Here is my blog for the school district!
I love the way you’re using your blog to showcase your district staff! It’s looking fabulous and the collage works really well.
I enjoy the resources on Cult of Pedagogy too but I hadn’t looked at Thomas C. Murrary’s blog so thanks for sharing that one. I’ll have to check out Hidden Stories!
I am asked to create a blog as I begin to build a new preschool within a public school. Thank you for this course, it has been extremely helpful in getting started. whitemountainpreschooladventures.edublogs.org
Welcome, Kristen! Your blog is looking great and you have a couple of interesting posts already. Let’s know if you come across any obstacles along the way.
Hi, great first lesson, thanks!
My blog is http://alwaysunfolding.edublogs.org/
I’m a librarian at an international school in Cairo. When I was at my previous post in China, my school was a Campus account. I really enjoyed blogging back then, but it’s been almost five years since I moved to this school. I’m finally in a place where I can take it up again, and the free upgrade to the Pro version is a great motivator!
To choose the theme I chose for my blog, I scrolled down to the very bottom of the themes thinking that the first ones are probably more used than the ones at the end. I like simple, clean interfaces, so I chose Unlimited.
The hardest part of setting up the new blog was coming up with a name! I chose “Always Unfolding” because that describes my learning as an educator – always unfolding the layers and going deeper in my professional practice.
And now I changed the blog theme. It lasted an hour, ha ha! That active preview feature is the best!
i changed the theme because I wanted to include a header image. Here’s the blog address.
https://alwaysunfolding.edublogs.org
Header image by Min An from Pexels.
https://www.pexels.com/photo/novel-books-775998/
Hi there,
What an interesting background you’ve had to work in China and Egypt. Where are you from originally?
Your theme looks great and I love the original title you came up with too!
Hi, only saw this now. Should have subscribed to the comment replies!
I’m originally from Venezuela, but I’ve been working as an international teacher with my husband for 20+ years now. We started out teaching in Egypt in 1997 and have since worked in Lebanon, China and now Egypt again. We love international school teaching!
What an interesting background! I really admire people who embrace international school teaching. It must be such a rewarding experience!
I enjoyed setting up my new blog. It was nice having so many different options and ways to customize it and make it my own. Here is the link for my new blog: http://classisdismissed.edublogs.org/
Jackie Anderson
jacqueline.anderson@perrisesd.org (can’t find the anti-spam word)
@gcouros is my favorite blog. I also love Teacher Like A Pirate. I have followed them for a couple of years and have loved reading their thoughts and ideas.
I set up my blog…one step at a time. I followed your directions and was able to put my thoughts into action. I chose my theme to support my social/emotional goals for this year. The pictures make me smile.
The manipulation of posts is nerve wracking. I am scared to make a mistake and keep second guessing myself. Rereading directions and hopefully I will trust myself soon.
http://kjostandefer.edublogs.org/
I had posted once before and did not see it so I thought I did something wrong.
Hi there,
I’m not sure what happened to your first comment but I edited the comment above to include the correct URL for your blog so others can check it out. It doesn’t have an @ in it 🙂
Your blog is looking great! I hope your first day back at school went well.
Many people feel fearful about publishing online when they’re first getting started but don’t worry. It will all be second nature soon!
When I taught middle and high school and extending into my current role as teacher educator, I have really appreciated the technology resources by Richard Byrne in his Free Technology for Teachers blog. I aspire to write like Pernille Ripp when she discusses the raw reality of middle grades teaching as well as the book recommendations that she shares. The Cult of Pedagogy has a similar attraction for me as I determine the best way to approach my own blog.
I want to reach other teachers and teacher educators with my blog. I chose the Bosco theme for its simplicity, accessibility, and clean mobile compatibility. So far, the settings have been easy enough to navigate, but there are a lot! I do not want to get too bogged down in this part of the process (though I know I want it to look “just so” before posting any writing). Here is a link to my blog: http://vujaklijavoice.edublogs.org
You’ve mentioned some great role models. There is a lot to learn from following other blogs.
Your blog is looking great! One thing you might be interested in doing is customising your tagline. So instead of saying “Just another Edublogs site” under your title, you might say “a teacher blogging about x y and z” or whatever suits you.
You can alter your tagline by clicking on Customize on your admin toolbar at the top of your blog (you’ll see the word Customize when you’re logged in). Then click on Site Identity and you’ll find the tagline.
Good luck!
