Blogging in 52 Takes

Roger M. Villamar, Ph.D.

International Relations
School of Law
Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola
BLOGGING MADE EASY

BLOGGING IN 52
TAKES
Open your Gmail account…
Go to apps and click more…
Click on “Blogger”
Click on “New Blog”
Add a “Title” and “Address”
(you can always go back and change the
“Title” later)
Click on “Create Blog”
The blog has been created. Click on
“view blog”
This is what it will look like. Click on
“Design”
It will take you to this. Go to
“Settings”
Now, invite your classmates and your
instructor. Click on “+Add authors”
Add the Gmail account of the
person you will invite to contribute,
and click on “Invite authors”
Your screen will look like this, showing the
open invitations. Now make your blog private.
Look at the options after “Blog Readers.” Click
on “Edit”
You will need to make it public the day before
your class presentation. For now keep it “Private.”
You can add the Gmail accounts of only
those you want to “view” the blog…
…or you can make it available only to
the “blog authors”
Remember, you will only make it “Public” the
day before your final class presentation. Don’t
forget to “Save changes,” and then go to
“Layout.”
This is your basic layout. To add some of the posts
that need to be fixed in place (e.g., Historical
Background, Geographic Information), use the sides.
You may “Add a Gadget,” for instance…
After you click on “Add Gadget” a new window
with options will appear. These are probably
the 4 most important ones…
Useful links to get more creative during
this process of choosing templates and
adding gadgets…

 FREE BLOGGER TEMPLATES:

 http://btemplates.com/

 BLOGGER GADGETS:
 http://www.bloggergadgets.net/
You may want to click on “Text” to add the
“Historical Background,” for instance…
Add your “Title,” start writing, and don’t forget to add
your references. It is important to write where you
obtained your information.
Something like this. I did not add the references, but I
am assuming you will. Save, and Blogger will take you
to the Layout again…
This will be your screen. Click on “View
Blog,” and it will take you to your blog…
It will look something like this with your post on the
side of the blog. It most likely won’t move from there.
You can get creative and change the template so it
doesn’t look that pale. Click on “Design”
Blogger gives you quite a few template
options. From the “Simple” ones you see on
the screen to a variety of categories below…
I chose one of the “Simple” ones, and I got this window. Then, I clicked on “Apply
to Blog.”
It will always take you back to the
“Design” page. Once you are there, you
can click on “View Blog” again…
This is what your blog will look like
now 
 Alright, I can see I have forgotten two things:
(1) folks I invited have not accepted yet, and
(2) I also forgot to add the GROUP number to
my blog title. You need to read the
GUIDELINES posted on MOODLE carefully,
discuss them with your group members, and
definitely ask me questions when you do not
understand something.
 Let’s see what happens with the invitations

first, and also what you need to do to post…

Let’s say, Someone invited me to contribute to
a blog. My Gmail account will show me the
message, like this…
First, I read my message, and click on
“Accept invitation.”
It will take me to the Blogger page so
I can sign in again.. Click on “SIGN IN”
Then, it will ask you to “Accept
Invitation.” Click there…
Blogger will show you the page where all your
personal blogs are. You are a member now.
Click on “View blog”
You will see your name along with that of the other
members listed as “Contributors.” I invited myself
with a different account that is why my name is
repeated there. That will not happen to you 
Now, if you look at the top right options, you can only have
access to “New Post,” meaning you can only write a new entry,
but have no access to the “Design” of the page…

The person who created the blog, needs to go back to the basic
“Settings” and in the place where it says “Blog Authors” change
the settings of each contributor, from “Author” to “Admin.”
Here: It says “Author.”
Click on the down arrow, and you will
see the options…
Click on “Admin,” and your classmates will all
be “Admin” of the blog with all the privileges
they will need to do the project as a group…
The contributors who were invited will now be able to
click on “View Blog,” and this time they will also be
able to see on the top right the “Design” option which
will give them all the access they need…
Now, to do your “Post,” you will need to go to
the main page by clicking the “Design” option
on the top right. Once there, click on “Posts.”
It will take you to the page where the list of
posts will be. On this blog there are no posts
yet. Click on “Create a new post.”
This is what you will see…
Write a title, and write a summary of the journal article, or book chapter
you have read (you need to write at least 4 paragraphs – I am writing a
short passage here as an example) about your topic. Please, remember
to add the references right after, using the APA Style…
After you click on “Publish,” it might ask you to share
it on Google+. You can “cancel” that, and you will go
back to your “Posts” page.
You will see the list of posts. In this case there is only one, but
your group members might be posting at the same time, and in
the end all your posts will be there listed by author…

Click on “View Blog” again to go back to your blog…

This is what it looks like now 

Click where it says “No comments” to add your “Reflexive

Comment.”
This will be your screen. Write reflexive comment, and
start relating your post to course content and
personal experiences (your position and situation).
Something like this. When you are
done, click on “Publish.”
It will look something like this. Your instructor will
“Reply” if he sees that you need to revise the form or
content of your post.

As you can see, real names (full names) need to be

used so the instructor can evaluate your work
properly
The GROUP NUMBER. I only wrote the title. Let me go
back to “Settings,” and then “Layout.”
According to the Guidelines, I have to write the title
and the group number. I’ll click on “Edit” title…
I’ll get this window, so I will add “Group 21” here, and
press “Save.”
Now, if I go to “View Blog” again, it will look like this.
We can start getting creative now. This is just the
basics. The creativity is up to you all.

Have fun with it. No limits to creativity. Be flexible,

and adapt. You will all do awesome 