MORE Tricks for Making Great Posts and Getting LINKED to Others...

Add Links to Your Posts with...
CONTEXTUAL LINKING

Have you ever noticed how some bloggers use links in the context of their posts, to help you learn more about the subject that they are writing about? In the lessons on writing better posts, Darren Rowse said one of the important things you can do is to Link Like Crazy!. Well, I've noticed that some of you have been adding links, but not really getting the "in context" part of it.

Look at this paragraph I have just written above. It has 3 contextual links :

• context which links to a dictionary definition
• Darren Rowse - which links to information about the author of the following website (and gives him credit for what I am quoting form him, btw)
• Link Like Crazy! - which takes you to a highlighted copy of Mr. Rowse's article where he give 10 tips for writing great blog posts.

They are links that are created within the sentence to take you to information about the topic of the sentence. This week, try adding contextual links to your blog posts. Learn more about them here on this Blogger Help page. And visit ENGRADE where the Blogs and Blogging Wiki has a video about how to do this, too.

IMAGE CREDIT: Widgets for Bloggers. Link Promotion: Give me a link and get back upto three Tuesday, October 9, 2007

BECOMING FAMOUS!
CREATING A FEED and USING A READER (aka RSS) and Keep Your Friends Updated

Another tool for creating interaction on your blog and becoming famous, is to make sure your blog is set up so that people will receive your updates automatically.

This is called RSS or Real Simple Symdication, which means, basically, setting up your own sort of subscription or circulation for your blog. It's kind of like how "normal" newspapers used to hire the neighborhood kid to deliver your newspaper to your door in the morning. With RSS, your new blog posts, or feed, can be delievered to your followers reader every time you add something new.

So, make sure that everyone gets your news hot off the keyboard! Learn more about how this works in our ENGRADE Blogs and Blogging Skills Wiki.

IMAGE CREDIT: Widgets for Bloggers. Simple steps to become a famous blogger Thursday, October 11, 2007

ASSIGNMENT: In addition to this weeks posts and comments, make sure you add some contextual links, and then set up your blog FEED, and your blog READER. Subscribe to (Follow) each others' blogs (and MINE of course!) and keep up to date on their latest news via your Google Reader. Then, try adding a Blog List to your blog, so you and others can automatically see the blogs you follow, AND their most recent posts.

Tips to Help You Write Better Posts

Wow! I am surprised at myself! I have not posted in awhile. But... like you, probably, I have found that being out of school last week and now this week, too, has been quite frustrating. It is hard to stay focused on the things I need to do. I've spent a lot of time reading instead....The House of Night series is really crazy! And His Dark Materials have kept me sitting on the edge of my seat!! But, that is not what I wanted to talk about today. I really wanted to talk to you about writing...

You know you are supposed to post at least one entry and comment on 2 or 3 of your friends blogs a week, right? But what to say? How to say it?

Well, here's at least one tool that can help, and it makes writing fun! Check out Google Scribe. All you do it start typing and it will suggest words to choose from that might follow.

They even have tools that make it accessible anywhere on the web.

Google Scribe Bookmarklet

Google Scribe can be used anywhere, on any web page, using the Google Scribe Bookmarklet.

From the Google Scribe home page, drag the Google Scribe Bookmarklet (located below the text box) to Bookmarks toolbar (or Favorites toolbar depending on your browser). To use Google Scribe on a web page, click on the Google Scribe Bookmarklet. Google Scribe will then enable itself on the active text field on the webpage. Enabled text fields display the icon at top end corner of the active field.

Google Scribe Chrome Extension

Google Chrome users can use the Google Scribe extension for Google Chrome to access Google Scribe on any web page. Using the Google Scribe extension is more convenient that using the Google Scribe Bookmarklet - you won't have to click on the Bookmarklet to load Google Scribe.

Post installation, Google Scribe Extension can be activated by pressing Ctrl+J (Command+J on Mac) in the text box where you want text completion. You can use the extension's Options page to setup automatic activation and other options.

- SOURCE: Google Scribe Help Page

Very cool! Right? Excellent if you are learning English and need help writing.
Try it and see for yourself!

ASSIGNMENT: This week, post something about what it has been like working online via Engrade. Did you have any assignments that were interesting that you'd like to share? Is it as good as being in a classroom? What do you like / dislike about having classes online? See if you can find an article, website, or video about online classes to share with everyone. Be sure to try Google Scribe, while you are at it!

Help with Blogging

I am still waiting for some of my students to post. In the meantime, I hope they will follow my suggestions and use the HELP to get answers to their questions. I found the following very helpful:

• How Can We Help You? page - Lets you search your question, or click on the links
• Share Your Blog - Learn about creating a group blog, setting up "comments"
• Customize your Blog - Using Gadgets, using the Template Designer and more
• Blogger Video Tutorials - Don't know how to do___? Watch a video about it!
  

Here's a great quick video about how to use the help sections:



Watch and then send me your comments! What did YOU think of the help sections?

Last week we learned about NEWS AND VIEWS BLOGS, and my students created PERSONAL blog spaces. Their focus will be news and views about what you are learning at ICSA. I am curious to see what they will come up with.

These are some student and teacher blogs I've come across, including one by one of our old Kindergarten teachers. They are all pretty good, and each is unique.

• Mrs. Reeds 8th Grade English Class
• Cydnies Blog
• The Many Adventures of Lauren
• Children of the Diaspora, United! (My blog!)
• Liz in Cote d'Ivoire
  

Today students are to RESPOND to any comments that they got, write your SECOND post - a reflection on something you have studied this week and found interesting. Research the topic, find a picture that relates to it. ADD the picture to your post, and work on their DESIGN and PROFILE, add GADGETS and add them.

I am curious to see what they come up with!

Q3 Exploring Blogs

This year we're exploring a different type of blog - eblogger. All the students and I are creating our own blog accounts so we can share our LIT Skills work, and other ICSA experiences. I hope they enjoy this project. I look forward to seeing what they all come up with!