Hi, your list of personal educator blogs is full of great places worth remembering and it’s a really hard task to pick one. But my vote goes for http://edutech4teachers.edublogs.org/ I can’t say that it’s better than others, because it could be unfair. It just resonates with me the most at this moment of my life:)
Jamie does have some great practical resources to share. Good choice! It can be fun looking at different blogs to see how different styles work.
My name is Lee. After talking with colleagues, I have decided to setup a blog. I started a couple of years ago, but didn’t do anything with the blog. During our conversations, the topic of telling your story came up. In other words, if you do not tell your story, someone else will.
As of right now, I have decided to go with Anarcho Notepad theme. As I work through this course I am sure that I will change various aspects of the blog. Right now, everything seems to be easy.
My blog URL: https://techtimewithmrmoore.edublogs.org/
Hi Lee,
I love the idea of telling your own story. This is an important message to discuss with students in terms of digital citizenship as well. I look forward to following your progress!
Hello!
My name is Carlos. I’m a brazilian teacher. I’ll do the tasks 2 and 3.
2. I chose the Ample theme because it has interesting features for me. For example, the slider that lets you “present” up to 4 subjects to be displayed and that will be worked on the blog. In addition, it has a clean and clearer look to navigate in my opinion.
Overall, I think the panel and editors easy and intuitive, but sometimes, some items generated – and create – doubts. I’ll explain it better with an exemple: the Ample template – and others I have tested – automatically created pages appear as a “menu” in the upper right corner of the page – to the right of the header by default. When you actually create a menu, this “auto menu created” is changed to “true” so to speak. This is not said anywhere that I have noticed. So I ask, is that so? Also, does the HOME page only appear when creating the menu?
3. The my blog link is http://quimicae.edublogs.org/. It is being built, so it is just a sketch.
Thanks
I have just spent a couple of hours setting up the first stage of my blog. I looked at a few sample blogs and watched the videos as I went.
I chose a theme, uploaded an avatar, changed the tagline, completed the ‘About me page’ and created another page. I am a bit unsure about the contact me page. I wasn’t sure about which email address I should use. I would like some advice on that.
My url is https://edjourney.edublogs.org/
Hi Vicki,
Your blog is looking great! Well done. I love your About page. It’s a nice mix of personal and professional so your readers can really get to know you. It sounds like 2019 will be an exciting year for you!
As for your email address, I guess just use the email address you use most frequently. That way, you won’t miss any notifications from people who contact you. If you embed a contact form, people won’t see your email address. However, if you reply to them from your email account, they will see your address.
I have just set up my first edublog. I found it relatively easy to navigate, the issues came when I had to choose a theme. So many choices. I think that settling on a theme that I like is going to be my challenge. At the moment I have used The edublogs default.
I know what you mean, Michelle. Every time I’ve set up a theme it has taken quite a while to find one I like!
I love http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/ because the website content is easy to access and has a ton of resources that are intriguing. I chose the notebook theme because the pictures are clear and interesting, they look exactly like a notebook! I didn’t like some themes that had the texts aligned to the left, I like everything aligned to the middle; it would be really nice if we can change where to put texts and the colors of texts. Here’s my blog: http://jennystinehour.edublogs.org/
Thanks for the help getting started. I saw this last school year and set up an account but did not use it. I used the platform for some grad school blogging over the summer and liked it. I am now setting up a professional blog to share what I do in my instructional technology role with my staff. This guide made the transition from what I did this summer to a more intentional design easy.
Very interesting here’s the link to my very first blog; http://slatergk.edublogs.org/ . Need much more practice.
Thank you for this great course! The set up went well and I’m looking forward to filling in more of the gaps. Thank you also for the great range of educational blogs to check out – such a wealth of information! I particularly liked ‘the cult of pedagogy’, which was fun, very well laid out and covered many topics.
So glad it’s helpful! I’m a fan of Cult of Pedagogy as well. She always presents the information so clearly and I agree, it does cover many topics. Something for everyone!
Hi everyone – I found Edublogs relatively easy to navigate, here’s my latest post:
http://kayley2017.edublogs.org/2018/10/17/38-years-of-teaching-fifth-grade/
All comments welcome!
Thanks for sharing, Kayley!
I think it was relativity easy to set up my blog. I chose the theme I did because I though it looked clean and crisp, not too busy. It’s a little overwhelming trying to get all my thoughts in one place. The link to my blog I’ve started is http://neuzilr.edublogs.org/
Hi Ms. Rachel, I love your theme! In fact, it’s the one I use on my own blog! 🙂
The blog set up went alright. There seems to be a lot of different options and I am sure that these different options will become more familiar as I continue to work with this blog site.
