LESSON 1

Creating a blog

• Look at the top of the page and click on "create a blog". Create a blog in 3 steps.
• Click on "Posts" and write your first post. This is a TUTORIAL to help you. Publish the post and visualize it by clicking on "view blog".

Creating a link

• To add a link, you copy the address (the site you want to take the person to) at the top of the page . Go to your blog and write a word to be connected to the link (Ex: Click here), select the word with a mouse, click on the "link" button and paste the address into the box that pops up.

Adding images

• Save pictures into your computer as .jpg.
• In your blog click on "edit post" , then on an icon with a landscape and select the picture you would like to use in your post. Publish the post and visualize it.
• Go to Slide.com and sign up. Create a slideshow by selecting the pictures to download. Play with the effects and shapes and select one. Save it and click on "share the slide". Copy the code (Ctrl C) and paste it into your post. Publish the post and visualize it.
  
• Go to Bubbleshare and create an account. Click on create a new album and download the pictures you´ve selected. You can add a narration to the slideshow. Once the slideshow is ready, you can either create a link to your slideshow or get the HTML code to paste it into your post.
  To add a link, you copy the address at the top of the page . Go to your blog and write a word to be connected to the link (Ex: To see the slideshow click here), select it with a mouse, click on the "link" button and paste the address into the box that pops up. To show your slideshow on the blog you can do what you just did with the other slide show, copy the HTML code and paste it into the box where you post writings.

Adding Audio

• Go to Odeo Studio and sign up. Select Record new audio and when a macromedia flash player window pops up click on accept. Make your recording, save it and then copy the HTML code to paste into your web site. Publish the post and test it. In Odeo it´s also possible to download an audio you have done previously (the file has to have an .mp3 extension)
• You can also create an Audio Blog. Take a look at this audioblog created by Brazilian learners from Brasília to introduce regions of Brazil to Argentinian students. You can see pictures of students, read their texts and listen to them.

Samba EFL

• To create the audioblog, go to Podomatic. Click on Register at the top right-hand corner to create a podcast.

Making cartoons

• You can use DFilm for students to make short cartoons to practise vocabulary, structures or idioms.

Voice Mail

• Voice mail can also be used to engage students in communicating in English. Try Springdoo and then the monke-mail.

Adding Widgets

• There are several widgets you can add to your blog in order to make it nicer and more interesting. Look at the following site ( Google gadgets or widgetbox ) for ideas like the clock/calendar on the sidebar of this blog. To add items to the sidebar of your blog click on "Template" then when you are on "Page elements" click on "add a page element" and then add the HTML code to the sidebar.

Adding a power-point presentation

• In order to add a ppt presentation to your blog you have to be a member of slideshare. Then, download your presentation, copy the Html code and paste it into your post.

Creating online quizzes

• You can create online exercises using discovery school. First you join Quiz center and then you can set up a custom classroom. Click here to go to Quiz Center.