A guide to making a class/dpartmental blog with posterous.com. It's v easy, v quick and blogging can be used to help students collaborate on work, create lots of AfL and creative opportunities and provide a helpful one-stop shop for departmental info, resources etc.

1. Class blogging with .com
• make a dead simple public departmental blog
• make private class blogs and manage from one place
• easy classroom blogging for staff and students
• easy teacher and peer feedback and AfL
• post by email
• posts almost any kind of file
• safe and secure
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

2. From this....
Attach pictures, videos, word
docs, ppts, pdfs...you name it!
If you can send an email, you can blog.
Address is: post@[name of blog].posterous.com
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

3. This was the file
attached to the email
To this...
Images/attachments are shown in full
Subject line = blog title
Body of email = text of post
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

4. Video file / link to video on Word, ppt, pdf and any other
youtube word processing files Audio files
You can attach to your email pretty much any kind of file type,
and posterous will show it in the blog without you having to do
anything else. Click on the images to take you to the blogs.
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

5. Showcases photo strips
It doesn’t matter how many photo
attachments you have on your
email, posterous will make them
into a neat strip so that they can
all be viewed with maximum
effect.
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

6. Secure: each year and language group
Managing multiple accounts has its own blog page and access
password.
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

7. Option to password protect
Great to keep class work
secure
You share password with
students
You control access
‘mother blog’ = group blogs =
main departmental blog sub-blogs for classes
http://stowmarketmfl.posterous.com http://stowmarket9german.posterous.com
•no password, front-facing blog for all •keep class work private
to see •will not show up in search engine
•news, events and posts of general •secure, as long as students do not
interest share elsewhere
•will show up in search engine
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

8. So how do I do it?
• www.posterous.com and follow the instructions. Dead easy.
• Choose your username, password and blog title. Option tp purchase/transfer
domain too.
• Will it be public or private? Will you have a password?
• Who will post to it? You? Others in the dept? Students too?
• Add contributors by adding their email addresses
• Choose themes and complete profile
• Save email posting address to contacts
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

9. Use these to control appearance,
pages and posting settings
Adding others to the blog
Posts on your
Blogs you blog
control
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl
Managing your blogs

10. Pages - create separate
pages within a blog
This is the
French page on
the main
stowmarketmfl
blog
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

11. Subscribers
receive updates
Contributors can post
and receive updates
You are in control over who you want to read
and post to your blog.
Subscribers: read only; will get email updates
* You do not need to be a subscriber to just
read the blog, as long as it does not have a
password, as you can direct readers to the
main page, e.g.
stowmarketmfl.posterous.com *
Contributors: read and post ; will get email
updates
People: Subscribers can sign up on
contributors and subscribers non password protected areas
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

12. The student’s school email
address is then linked to the
blog. They can then send an
email from that address to post
to the blog
For class blogs, all pupils
should be contributors
Add several email addresses at once
Can paste email lists Will they receive a daily digest of
updates or an email each time
Use school emails something is posted?
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

13. Currently only the
stowmarketmfl
motherblog is set to
autopost.
Turn autopost off for
private class blogs to
protect privacy.
Autoposting of blog posts Automatically link your blog to
your other online services
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

14. www.youtube.com
/stowmarketmfl
automatically makes the blog post into a tweet
and makes a nice short URL to follow
www.scribd.com/
stowmarketmfl
Examples of no-fuss autoposting
https://picasaweb.googl
e.com/mflstowmarket/
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

15. Name and describe
your site
Password protect
Colours and background -
many themes to choose from
Who can comment, set
time zone.
Brief description of the
site / you / the class
Settings
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

16. Tagging- keeping track of and finding posts
1. Edit>tag Tags appear on
from the post the main page of
the blog: click on
menu
them to get a list of
all posts tagged
2. Add keyword with that
description.
tags
Students could tag
their posts with
their name and the
You can also auto-tag within the subject line date so that you
of the email itself, e.g. Special edition: can find their work
Germany ((tag: german, news)) quickly.
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

17. Using comments for homework feedback and/or
peer assessment
You (and everyone else
registered on that blog)
receives an email notification
whenever someone posts, so
you can keep track of who
completes homework.
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

18. You can also comment on posts by replying
to the notification email which they receive
to their registered account.
Leaving a comment
Click on the heart to
‘like’ the post
Click on the
blue speech
bubble to leave Don’t forget: comments ARE
public to others registered on
a comment the site, even if it is
password-protected.
Students can peer Try sending an email or
assess by leaving using video on a webcam to
each other comments create personalised ‘live’
feedback which you can then
email directly to students
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl instead.

19. Podcasts, audio files and RSS feeds
• General RSS feed example: http://stowmarket9german.posterous.com/rss
• If you have got mp3 files on your blog, then if it not password protected, they
can be loaded as a podcast feed in iTunes, e.g.
• itpc://stowmarketmfl.posterous.com/rss
• mp3 file examples for MFL: speaking homework, MFLAs, pronunciation of
vocabulary, reminders, listening exercises...the list is endless!
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

20. Works nicely with...
• iPadio - make a sound file on your phone and upload it instantly
• Transfer pretty much any blog over to Posterous
• iPhone + Android apps - post from Posterous interface on the go
• Email from any phone/computer - great for blogging about school trips
• ...so many other programmes and applications! Basically, if it’s a file, it can
probably go onto Posterous somehow.
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

21. Possible issues and some solutions
• Filters against ‘like’ buttons: get ICT to unblock it
• Inappropriate use of comments by students: moderate comments
• Students not using their registered email address to post and their post fails (frequent
‘cause’ of homework seemingly not being done)
• Lots of posts and not much organisation: use tags. Pupils could tag with their names
so that all their work is presented when you click on their name.
• Student privacy: how much student info on outward facing blog? Check your school
e-safety policy
• Do you want one for a year group, or a class, or a smaller group?
• Comments are public to users of each blog, even if it is password protected.
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

22. Ideas for using class blogs
• Setting and submitting homework. You can also post a homework reminder email
and all those registered will receive it to their registered email address.
• Collaborative working – also with partner schools abroad – create a common blog
and share the log in/posting details. All students can collaborate on creating the blog
and comment/feedback on posts.
• Get students more familiar with digital ways of working...and it cuts down on printing
and copying costs!
• AfL - students can peer review and make comments on each other’s posts (you can
moderate, of course)
• Stretch and Challenge / G&T / Extra curricular activities
• News and links of interest, background reading, in MFL: cultural awareness, current
affairs, songs, videos…
• Storage and sharing of resources – very helpful for revision time
• Record of messages sent to students – in case student ‘lose’, ‘delete’ or ‘didn’t get’
the original message.
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl

23. More info and ideas:
• www.posterous.com.faq
• Easy Classroom blogging with Posterous
http://joedale.typepad.com/integrating_ict_into_the_/2011/03/easy-classroom-blogging-
with-posterous.html
• Set up a Moderated Class Blog on Posterous:
http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2011/02/13/set-up-a-moderated-class-blog-on-posterous/
• Getting Started with Posterous in your Classroom:
http://www.edgalaxy.com/journal/2009/11/2/getting-started-with-posterous-in-your-
classroom.html
• Getting Started with Posterous: http://www.blackweb20.com/2009/07/08/getting-started-
with-posterous/
• Easy student blogging with posterous.com:
http://markliddell.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/easy-student-blogging-with-posterous-com/
Jen Turner, February 2011, www.germanics.co.uk @msmfl