Below is the link to my blog that I have started creating.
http://alansblake.edublogs.org/
It’s looking great! Don’t be overwhelmed by all the options. You only need to know about the basics to begin and as you say, it will all come together!
teachertech and edutech were the two blogs i chose because they were cosmetically appealing and appeared to be easy to navigate.
Great, Alan. Hope they provided a bit of inspiration for you!
I have kept a personal blog for years, but this is my first “teacher blog.” This is the URL: http://oliviasfulmer.edublogs.org/2018/09/18/another-year-begins/. I am just beginning to set it up and have written one post. I used the notebook theme since I an English teacher. I have to work on the title. For now, it’s English in W1. W1 is my classroom in the West Building.
Hi Olivia,
Great work setting up your teacher blog! With your background in blogging, I’m sure you won’t have too many problems. I’m looking forward to seeing how it progresses!
I really like how my blog is turning out so far. I am struggling though with changing the font color and size. I tried to follow the plugins, but I don’t have a plug in option. I’d love some help. http://earnesteducator.edublogs.org/
Hi Kate,
Your blog is looking great! Send us an email at support@edublogs.org and we can help you with your font issue.
Thanks!
I invite you to come & visit my blog https://trivediziemba.edublogs.org
I choose to use Big Brother as my blog theme which allows clutter free, clean and eye pleasing blog. Thank you for extensive and easy instructions. I am creating the blog as a requirement for Online Professional Learning. As a novice blogger, I am still struggling & exploring best ways to present myself to online community by using my blog.
I am following https://samjshah.com/ I like the way his blog is set up as well as the frequent guest posts it contains. By following Mr. Shah’s blog, I am learning a lot about good classroom practices that will empower my students.
Vicky Davis’ blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/ is another blog that I will recommend.
Thanks again.
Best wishes.
Purviben
Hi Purviben,
Your blog design does look nice and uncluttered.
The Cool Cat Teacher blog is certainly a popular one. She even has a podcast now.
Good luck with your online learning and keep blogging. It can take a while to get the hang of it but it will pay off!
Kathleen
Hi! I liked the ” Jarrod Lamshed’s Connect Learning ie. http://jlamshed.edublogs.org” website because it has a niche website focusing on improvement in the education industry. Well, my blog is http://www.educationroot.com which aims to focus more on reaching the basics of education and simplify the education technicalities.
Hi Rubina,
Jarrod has written some great content on his blog!
Thank you for sharing your blog. The design looks great. We hope it works out well for you.
Kathleen
I liked the http://www.coolcatteacher.com blog. The setup was unique and it felt like a news forum! I chose a chalkboard theme for my blog because it was visually appealing and fit the education theme well! I am brand new to blogging and just getting started setting up my site: http://studentledclassroom.edublogs.org Thanks for the challenge!
Hi Cassie,
The Cool Cat Teacher sure is full of excellent info.
Great choice of theme for your blog! Love the URL too. Good luck with your blogging journey.
Stay in touch!
Kathleen
I particularly liked the blog about freetech4teachers because it was talking about other options of websites to help students particularly in math and that are not named Khan Academy. I found it interesting because Khan Academy was the only choice I knew about and it is refreshing to be able to offer other alternatives to students in need of help.
Hello,
This is my first blog! I’ve thought about the idea for awhile but didn’t really know where to start. I will use my blog to reflect and record my thoughts about what’s happening in my classroom. http://missweir2017.blogspot.co.nz/ – it’s a work in progress!
Here’s my new blog. It is a work in progress!
kbocklage.edublogs.org
Hi Ms. Blockage, and welcome to the Teacher challenge!
I love the title of your blog! You have also structured your blog content well within the framework of the theme you have chosen.
Eugene Brown, Edublogs Support
@Edublogs_Eugene
I’ve been reading blogs for a few years now, and over the long weekend I took the plunge and started my own education blog at susancornish.wordpress.com . There are so many things to write about – I can see I’ve taken on a big project. The biggest challenge for me is how to find an audience and make connections with the other blogs I’m reading. In the mean time my blog is a good place to record my thoughts about what’s happening in education.
My favourite blogs are ones I can subscribe to, so that I don’t have to remember to go visit. I get a tap on the shoulder. Thanks for the tips – very helpful!
Hi Susan, and welcome to the Teacher Challenge!
Your blog is looking really good, and we look forward to following your progress.
