Wanna Be Blogalicious?



from beblogalicious.com

 Here are 6 rules to help you have a great blog.

1. A blog is not a diary; it is a public document. Recognize that you have readers and you want to converse with them, not just yap. Ask questions. Stir controversy.

2. Show your personality in your writing. 

3. Use plenty of pictures and/or videos. Find good pics at Flickr, Photobucket, Jupiter Images, Google Images. You MUST hyperlink to your source.

4. Write killer headlines. Would you rather read an article titled, “Spaghetti Recipe” or “Make Sexy Spaghetti Tonight”?

5. Use proper grammar and spelling.

6. Hyperlink your source and add the source to your Works Cited page.

BONUS TIP: Enumerate. People like quick lists. For example, “6 Steps to Passing the SAT” is better than just “SAT Tips”.

Homework: While researching for this class, I found this student’s blog. Do you think an employer or college would find her photo troublesome? Get a professional profile photo and post it in your blog sidebar. 

By the end of the semester, complete the following blog posts:

1. Story Behind My College Choice; Questions I Want Answered
2. Story Behind My Career Choice; Questions I Want Answered
3. Story Behind My Topic of Passion; Questions I Want Answered
4. 3 Website Reviews Related to My College
5. 3 Website Reviews Related to My Career
6. 3 Website Reviews Related to My Topic of Passion
7. 3 Posts Related to Something You Read in Google Reader or Twitter
8. 3 Free Posts Related to Your College, Career, and/or Passion
9. Works Cited
10. Research Reflection

How to Create Your Blog

The video below will instruct you on how to create a basic blog. You can later play around with your blog's color & design. Your blog must have the following settings:

Gadgets in Sidebar

1. About Me
2. Labels
3. Twitter Updates
4. Follow by Email
5. Subscription Links
6. Search Box

Pages

1. Home
2. Works Cited

Settings
In Basic:

• Complete the Title & Description

In Posts & Comments be sure these are selected:

• Comment Location: Embedded
• Who Can Comment: Anyone
• Comment Moderation: Always & Type Your Email Address
• Show Word Verification: Yes
• Show Backlinks: Show

In Languages & Formatting:

• GMT 5:00

Email Etiquette

In Google Drive, complete one of the following scenarios:

1. You had been really struggling in Professor Smith’s class, so you stayed up very late to write the mid-term essay hoping that you would do well enough to improve your grade in the class. Your graded essay however earned a D and the professor made very few comments on the paper. Email the professor. Attach it as a pdf.

2. One week after being hired, you learn that your favorite grandmother in Chicago is in the hospital near death.  It’s 9 pm and you have to leave town immediately to reach   her, but you know you’ll miss work in the morning. Email your employer. Attach it as a pdf.




Send the email to: mrsmillerpayton @ gmail.com



Use these tips to help you create a professional email:

1. Have a signature with "Thank you," "Sincerely," "Take it easy," etc. and your name. 
2. Greet with Hi, Hello, Greetings, etc.
3. Be sure your name is correct in the From field.
4. Be sure you completed the Subject field
5. Do not use all capital or all lower-case letters.
6. Spell check.
7. Notice difference between “reply to sender” and “reply to all”
8. Don't forward chain emails.
9. Use BCC when sending to multiple people.
10. When forwarding or replying to an email, erase unnecessary information from the post you are responding to.
11. Re-read to check your tone.
12. Know how to save and send a PDF attachment.

Our Passport Stamps

As a digital citizen, you have a passport to the world and you are able to network, converse, and build with virtually anyone. Once you have shown in class that you mastered the digital skills we've discussed, then you will receive a passport stamp to place in the sidebar of your blog.

stamps created by Web 2.0 Badges

Vocabulary Pre-Test

In this class, we'll be using vocabulary that are basic to proper digital citizens. How much web terminology do you know? Take this quiz and write down what your score is.  If you earned a low score, play this review game to be ready for the post-test on Monday, June 18. Play the game here.

 

Is Your House Clean?

from uglyhousephotos.com

Sharing your thoughts on a social networking site is a bit like inviting people into your house. Coming into your house, visitors get to see who you are--your family pictures, your favorite lounge spot, your kitchen and bathroom.

At home, you get to lock the door and only invite people you know, but on the web, your door is wide open and people from miles away can see right into your house.

Is your home on the web ready for visitors? Or is it dirty or embarrassing?

Employers and colleges are looking at your online presence to see if you're worthy to work with them. Take Cornell notes on these articles and tell me what you think. College Prospects Are Being Watched and Employers Use Facebook

In the comment section, analyze your own online social networking profile to determine if your posts and pictures reflect poor or positive digital citizenship. In my comment section below, explain the changes you made or why you didn’t need to make changes.

Introduction Survey