Monthly Archives: September 2008

Adding A ClustrMaps to Your Blog Sidebar Using The ClustrMaps Widget

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As Britt Watwood said:

ClustrMaps is a “must-have” widget for class and student blogs because it reminds students that they are part of a global voice and demonstrates how interconnected we all are.

So here’s how to set up a ClustrMaps on your blog using the ClustrMaps Widget.

The ClustrMaps widget is available to Edublogs supporters and Edublogs Campus only.  On free Edublogs blogs you need to add ClustrMaps to your sidebar using a text widget!

About ClustrMaps

ClustrMaps is a free thumbnail hit counter map widget that shows the location of all visitors to your blog. Number of visitors from a location is indicated by the relative size of the dot.

Clicking the ClustrMaps thumbnail takes you to a large World map so you can examine your traffic sources more closely. To scrutinize even closer click on each continent on the map.

Image of Clustrmaps

How To Add ClustrMaps To Your Blog Sidebar

The ClustrMaps Widget is contained in Widget Pack which you must first activate in your Plugins area.

  • This widget pack also contains Delicious, Vod Pod, Twitter, Google Search and Flickr widgets.
  • Once activated all these widgets will appear in your available widget area in your Appearance > Widget screen — ready for you to use.
  • If your ClustrMaps disappears from your blog activating your Widget pack immediately returns your ClustrMap to your blog sidebar.

Adding your ClustrMaps is as simple as:

1.  Go to Plugins > Installed in your blog dashboard.
2.  Click on Activate below Widget pack.

Activating your widget pack

3.  Go to Appearance > Widgets in your Dashboard.
4.  Click on the desired Sidebar to expand (so you can add the widgets)

  • NOTE: In new blogs sidebars in your dashboard are empty and adding widgets automatically removes the default Edublogs widgets.

5.  Add your ClustrMaps widget to the desired sidebar by dragging it from the Available Widgets area on the left into the Sidebar area on the right.

Adding your ClustrMaps widget to your sidebar

6.  The widget will automatically open — add your email address, click on Agree to terms and conditions, and then click Save Changes.
7.  Final step is Save and then Close.

  • If you have trouble with the text widget or it doesn’t open — try changing your theme just in case there is an issue with your theme.

Setting up your ClustrMaps

Image of your clustrmaps8.  You will receive an email advising of successful widget registration and your widget will look like this image in your sidebar — dots won’t appear for 24 hours.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Remember on free Edublogs blogs you need to add ClustrMaps to your sidebar using a text widget!

  1. Don’t forget to share your advice on “must-have” widgets for student and class blogs.
  2. Would love to hear your thoughts on Miss Wyatt’s Responsible use of avatars and widgets in terms of age restrictions.

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Share Your Advice on “Must-Have” Widgets for Class and Student Blogs

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Image of Widget signDeciding which widgets to add to your blog sidebar is hard!  There is just TOO much choice…

So when Chrissy asked for advice on any “must-haves” widgets to include on her students new Room202′s class blog I thought this is an excellent opportunity for us to share ideas to help make the task of choosing widgets easier.

So can you please share with us:

  1. What are your “must-haves” widgets for class and/or students blogs? And why?
  2. What other features do you and your students like to have on your class blog  e.g. type of blog theme (2 column, 3 column, custom header, links to pages)
  3. Your Class blog URL so students from other classes can visit your blog for ideas.

Can you please also drop past Room 202′s class blog — leave a comment and your class blog URL so that Chrissy’s students can check out your class blog plus get excited by the dots increasing on their ClustrMap.

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Learning Together and The Interactive Whiteboards Challenge!

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Image of Interactive WhiteboardDo you use an Interactive Whiteboard (IWB)? Are you interested in exploring new ways of getting more out of using your IWB?

Why not join the Interactive Whiteboard Challenge to collaborate with other educators to improve your IWB skills while participating in discussion about how they can best be used. (Photo used with permission from Mrs Smith’s 4th Grade’s Class)

What’s involved

The Interactive Whiteboard Challenge, organised by Jess McCulloch, consists of seven tasks and you have a fortnight to complete each task. Making connections, collaborating and learning together are the essential aspects of these types of challenges — so don’t stress if you get behind you can always catch up later :) .

Here are the tasks:

Each challenge involves firstly you creating something for your students to use and then your students using the tool to create something for themselves.

The Challenge is open to any educator, anywhere — just add your name to The Challenger’s page (or if unsure how to add your name leave a comment on this post and I will pass it onto the organisers).

Documenting Your Learning Journey

Recording your reflections of what you are learning and getting others to share their views is an important aspect of these types of challenge. So you’ll need to write a blog post once you’ve completed each task to discuss:

  1. How you used the tool you’ve learned about
  2. Whether you thought the tool was good or not.
  3. Ideas for improving
  4. How your students with their own creating

If you don’t have a blog – don’t stress! Contact one of the Challenge Task Master’s and they will organise an alternative to writing blog posts for you.

For those new to blogging make sure you:

  1. Visit the Getting Started with Edublogs page – for manuals and videos that will help you
  2. Read Here’s My First Five Tips For Writing Better Blog Posts — What Are Yours?

Remember to include the challenge number in the title of your blog posts and tag the post ‘whiteboardchallenge’. The participants will also be bookmarking their posts in Diigo (but I will explain how to do this in a later post).

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