Monthly Archives: November 2008

Using Google Alerts to Monitor Incoming Links

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Image of Incoming linksDo you monitor the incoming links in your dashboard? Have they been confusing you or making you a bit frustrated lately?

How about I tell you what’s happening and provide a few possible solutions.

About Incoming Links

Inside your dashboard you have an Incoming Links Widget that shows all the blogs that are linking to your blog.

Image of incoming widget

Experienced bloggers rely heavily on these incoming links to find people who are citing their blog or name. The idea is you follow the link, see what’s be written and why, and choose if you want to engage in a conversation (by leaving a comment or writing a post). This is important for building relationships, conversations and your blog community.

Unfortunately the incoming links widget in our dashboard uses Google Blog Search and at the moment Google Blog Search is broken. Normally Google Blog Search indexes blog posts that link to your post or blog however it is now indexing all blogs that include links to your blog in its sidebar.

This means when ever a person writes a post and your blog is included as a link in their sidebar (e.g. their blog roll, recent comments) you will receive a new link in your incoming links widget. If they write 3 posts that day, without even citing your blog in their post, you will receive a new link. While it might be nice; it’s not helpful.

Hopefully this issue with Google Blog Search will be resolved soon but in the meantime here is one option.

Google Alerts

Google Alerts is an automatic notification system that advise you by email or RSS when it finds new items on web pages that match your search criteria.

Bloggers frequently use it to find people who cite their name or blog. The benefit of Google Alerts is it picks up all those posts where the bloggers have forgotten to include the link and only used your blog/name.

How to set up a Google AlertImage of Even more

  1. Go to Google
  2. Click on More and then select Even More
  3. Click on Alerts
  4. Enter the Search term, choose whether to receive notification by email or RSS and then click Create Alert

Image of creating a google alert

Here is what an email from Google Alerts looks like:

Image of a google alert

FINAL THOUGHTS

As a blogger it’s a good idea to use Google Alerts for picking up those posts where people mention your name or blog but forgot to link.   My next post will provide another option for monitoring incoming links.

Are you currently using Google Alerts?  And what do you use it for?

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Creating Equations Using An Online Graph Creator

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Can you use too many graphs in blog posts?  Like any ideas for using images in blog posts you do need to use a mixture  to keep it interesting for readers.

However I’m sure you would want to know about more online graph creators, especially one that can be used to as an equation editor.  Thanks to Donna B. I’ve now learnt how to use GraphJam.  Like Crappy Graphs, it’s extremely easy to use, but has different features and you can create graphs with white backgrounds.

Here’s a quick Venn diagram to highlight the potential dangers on me multitasking:

Image of Multitasking graph

Best news is GraphJam also provides an option for writing formulas which I’m sure will be useful for all educators and their students.

Here’s my trouble formula for estimating the degree of trouble multitasking could cause.  Would love those who are good at maths to check it and let me know if I’ve missed part(s) of the formula!  And look you can add pictures to your equations!

Image of formula graph

Meanwhile I now have more graph envy after seeing Jessica Hagy use of them in blog posts thanks to Gail Poulin’s recommendation.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Thanks to Steve Dembo and Donna B., I may have a graph addiction but at least I’m in good company (looks like Larry Ferlazzo and Jolene Anzalone have joined me).

Based on my formula, and given the fact Donna B. also told me about the WebTools4U2Use wiki, it looks like the only way to keep me out of trouble is for you to leave comments!  Please HELP me out of this TROUBLE.

All comments welcome but would especially love suggestions for blog posts. E.g. What would you like me to write about?  What would you like to learn more about?  What questions would you like me to ask readers?

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Using Online Tools To Create Simple Graphs for Blog Posts

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Always wanted an online tool that creates cool graphs after seeing how Kathy Sierra used them effectively to enhance her blog posts.

Thanks to Steve Dembo I’ve now found Crappy Graph — excellent for creating quick, easy graphs. Below is the Crappy Graph I created (one handed while drying my hair) titled the Web 2.0 Technology curve.

As Steve Dembo says “Without a doubt, there’s no better way to grab someone’s attention than by incorporating an image that piques one’s curiosity.” Creating your own graphs is a fantastic addition to the options for adding images to post.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you know of any other online graph creators can you please share them — would love to test them out. Would also love to hear your thoughts and ideas on how you might use them with students or in blog posts.

UPDATE: I accidentally used the wrong name for Crappy Graphs when I wrote this post. Changing the p’s to b’s the tool was renamed Crabby Graphs.  Thankfully Christa Allen noticed it so I could make the changes.

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Check Out Our Class Blog List!

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Image of link to class blog pageLooking for ideas for your class blog? Or wanting to connect with classes in other countries?

The good news is we now have a Check Out These Class blogs page on The Edublogger thanks to everyone who shared their class blog URLs. I’ve sort class blogs based on Grade/Year/Age of students and subject areas to make the task of locating ones that interest you easier.

Here’s a few ideas I grabbed from visiting the class blogs:

  1. Over on Mrs Poulin’s blog they’ve been embedding LookyBooks into posts so the students can read picture books on their blog
  2. Mr Lund has used a screenshot of his class blog’s Google Analytics map overlay to show parents and students how it has only taken three months for the blog to have an International audience reaching four continents.
  3. MadWords Now have cleverly embedded a widget from Box.net in their blog sidebar so students can easily download important handouts from one convenient location.
  4. Splash In made a really big splash with their great use of Bubbleshare embedded in posts.
  5. Meanwhile Class 4D did some smart thinking and scanned their written stories to create images which they uploaded to their class blog and embedded into a post using a picture gallery.
  6. Ms. Kreul’s class blog took me for a cool tour of their class by creatively using of FlickRSLiDR widget embedded in their side bar.

I noticed that I wasn’t the only one getting ideas from visiting the class blogs. GWA Grade 5 students blog used it to compiled a short list class blogs that caught their eye to start a discussion on educational blogs.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There’s still time to have your class blog added to our list of class blogs. Just leave your class blog details in the comments of the Calling All CLASS blogs…Please Share Your Blog URL With Us! post.

For those of you who did leave your class blog details — Can you please check out the Check Out These Class blogs page? Please make sure the link to your blog is working properly and I’ve got the details correct. Leave a comment on this post if I need to make any amendments.

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What Would You Say About Blogging?

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Image of WorldJolene Anzalone has been asked to give a 20 minute overview on blogging to 100 Principals and School Technology Strategists. She sent me a tweet to ask if I had any tips or advice.

Since many of us face similar situations I thought it would be better if we all provided our advice. Better still we could use this post to demonstrates how blogs connect us to a global audience where we can engage in conversations that lead to more ideas and greater innovation than each of us working individually.

Can you please help out by telling us:

  1. What are the main aspects of blogging that you would emphasize/highlight in a 20 minute overview of blogging?
  2. What examples of blogging would you show and why?
  3. What other tips or advice would you give?
  4. What country are you from?

Image by anomalous4 licensed under Creative Commons.

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