Blog Post #6 - YOUR CHOICE WEEK!!

Because you have been working so hard on your problem solving essay over the past few weeks, I would like to gift you with a "your choice post." You may include anything in this week's blog (as long as it relates to your theme). Just a simple post will do, but try to be creative! :D

www.pinterest.com

Blog Post #5 - Labels

When composing a new blog post, there is a section to the right, under "Post Settings", called "Labels." In some blog programs, these are called tags.

Labels like this are important because they help your readers find your posts by categories. By typing in a word, say, "Eastern University," as I have here, Blogger automatically creates a new category. When I publish this post, Blogger simultaneously files this post both on the main page chronologically, like it did every time before, but it also now files it under the new Eastern University category.

You can add multiple labels to the same post. I have added the word "labels," "Eastern University" and "St. Davids." The first two are self-explanatory. I added St. Davids because it's good to label a post with a location, either where I'm writing from, or what I'm writing about. This helps readers, as well as Google, know more about you.

Having categories is important for your regular readers. It also helps you find old posts if you need to reference them in the future.

Categories are also important because they're a piece of puzzle Google uses to find your blog. Now that I have added an Eastern University category, Google will rank my blog higher on the search list when someone searches for Eastern University. However, don't think by adding the label Eastern University, your blog will reach the first page of Google.

When I do a search for Eastern University, 41 million searches come back. I'm just saying that instead of being at the 40 million mark, Google might move me up to 20 million simply by adding a category with the same search term. Google does, however, push your blog higher on the search results page if you were to add Eastern University to every blog post, as you add more posts in the Eastern University category, and after getting many more hits and more traffic to your blog.

Your task for this week? Create a post about anything related to your theme. Then, in the labels section to the right of your new post screen (directly to the right under "post settings"), add a label or labels for this post. You may also want to go back through your past posts and add labels to those too (as I have done). If you want these labels to appear on the side of your blog's screen, you need to go into your "Layout" menu, and add a Gadget on the  side of your blog page. Then scroll down to "Labels" and click on the plus sign.

Blog Post #4 - A Hyperlink

OK, this week, I'd like you to practice adding a link in your blog without typing out the entire URL. So, let's say I want to link you to my husband's and my photography website. I could tell you to go to www.jpgphotography.com but that is both clunky and unclickable. Instead, I would tell you to go to my husband's and my photography website, and include the link itself in the words "photography website," as I've done here.

It's pretty simple. Right up next to where the picture icon is, it says "Link." Click on it. Type in the text you would want people to click on under "Text to display," then type in a URL and then click "OK." That's all!

Please do not forget to write your regular blog post as well, making it the appropriate length. 

Have fun!!

Blog Post #3- A Picture

Hi Students!

For Blog #3 you will be learning how to post a picture! Make sure that you are not just posting a picture, but explaining the picture in complete detail; this is a huge part of your grade.

To insert a picture from the Web:

Step 1: Click the photo icon

Step 2:  Click the drop-down arrow next to More, and then select from a URL

Step3: Paste a URL into the search bar

Step 4: Click Add Selected

From your computer: Basically the same process, just select "Upload" and then choose your file.
After you insert your picture, continue writing, and then submit the entry as usual.

A new feature blogger also has, is now you can simply drag a picture into your blog post, from both your computer and from the internet. The above instructions still work, and the below copyright issues still remain, but that may be an easier way to get a picture into your post.

Blogger's image upload feature allows you to upload and display images in your posts. This is great when you want to add a photograph you shot or an image you created. However, there are a few details to note when it comes to images that are legally protected or hosted at someone else's expense.

If you choose to 'Add an Image from the Web' using the image upload feature in Blogger, you shouldn't use an image location that is hosted at someone else's expense without their permission. Sometimes this is referred to as 'stealing bandwidth' because every time your blog loads, the image is loaded from their server, and this person likely incurs an expense.


Copyrighted Materials

Watch this video to learn about creative commons: 

Before you put an image in your blog, keep in mind that some images are protected as intellectual property through copyright. This means that the creator has sole legal rights to their works and may not want you copying and displaying them. If you're unsure whether or not an image is copyrighted, it's best not to risk it. However, there are places that make it easier for you to find images you're allowed to use:

• Open Photo

• Flickr: Creative Commons

• Creative Commons Search

When using the photos from the links listed above, you still need to give proper attribution to the original creator. You do this by:

Step 1: Download the image

Step 2: Upload the image onto blogger. If you don't remember how to do this, review the instructions above.

Step 3: Place the photo where you would like it on your post. Then click on the photo so a menu comes up like below. Then select add caption. 

Step 4: Properly citing your source with links.

Check list do you have the following:

1. Title? "blowing in the wind"
2. Author? "Anne Davis 773" - linked to her profile page
3. Source? "blowing in the wind" - linked to original Flickr page
4. License? "C.C BY-NC 2." - linked to license deed. Refer to the picture below to find where the author's rights.

You are linking to the actual detailed deed of the license not the summary page. 

The summary page is below, it is where we get the abbreviations for the last part of the citation.

Complete product:

For a more detailed explanation or questions refer to the FAQ's of creative commons.

Helpful Tip: You link by highlighting the text you want to link, then click the word "Link" next to the picture icon on the toolbar. Make sure "Link to Web Address" is selected, then paste the URL.

Important: 
For those who have a photo on their first blog post that does not properly cite their source (unless it is a photo YOU personally took):

1. Use this image search to trace the origin of the photo.
2. Look for the oldest date that is present online.
3. See if has creative commons or not.
         a. If not: find a new picture that has creative commons
         b. Give proper attribution to the author and the license like I listed above.