Week 1 - Setting Up Your Blogs

Because much of your work for me this year is written, I would like you to get used to blogging as a form of work.

Blogs are replacing portfolios in terms of getting yourself read and heard - simply an online space in which you can write articles or 'posts'. These posts can contain imagery and enable the embedding of video and audio links as well. You'll be able, via blogs, to not just complete some of the work I need to assess for you to gain your qualification but also add any of your own posts about things you've seen or are into. Over the course of the year I'd like you to also spend time making them look good and suitable for what it is you have to say.

Crucially blogging means you won't end up with a big messy harddrive full of indeterminate files with indecipherable names. For you and me it'll be easier to know that all your work is gettable and editable online. Google-docs is also going to be useful this year. A google account is essential so get one if you haven't got one.

Today I want you to set up three blogs. Two will contain all your work for the two units you'll be working on from now until the end of the year.  It's where I'll see your work, where you'll spend time finessing/perfecting it, and perhaps also where I'll be giving you feedback and guidance.

The other blog will be for your own creative work and more personal to you - so a place for hosting things you've written or made that aren't for assessment - it's your own space so what you fill it with over the year is down to you. It's vital you have this so that you can show prospective mags/sites what standard of writing you're creating.

So let's set them up for you. Simple -stage process. Firstly we'll set up your personal blog. This will give you a feel for how to set a blog up, and also give you a crack at designing/laying out your blog. You can then do the same process for your 2 work-blogs that will be used for assignments and assessment.

If you have a blog you're happy with already, simply set up the two work-blogs (titles in step 6 below).



1. If you have a google account go straight to stage 2. If you don't have a google account get one by clicking HERE and going through the process. If you have problems setting this up, give us a shout and I'll give you a hand.

2. Once you've got a google account make sure you're logged into it and then go to blogger.com
    This kind of screen should come up. Click on 'Create Your Blog'

3. Once you've clicked on 'Create Your Blog' you'll get a screen that looks like this 

4. Give your blog a name. And make it interesting or at least unique to you. Personalise the name so that it gives a flavour of what your interests/passions are. All your posts on your blog will have different titles but your blog has one name that you should stick with so take some time giving it a name that you're happy with. Simply calling it 'My Blog' won't do. Think of favourite lines from movies, favourite lyrics, just anything that will be unique to you and you feel happy with. 

5. Your blog will also need a web-address, the address people will type in when they want to read your blog. Think carefully about this as well, perhaps using the name of your blog. A strong name and address will get your blog more visitors and more people also staying and reading. 

6. Now go to your blogger dasboard and click on the arrow next to the name of your blog. Create a 'new blog' from the drop-down menu. Call the blog 'Journalism In Context'. Then repeat the process calling your third blog 'Music Journalism Techniques'. 

You are now ready to start posting.