It happened. We have a class blog! Yes, it’s public – meaning anyone can find and read what we write. Read below regarding signing in and how you can publish your blog posts:

• You have all been added as authors of the site. This means you can edit, write and publish posts, as well as upload files.
• UO Blogs uses WordPress, if you’re familiar with WordPress, you’ll be familiar with how this works. If you are new to WordPress – have no fear, it’s (mostly) straightforward (but not necessarily intuitive)
• NOTE: When you login to UO Blogs (left tab, top of the page) click on “use my DuckID” – the other sign in areas is for guests
• Once logged in, you will notice you have two sites under “My Sites” – all users are enrolled in the U of Oregon blog, and our class blog Education and Development
• Go to the dashboard: you will see “Posts” on the lefthand column, click it and then “Add New”. Here’s a link for more on writing your first post.
• If you want to insert pictures – use the “Upload/Insert” directly above the Visual Editor you use to write your posts. You can also link to an audio (mp3) file as well as insert a  YouTube video (not as obvious, but fairly simple).
• Our blog is simple. There are 2 pages: Posts. Resources. I’ll be adding some subfolders under resources with links to online resources. (this will be more convenient than Blackboard).
• REMEMBER: Since you are no longer emailing me a Word Doc, you will be watching your word count regarding length. Please write between 400-500 words for each of the 3 required posts. (Other posts are optional with no length requirement)
• For assistance, visit the general support guide or check out the Edublogs User Guide
• For additional assistance, contact the Technology Service Desk at 541-346-HELP or techdesk@uoregon.edu. You can drop in at 151 McKenzie anytime during the day (8-4) for help as well. They are an excellent resource. UO blogs has been running for about a year now, and the techdesk is excited to help students use this new tool for teachers and students to interact and exchange ideas.

I hope you enjoy this feature of the course and based on your topics from yesterday – I can’t wait to read what you write!

Best,
Jessica