I’m frequently asked ‘how to moderate all posts and comments on student blogs so that nothing is published until approved by a teacher’ because there are situations where it’s necessary.

I’ll tell you how to do it below – but first it’s important to mention educators have differing opinions on moderation and use two main approaches:

1. Students are allowed to publish own posts and approve all comments
2. Students posts and comments aren’t published until approved by a teacher

There are pros/cons to each of these approaches which I don’t have time to discuss in this post but would love to follow up in a later post.

So please share your thoughts on moderation by leaving a comment:

1. Which approach do you take and why?
2. Do you moderate all comments and posts?  Or not?

Step 1: Create the student blogs using the gmail+ method

The easiest way to moderate all the comments is for all comments from the student blogs to be sent to one email account.

You do this by creating the blogs using the gmail+ method.

How it works is Gmails ignores anything in the first half of an email address after a plus sign so if you create each email with the format username+studentname@gmail.com all emails will be sent to the inbox of username@gmail.com.

If you don’t want to use your own gmail account then set up a gmail account for your class e.g. room15@gmail.com.

This means every comment that is posted on any of the blog will automatically be sent to the one gmail account making it really easier for you to read, approve or delete.

All you need to do is just click on appropriate link in the email!

Here are instructions for creating student blogs (Remember to add yourself as administrator to the student blogs!)

1. For free Eublogs blog users – read Creating student blogs using the Signup page
2. Edublogs Supporter and Edublogs Campus users – refer to Using Blog & User Creator to create student blogs
   • When creating the blogs using your Edublogs Supporter/Campus blog change Add Admin to Yes.

Step 2: Change The Comment Moderation Settings

The default comment setting for all newly created blogs is ‘Comment author must have a previously approved comment.’ This means once you’ve approved one comment from a commenter all subsequent comments by that person will be automatically published without being moderated.

For all comments to be moderated and approved by a teacher before appearing on the blog you need to change the comment moderation setting for all student blogs to include ‘An administrator must always approve the comment’.

Changing comment settings is as simple as:

1. Go to Settings > Discussion
   
2. Select ‘An administrator must always approve the comment’.
3. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page
   

For more information about managing comments refer to:

1. Engaging with readers through comments
2. Controlling who can comment on posts
3. Managing, editing and approving comments

Step 3: Changing the Student’s role on the blog

In most situations student blogs are created with the students automatically assigned the role of administrator.

To moderate their posts,  so it a post is only published after approval by a teacher, you need to change their role on the blog to Contributor.

Please note you must first add yourself as as administrator on the student blog as follows:

1. Creating blogs for your students using the Signup page – free Edublogs blogs
2. Using the Blog & User creator to create student blogs – Edublogs Supporters & Edublogs Campus only.
   • When creating the blogs using your Edublogs Supporter/Campus blog change Add Admin to Yes.

To change their role:

1. Go to Users > Authors & Users
   
2. Select the user you want to change, click on drop down arrow to select Contributor and then click Change

When a contributor writes a post it is saved as a pending to await approval by an administrator or editor.

To approve a post:

1. Navigate to the dashboard of the student blog
2. Click on Post > Edit
   
3. Those posts submitted for review by your student will have pending next to their title.
4. Hovering your mouse over the title of a post brings up four action links: Edit; Quick Edit; Delete and Preview.  
5. To publish just click on Edit or Quick Edit and then click Update Post.

For more information refer to Editing posts.

Please note:

• Contributors have decreased responsibilities on a blog and can’t upload  media files to posts.  Also contributors can view comments but can’t edit, delete or approve the comments.
• Read Managing Students on Blogs…What Role Do You Assign Students? for more information on user roles

FINAL THOUGHTS

Please share your thoughts on moderation by leaving a comment:

1. Which approach do you take and why?
2. Do you moderate all comments and posts?
3. Or do you allow students to publish own posts and approve all comments?

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