How To Use TurboScan App

Turbo Scan is an app I use with my iPhone to scan documents or articles that I have used in class and upload them to dropbox.  From there, I can link them to the blog for use by students.  The video below will help you use the app.  Not all things are covered, I will go over those below.

One thing that isn't covered it how to name the documents you are scanning.  After you are done scanning your papers, click on the top middle of your phone and it'll allow you to name your document. Or you can click on the pen at the bottom of the app and this will allow you to name the document as well.  Also, I like to share or move to dropbox by clicking "open PDF in" and choosing dropbox.

Promoting Your Blog

You've put the time into creating this thing, now you need people to access it!  Some suggestions in getting parents/students to use it....

• business cards with blog address on it (template below)
• mass email through Schoolmaster to all parents
• Remind 101 reminders
• Take 15 minutes out of class and visit it for students to see
• Place something on blog that they NEED to access for an assignment ex: website addresses for activity
• when pushing your blog to be used for make up work for absentees, etc., make them use it, don't coddle except the ones that don't have access
• keep it updated: if you don't, interest will be lost

Business Card Template  (Template has a QR code, that goes to my blog)  If you would like to know how to create a QR code for your blog, let me know.  

Speaking of promoting your blog....visit mine!  Kettner's Science Classroom Blog

Adding Assignments To Your Blog

Wanna do away with the absent folder?

  My intention with my blog was to have absolutely everything on here that my students would need, no excuses, no searching through many different sites for them to be successful.  If I can get them to go to my blog, everything is there.  

  Like I've said, I have made business cards with my blog address on it for students who are absent and request homework.  It is also accessed in the ISS room so students are leaving there and then coming to my class and interrupting my teaching.  Students who come to me and want make up work are told to go to the blog.  It's all there and in chronological order for them to access.  If they really want the make up work, they go on and get it.  

  Alright, so I either have all my worksheets electronically in some format.  I like to throw all electronic copies into dropbox.  The reason I like dropbox over drive in this instance is that I have accidently locked documents in drive and students weren't able to access them.  That doesn't happen in dropbox.  Some worksheets I have are not electronic so I can scan them using an app on my phone.  From my app, I can upload it to dropbox.  

                                                                                                                      Dropbox: Get link icon^^^^

From dropbox, you just click on share, get a link. Then on the blog, click link and paste the link into the box.  You can name the link as well in the "text to display" box.  Hit ok when done and it'll be there!

I also have a page set aside with a running list of dates and assignments.  It's really good idea to name the assignments on the blog with the same name/date in your gradebook.  

Posting About Class....

I think we got all the technical garb out of the way, so let's figure out how to post.  It's really quite easy after all that other stuff.

I like to post about class daily.  I think it gives parents and students an opportunity to stay in the know as far as what's happening in my class.  I literally usually don't post more than a paragraph daily.  I lately have been putting on pictures as well to "spice it up" a little more.  Remember, looks are everything.

There is usually more than one way to do things here on the blog.  So, for pictures I usually go onto google pics and search for whatever my topic is.  You can either download a photo to your computer then click on the "Insert Image" icon above in the toolbar.  From there, you can upload the photo.

Alternately, you can right click on a photo and click copy image and then right click on your post and click paste to get a photo on your blog.  This way doesn't always work, but usually.

With pictures, please remember not to post pics of your students faces to be safe.

Posting daily during my prep has become a habit.  It literally takes 5 minutes or less.  Where else can you provide so much information to a huge group of people along with actual work done in class accessible to those not at school?

Go to my next post to see how I go about adding work.....

Templates: Flying Solo

From this tab, you can skip all the other stuff and just choose a template that you like.  This allows you to view all choices on one screen and compare one against the other without actually having to remember which one you liked and scrolling through them all, then you can avoid all that other stuff you aren't necessarily ready for right now too!  I like choosing from here rather than the other way, but ultimately it's your choice.
  I know there are other blogs about blogs.  I wonder now if blogger has one.  I bet they do.  Oh well, I'm personalizing mine and making it education based.  So, I will continue on.  Is anyone reading this at this point?

Settings: Basic Only!

Lastly, under the blogger tabs that allow you to change up the look of your blog is the tab labeled settings.  Above, you can see what I have under the basic portion of settings.  The only thing you might want to change by chance especially if you are team teaching is the blog authors under permissions so more than just you can edit the blog.  I'd leave blog readers as public as well otherwise you will limit your viewers immensely.  Under the privacy portion, make sure kids can search for your blog, like I have.
  My students can usually search: mrs kettners science in all search engines EXCEPT BING and find my blog if they don't have the exact address.

Google search engine is your friend ultimately because blogger is a google blog website.  

I really wouldn't mess with any of the other settings cause you could really goof things up.  

Don't Fool Yourself! Looks Are Everything!

From the layout tab, just click on template designer link.  (see previous post) It's on the top right ish of the page.  Then you will get the above options:

Templates: Click on a style that you like and then from that, it allows you to have other choices.  See how the top right template is chosen and then linked to the templates below it?  Lots of choices!
Background:  Allows you to choose background color(if template allows) and a few other things but why worry about those details right now?
Adjust widths: Allows you to make columns on your blog bigger or smaller.  Also has a default choice just in case you goof it up.
Layout:  See below: too much to type up here!

As you can see above, the layout is how your blog will look.  This I think is important because if it looks good, people will stick around, read your blog and maybe even come back!  Choose one, try it for a week or so, then maybe change it and see what you think.  Remember then you can go back and add some gadgets.

Advanced:  Ok, it's just that, advanced!  Not really important in getting your blog up and running but something you can tinker with when you have spare time.  Or just leave it be!  Just allows you to have default fonts, background colors, text colors and such.  I'd just leave it at first.  I waited till just recently to mess with this stuff.