Blogs in Plain English
| BLOG | Design | Examples | Teacher Resources | Fun | Random BLOGS | Software |
BLOG Resources
(Self Publishing)
Blogger: Create your free blog, http://www.blogger.com/start, accessed 11/8/09
A good choice for a BLOG if you are going to have lots of media (Photos, Video,Audio) in your BLOG. Blogger is a part of the Google empire and you can easily integrate google features like YouTube. Be careful, these features may be blocked by your school.
Twitter, http://twitter.com/, accessed 11/15/09
Twitter is a super precise blog. People are to post news in 140 characters or less. Can be a challenge to make a Twitter for a school.
Wordpress, http://wordpress.com, accessed 11/15/09
This website is another BLOG publication site that includes a server, easy instructions on how to post things on your BLOG and dozens of templates to choose for your website.
Design Resources
Anatomy of a Web Page, http://www.htmlbasictutor.ca/anatomy-of-web-page.htm, accessed 11/13/09
A website that explains the different elements of a web page (i.e. page title, URL,File name, scroll bars, header, etc.) and how to design one.
LEARN THE NET: Anatomy of a Web Page, http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/14wbpganat.htm, accessed 11/13/09
A website that explains the concept of a Home Page and hypertext.
Web Design 101, http://webhost.bridgew.edu/twenson/webquest.htm, accessed on 11/14/09
A webquest that is similar to this one, except it is based on using HTML web design and not on using a BLOG Server site like Wordpress or BLOGGER.
What is a a Website Template?, http://web-site-templates.info/what-is-website-template.shtml, accessed on 11/14/09
This website gives a brief explanation of a Website Template.
Why Use a Website Template?, http://web-site-templates.info/why-use-website-template.shtml, accessed on 11/14/09
This website gives a brief explanation of the reasons why you would choose to use a Website Template instead of building each page individually.
Examples of BLOG
Website Resources
Lane Tech High School, http://www.lanetech.org/, accessed on 11/15/09
A complete school website for Lane Tech High School in Chicago, IL.Check out the banner and the navigation bar that is on every page of this website.
Mr. McCoy’s Math Class, http://mrjmccoy.wordpress.com/, accessed on 11/13/09
A BLOG that is kept up by a teacher to distrbute class assignments and inspire class discussion.
Right to Write, http://writeichms.wordpress.com/, accessed on 11/15/09
A classroom BLOG created by David Loreto for a Creative Writing class taught at Hernández Middle School in Chicago, IL.
TIE the WEB, http://tietheweb.blogspot.com/, accessed on 11/14/09
This is an example of a BLOG created by David Loreto. This BLOG was created by using templates on Blogger/Blogspot. The content was all created and/or selected by Davd Loreto. Notice the use of Widgets.
Tonti Reads, http://tontireads.wordpress.com/, accessed on 11/14/09
A blog for Tonti elementary school that is focused on the books that all the students read.
Teacher Resources
IQ: Measuring the Inquiry Rubric Quotient of Webquests, http://curriculumwebs.com/iqwebquest/, accessed on 11/15/09
This website is an example of a webquest that takes you on an evaluation journey of other webquests. It challenges you to find the IQ or the Inquiry Quotient of learning.
ISBE, Illinois State Board of Education, http://www.isbe.net./ils/ela/standards.htm, accessed on 11/15/09
Website created and administered by the State of Illlinois.
ISTE, National Educational Technology Standards, http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS, Accessed on 11/14/09
Website maintained by ISTE that defines learning standards for the 21st Century learner.