Monthly Archives: February 2009

Adding ClustrMaps to Your Blog Sidebar Using A Text Widget

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Image of a ClustrmapsClustrMaps is a popular widget for class and student blogs because it reminds students that they are part of a global audience and demonstrates how connected we all are.

Students love seeing the red dots grow as their readers, from around the World, visit their blog.

Please Note:

On free Edublogs blogs you need to follow the instructions below for adding ClustrMaps to your sidebar using a text widget!

Creating Your ClustrMaps

  1. Go to ClustrMaps.
  2. Enter your blog URL (e.g. your blog URL should look similar like this http://theedublogger.com/) and email address then click on Make My Map.Image of signing up for ClustrMaps
  3. Copy the HTML code for Option A. Image of the embed code

Adding The ClustrMap To Your Blog Sidebar

  1. Go to Appearance > Widgets in your Dashboard Image of widgets menu
  2. 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 Image of widget sidebars
  3. To add a text widget, drag it from the Available Widgets areas on the left into the Sidebar area on the right Image of adding a text widget
  4. Drop the widget when you see a dashed line appear – this indicates the widget is in place Image of adding text widget to sidebar
  5. The widget will automatically open — just add the HTML code from Clustrmaps, click 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 it.Image of adding clustrmaps code to text widget
  6. You should now see your ClustrMaps in your blog sidebar and the dots will start appearing after 24 hours.

Image of clustrmaps in sidebar

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you need to grab new HTML embed code for your ClustrMaps just log into your ClustrMaps Admin area using your blog URL and password (sent in the original signup email from ClustrMaps).

Remember if you are an Edublogs supporters or Edublogs campus users you use the ClustrMaps Widget to add it your blog sidebar.

If you are enjoying reading this blog, please consider Subscribing For Free!

The Edublogger’s First Birthday Celebration!

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The Edublogger just had its first birthday which makes:

PS Sorry but celebrations ran a bit due to waiting new birthday clothes — come and check them out! What do you think of The Edublogger’s new blog theme?

Story Behind The Blog

Was The Edublogger my idea?  Nope! It was all James Farmer originating from this email on January 4, 2008:

I’d like to float something with you, and see what you think of it.

As you know I’m a big fan of your work… I love the way you illustrate ideas, communicate with your readers, pick topics and… well, just about everything really.

What I’d like to float with you is the possibility of you doing the kind of stuff you already do so well, but doing it at a central place within Edublogs, and having it promoted throughout the site.  It would entirely focused around you… you’d be entirely independent to criticize, rave or write about whatever at will…

From this The Edublogger was set up, by Edublogs, to share tips, tricks, ideas that help the educational blogging community.  With it my role working for Edublogs increased; from writing posts on The Edublogger to being employed 3 days a week in 2009.

Lets Celebrate!

To celebrate The Edublogger’s first birthday we’re giving away twelve Edublogs supporter 12 month subscriptions which you can use on your own blog or give away to a reader.  Just write a post based on any of the topics themes listed below:

  1. Advice for doing blog makeovers i.e. improving your blog
  2. Tips for using blogs with students
  3. Using tools like VoiceThread, Voki, mystudiyo, Animoto, SlideShows, Google Documents with students and embedding in blogs posts
  4. Advice for writing better blog posts
  5. What makes good comments or commenting tips
  6. Images in blog posts
  7. Tips for building blog audience
  8. Ideas for getting educators involved with using web technology
  9. Favorite blog widgets
  10. Images generators (e.g. sign generators, newspaper generators), avatars, online graph tools etc that you can use with students
  11. Advice on setting up or using class blogs
  12. Tips for connecting with other classrooms

Anyone can enter, including students, but you must include in your post which topic you are writing about and link back to this post so that we receive a pingback advising us that you have written the post (read this to understand What’s A Pingback? And How To Write Links). For example you might copy the following into the bottom of your post and just change the topic enclosed in the qutoation marks:

This post has been written on “tips for using blogs with students” as part of The Edublogger’s Birthday Celebration Competition!

The best post for each topic wins and you can submit posts for as many topics you like.  You have until March 5 to enter.

If you are enjoying reading this blog, please consider Subscribing For Free!