Eugene Brown, Edublogs Support
I liked Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day. The site was appealing and the page was easy to navigate and interesting. I liked The Edublogger and Free Technology for Teachers sites because of the topics and resources shared. I didn’t have too much trouble with setting up because I have a class blog already. However, I did have trouble deciding on a theme and finding a picture of myself for my avatar that wasn’t too big (couldn’t get alternative method to work). I’m ready to set up pages and see what else I can add to my blog! Find me @ http://sbathrick.edublogs.org
Hi Stephanie, and welcome to the Teacher Challenge!
It is not unusual to change your theme a number of times until you decide on a theme that best suits your blogging needs.
For your avatar, did you try and make the image smaller using an image editor before uploading it?
Eugene Brown, Edublogs Support
Here we go. This is my first blog EVER! I’ve toyed with the idea for awhile but didn’t really know where to start. I will use my blog to get info out to my students and their parents.
Because I am so new to this, I had a little (possibly a lot) of help setting it up. (THANKS Myles!)
I am excited to give this a go!
https://jannaslye.edublogs.org/wp-admin/customize.php
Hi everyone.
My name is Art Goldberg. I teach college-level Composition and Literature courses and have written an unpublished novel.
This is my first effort at Blogging. I would like to share the novel with other creative writers and solicit feedback, and also blog about the writing process.
Art
Sorry, my address was misspelled:
http://teacherwithoutborders.wordpress.com
Hello everybody,
I am using this personal blogging series to revamp a blog that I started in 2010, but have not updated since 2012. teacherwithoutborder.wordpress.com
My blog was already set-up, so just picked up some tips on how to revise it. Thank you very much.
Hello everyone:
i look forward to setting up my first Blog. Ihave a MFA in Cretaive Writing and currently
teach College-Level English Comp and Freshman Literature courses in South Florida. I have written an unpublished novel tht I plan to serialize on my Blog as a series of Posts.
Hope to get followers who will give me feedback.
Art Goldberg
Gypsy Adjunct.
Hi,
Sorry, I forgot to leave my URL address: It is: http://gatecracking.edublogs.org
Regards
Raghavendra Rao
Hi,
Wow – it was a great experience. The steps were really simple to follow, and I must commend the person who has painstakingly put it together – not a single problem!
My Problem areas: Wherever there were options to choose from, or creative thinking involved, I found it hard – real hard and it literally swallowed time!
I am referring to the choice of URL /Domain name and choice of the theme. Both took time – a lot of it.
Your first “task” of deciding my favorite blog – was very educative. It made me think , and actually clarified my own thoughts on what I would like in a my blog!
Interestingly, I liked the blogs which had least written material in their front page, had lots of pictures (easy browsing) – gave only snippets of what to expect in the main article and were not cluttered with too much information.
The Edublogger, in my opinion, was the best.
By the way, each one of the blogs (frankly I could go through only the first three) of the “Best Individual Blogs – 2013” was super.
All of them conformed to my observations above i.e. more pictures, less written material and not too many widgets on the Front Page.
Thanks and Regards
Prof (Brig) Raghavendra Rao
Hi Prof. (Brig) Raghu Rao, thank you for your insights, and welcome to the teacher Challenge!
Eugene Brown, Edublogs Support
I got started a bit late due to illness, but had a wonderful time starting to set up my Edublog today– http://travelwithmrst.edublogs.org/ I plan to launch the blog officially on June 1, 2015, to be used in tandem with my travel website http://travelwithmrst.weebly.com which I launched in January 2015 to share my world travels. I’ve been an educator for over 25 years, and recently finished my Master’s in Educational Leadership in the US before moving temporarily to the Netherlands. While in the Netherlands, and not working physically at a school, I wanted to learn more about the tools of technology, including social media, and how they can be used in the classroom. Now, I want the final piece in place–a blog for educators about ideas to use in the classroom utilizing students’ personal experiences traveling, as well as my website, and other web-based sources.
When I went to select a theme, I limited myself to mobile-friendly themes, since I believe this is extremely important; I see how much my two adult children utilize their phones for web access. As a Curriculum Tech Coordinator from 2010-2014, I saw how many of my elementary-aged students had tablets at home. I also limited myself to the free themes, since I am looking for ways to help teachers utilize the tools of technology in as cost-effective a manner as possible. After narrowing it down to Designfolio, Hatch, MyLife,and Oxygen, I finally decided to use Designfolio for its simplicity, as well as legibility of the font.
