Getting+Started


 * How to create a blog: **

Before getting started, it may be worth looking at some other blogs by teachers or considering how you want to use a blog. Or you can jump right in!

There are two main sites that allow you to set up a free blog, [|www.blogger.com] (owned and operated by Google) and [|www.wordpress.com]. Blogger is, by all accounts, a little easier to use and has all the help and connections that Google can provide, so I will provide instructions for it.

Step 1: Go to [|www.blogger.com] and click where it says “Create a Blog.”

Step 2: Create a Google account by filling in the various blanks (N.B. if you already have a Google account – including, but not limited to, a Gmail account – you can sign in and skip this step).

Step 3: Name your blog and give it an available URL. Ideally, your URL should be relatively easy to remember, though of course it must also be unclaimed. One possibility is simply to use baldwin[class name].blogspot.com – e.g., baldwinalgebra2.blogspot.com.

Step 4: Choose a template (you can change template later if you wish).

Step 5: Your blog has now been created, and you can start writing posts. However, you may wish first to change various settings and/or the layout of your blog.

N.B. There are four useful links always displayed at the top of the blog when you are signed in: **Dashboard**, **My Account**, **Help**, and **Sign out**.


 * Dashboard** will take you to a home page for all your blogs, as well as various useful links, such as for editing your profile. Links for **Help Resources** are also at the bottom right of the page.


 * My Account** will take you to your Google Account, where you can access various other Google tools and the settings for them.


 * Help** opens up a new window from which you can browse or search for help with Blogger – I’ve found it to be fairly comprehensive and straightforward in its explanations.


 * Sign out** does just that.