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Student Blogs
Starting Point
For ENGL 2117, called "Children's Lit.", all students have a mandatory weblog or "blog" that they must keep up on a weekly basis. (For more information, see your course syllabus.) Click here for some examples of student blogs.
One of the hardest things about a Blog is where to begin. It took some of my classmates the first half of the semester to 'create' a blog, and then they had to work extremely hard to make sure that they had a post for every single week of the class. Do not you put yourself in the difficult position of having to "catch up" on your blog posts.
The real question that bothers most students is: How do I make a blog?
There are two ways you can create a blog: 1- use the very limited student homepage on WebCT or 2- use an external host (ie: Angelfire, Geocities, Blogger, etc.)
If you choose Option 1, then you need to go to the WebCT How To section of this website.
If you choose Option 2, then stay right here. In this section (Student Blogs) you will learn how to use an external host to create your blog.
Choosing an External Host
So you made up your mind and have decided on using an external host? Congratulations! You are one step closer to having your very own Blog; however, now you need to decide where you are going to have your blog.
Here are three of the most popular external free hosts used by students in ENGL 2117. I have rated them on a scale of 1 Star - 5 Stars (1 being "Very Poor" and 5 being "Excellent"). Before deciding for yourself which external host is right for you, check out their Online Tours.
| External Host |
Summary |
Example Blog |
Jacquelyn's Rating |
| Angelfire |
Good. This site is user-friendly, rather simple, and has numerous template options.
Bad. Pop-up ads and ads at the top of every page.
|
example |
3 Stars |
| Geocities
Tour |
Good. This site is user-friendly, lets you decide the looks of all of the pages, and has tons of extras.
Bad. Ads on the right side of the screen, pop-up adds, and pages can seem a bit too crowded and confusing.
|
example |
3 Stars |
| Blogger
Tour |
Good. This site is user-friendly, many template options, very professional and clean, and extremely simple. Option of multiple blogs under one username. No ads!
Bad. n/a
|
example |
5 Stars |
There are also other blogging sites for those of you who may prefer even more variety. (Note: I do not have a Help page for the following sites.)
+ Caleida
+ MySpace
Continue
So, good luck deciding on an external host! If you need help with the three most popular hosts after you signed up, just continue on!
+ Angelfire Help
+ Geocities Help
+ Blogger Help
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