I found many of the examples of Personal Educator blogs to be quite busy and prefer the simplicity of The Edublogger and The Principal of Change, though I do prefer an image with each blog post to help hook the readers and then jog their memory (and mine) later!
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in such a great Challenge!
My blog for this challenge (it didn’t provide a link in the previous comment since I placed it right after the m-dash) is:
http://travelwithmrst.edublogs.org
Hi Michele
Welcome to the Teacher Challenge and thanks for sharing a link to your new blog!
I’ve fixed the issue with the link in your other comment.
Designfolio is a great theme choice. Text is easy to read and is a very clean theme. Thanks for sharing your reflection on the personal educator blogs. Some of the more popular educator blogs tend to be more busier due to extra content they want included in their sidebars. I personally prefer less busy. I think my personal blog ( http://suewaters.com/ ) is slightly less busy than The Edublogger ( http://www.theedublogger.com/ ).
Images in posts are a great way to grab attention!
Sue Waters
Support Manager
Edublogs | CampusPress
I am wayyyy behind but I decided it was “better late than never”. I enjoyed these blogs: Free Technology for Teachers, Teacher Reboot Camp, and Dangerously Irrelevant. I liked them because each blog provided “relevant” and practical information.
Literacy is my blog’s platform. I am a former educator and current Learning Coach of our two teenagers. I taught them how to read and I truly love the reading process!! The title of my blog is; “Learn2Read2Learn” – https://mrsgertha.edublogs.org/. I chose several themes before I decided to use “Able”. I liked its simplicity. However, I may change it, again. Finding a theme isn’t proving to be easy for me.
For my background image, I am using a photo of “Cotton Hill School”. A one-room schoolhouse my grandfather, mother and several of her siblings attended. It’s been there since the 1800’s. I may change it to my header image and find something else for my background image. I am gathering my content and thinking of ways to organize it on my blog.
I am looking forward to this challenge!!! Thank you EduBlogs creator(s) and staff for this opportunity!!
Welcome Gertha! I love the title of your blog; Learn2Read2Learn. It gives site visitors an immediate sense of what your blog is about. Hopefully you will add some content soon so we can help you through the process of setting up your blog.
Eugene Brown, Edublogs Support
Thank you!
Hello!
This is my blog https://marinaegorova.edublogs.org.
I’m just a beginner & it’s rather difficult for me to choose just one theme or a set of categories. I guess it’ll take me more time to try everything until I come to the best variant for me. I liked the Misty Lake theme as to my mind it’s simple but still attractive. I can’t say that something was difficul for me to do. All the given instructions are clear.
As for the blogs which I liked most I can say that they are all great & have all neccessary points to get information and share it.
Hi Marina, and well done on taking up the Teacher Challenge! Choosing the correct theme is worth taking time over. I suggest you create a few posts that include images and videos; this will give your blog some substance to work with and help you choose a theme. Which categories you choose will be determined by the content of your blog posts. As an English teacher, you could have “Parts of Speech”, “Figures of Speech”, “Literature”, etc, as possible categories.
Eugene Brown, Edublogs Support
Here’s my new blog: http://www.blendedteachereducation.blogspot.com
Hi Ruth, thanks for taking part in the Teacher Challenge! I look forward to following the progress of your blended learning approach. If you haven’t already done so, I suggest you create categories (labels) to group your blog posts. Listing the books you’ve written, and adding app reviews, will broaden your viewer base.
Eugene Brown, Edublogs Support
My new blog. http://rantnrave.edublogs.org/
Hi Chris, what a great idea for a blog; Reflecting on a 41 year teaching career. I look forward to following your blog as I am sure you have many stories to share. I suggest you place widgets on your sidebar to allow your site visitors to easily find your blog posts. A top menu and an about page will also be useful.
Eugene Brown, Edublogs Support
I found that setting up my blog was an easy process overall. I have some other blogs on other websites but this is my first education related blog.
The purpose of my blog is to share information with students and educators. Being an instructor of a student success seminar at a community college, I was hoping to store my ideas in a place where my former students can still access them after their class with me is completed.
My theme is an oldschool blackboard because it appealed to me, seemed easy to read and is gender neutral.
Hi Sheriann, I love the idea of your blog! It’s such a positive approach. I suggest you place widgets in your sidebar and footer area that will help your visitors more easily navigate around your blog. This includes the category and tags widget, as well as widgets that list, or highlight, your blog posts. Placing graphics in your posts will draw attention to them. http://blogforstudentsuccess.edublogs.org
Eugene Brown, Edublogs Support