Adding Attachments to Your KS Blog

 

 

Sometimes when you write a blog post, you want to make documents available for your readers to download.  Hereʻs how to add an attachment to your KS Blog:


  1. Decide how you want your attachments inserted, for example:a.  Click here to download document
    b.  Click on the link below to download document
    Adding a Post 

     

  2. Click on the icon that looks like a sun above your tool bar.  When you hover your mouse over it it will say, “add media”.
  3. In the shadow box you will notice at the top there are different places you can upload your media from.  In this example, weʻre going to upload from our computer.  Simply click on,
  4. Notice in the next window a link is created to the document.  For example b above, you would simply click on “Insert into Post” and your document will be linked in your post.  for example a above, select and copy the link to the document and exit out of the window.
  5. In your post, highlight the word you want your reader to click on to download the document.  In example a, I used the word “here”.  Highlight the word and then click on the link icon in your toolbar.

  6. Paste the link to your document in the url field in the next window and then choose, add link.

Update your blog and, Voila!  Now you can link!

Note – because not all blog readers have the same programs on their computers, itʻs a good idea to link to PDFs.

Twitter…Yes? No? Maybe?

This post is part of an Online Communication PD Class…

After the Introduction to Twitter Class and reading through the HW assignments…

  1. Can a micro-blogging tool accommodate communication and learning in the classroom?
  2. Will you use twitter as part of you PLN?
  3. What drawbacks can there be in using a tool like this one?
  4. If the tool must fit the purpose, how, when and where will you use this tool as teacher?

 

 

Embedding Video From Your KS Website Account

So you have a movie you’ve created, or one of your students has created, and you’ve published it to your KS Website and now want to have it embedded in your blog.  Well…here’s how:

Step 1: Create a new post and click on the Add Video Icon

Step 2: A shadowbox will open.  Click on the URL tab

Step 3: Open a new tab and navigate to your KS Website where your movie is hosted.  Copy the url (web address)

Step 4: Click back over to your post and paste the URL into the Video URL field.  Add “.mp4″ to the end of the video URL

Step 5: Click Insert into Post and then Publish and Voila, your video is now embedded into your blog!

Here’s a video tutorial using this method:

EmbeddingVideo.mp4

Embedding Video Into your Blog

There are a couple options for embedding video into your blog.  This tutorial will show you how to embed video from a video hosting websites like Youtube, Vimeo, and Teacher Tube.

Step 1: Go to the website the video you want to use is hosted at. 

Step 2: Find the “embed” code, it might be a button you have to click on

Step 3: Copy the Embed Code

Step 4: Create a New Post in your Blog and toggle to HTML View

Step 5: Paste the code

Step 6: Click publish and Voila, your video is embedded!

Try it and let me know how it works!

What’s Your PLN Like?

Diagram by: Alec Couros

 

I have only recently become more savvy in learning through my Personal Learning Network (PLN).  I used to spend hours on the internet, hunting for information.

 

 

The old me:

  • Googled lesson plans
  • Rarely bookmarked
  • Visited only my favorite resources…sometimes (EdutopiaT.H.E Journal,eSchool NewsTeacher Tube, etc.)
  • Only used Facebook for socializing
  • Had a Twitter account because I heard about it, but I never really used it
  • Wasted a lot of time looking for that “awesome website I saw a couple months ago, but I don’t remember what it was titled”
  • Shared “stuff”…but only in my school

Now I:

  • Still Google Lesson Plans, but I know how to use quotes and + and – now AND have you seen all the cool Google tools on the left?
  • Bookmark the sites I need to access for work
  • Use iGoogle as a reader to bring the information to me
  • Follow my favorites on Facebook (GlogsterEdublogs, etc.)
  • Use twitter to follow Ed. Tech experts (and more…)
  • Use Later This so I don’t loose that awesome website that I don’t have time to read right now but don’t want to loose it…
  • Share globally through my blog, google sites, classroom 2.0, wikis and more
Jeff UTecht’s Stages of Personal Learning Networks Adoption

If you look at Jeff Utecht’s Stages of Personal Learning Network Adoption, I think I go back and forth between Know it All and Balance.  I often find myself wanting to learn more and more and more, and then there are days when I’m all good and know I can tap in when I’m ready.

I think I manage my PLN pretty well, but I also know I have a lot to learn.  There are tools out there that can help me manage it all better, and the best is probably yet to come, and then something better will come along.

What’s your Personal Learning Network like?