How to Set Up Your Class Blog
Creative Writing Class – Mrs. Dial
1. Go to http://wordpress.com. Click on "Sign Up Now" to begin creating your own class blog. If you're new to blogging, no worries. Take it slow, and give yourself time to experiment. You may use an appropriate name of your choice as your username, but do NOT use your first and last name! You must give me all of your information after you have finished creating your blog. You must use a valid email address when you create your blog. This will not be made public.
2. Use the "My Dashboard" tab to get "behind the scenes" of your blog. The dashboard is sort of like the control panel-it provides you with an inside, producer's view of your blog. To see what your blog looks like from the outside (i.e., to the rest of the world), click "Visit Site."
3. Use the "Manage" tab in the Dashboard to erase the sample post titled "Hello World!" Use the "Write" tab in the Dashboard to create a new post. In this first post, please write how you feel about using a blog as a venue for expressing yourself. Have you ever used a blog for a class assignment before? What do you predict for this kind of assignment? Do you look forward to it or dread it? Why? After you have finished typing this post, click "Publish" to make it public (clicking "Save" saves a draft but does not publish the post). Click "Visit Site" to see your post. Congratulations! You're a blogger.
4. Click "My Dashboard" again. Click the "Design" tab to change the design of your blog. Choose a theme that fits your style, but try to use one that includes widgets. (I will explain widgets later, if you need an explanation.) Click on a design and click "Activate" on the top-right to select that theme. Click "Visit Site" to see how it looks. If you like it, hooray! If not, go through the same process again to choose a different one.
5. Click "My Dashboard" again. Click the "Manage" tab and then "Links." Click "add new" and type for username "Class Blog." In the section for Web Address, type http://phsdcreativewriting.wordpress.com. Click "Save" and then "Visit Site" again. "Class Blog" should show up on your blogroll now. When you click on the link you should be directed to our class blog. I will collect everyone's blog name on the class blogroll. You may access each other's blogs through the class blog to leave comments.
6. Send an email to [email protected] with your blog address and username.
7. Continue to experiment with your blog's options.