Blogs
Blogs are used at S.F.U. for a variety of reasons. Departments can use them as a means to deliver news and information, and Instructors can use them as a learning tool. Very simply, they are one of the quickest and easiest ways to communicate your message online.
See the SFU Blogs blog for updates about the service.
To get your own blog at SFU, read the FAQ for instructions.
Note: at this time blogs are not available for students. 
For detailed instructions on how to use Blogs in education go here (coming soon)
For a list of SFU blogs go here (coming soon)
This page describes some basic about blogging and how to use this tool to complete the assignment.
Logging in
To log in, scroll down the right column to the Blog Admin section.
Click Log in (over on the right hand side) and enter your sfu computing id.
Once you have logged in, the link will change to Site Admin.
Click Site Admin to go to the publishing section of the blog. (You may need to enter your sfu computing id a second time)
By default you will be taken to the Dashboard. The Dashboard gives you an overview of all recent activity on the blog as well as the tools you will need to make your own posts.
Creating new posts
To create a new post, look for the Posts section in the left hand column of the dashboard.
Click on Add New and you’ll be able to create your own new blog post.
Be sure to add a title your post, and select the appropriate group (category) along with the image and description.
Adding and formatting Text
You can add your film blog in the text field using the Visual editor, which is similar to a basic word editor. Some simple formatting options are available and can be extended using the “Kitchen sink” link. Use the text field to write about your movie blog, you may wish to follow one of the questions on the viewing guide. Remember to include all bibliographic information if you are using references to readings etc, APA is required for this course.
Categorizing a post
Important! Next, look to the right under “Categories” and select your group in order to categorize your post appropriately. So, categorize it under the film/documentary title.
Tagging a post
Consider adding tags (keywords that describe your content) to your post. All tags entered will be shared and can be used to find related content. To post tags to you entry,
In the Post Tags area either:
Write all relevant words that best describe the content of your image and post (Note: Each word or phrase must be separated by a comma.)
or
Select from the list of the most popular tags on the blog
Upload/insert images
Within a new post:
1. Click within the post window, so that the flashing cursor is where you would like the image to be placed.
2. Click on the “Add an Image” icon at the top of the post window.
1. The “Add an Image” window will appear
3. Choose image to upload
1. Click the “From Computer” tab at the top of the window
2. Select an uploader option – flash or browser. (Try the browser uploader first)
3. Search your computer for the file and click “upload “
4. The details window will appear
4. Change title to something short & simple. It will appear when you place the cursor over the published image, and in the post URL.
5. Add a caption (optional) This text will appear as part of the pst directly below the image.
6. Add a description (optional)
7. Link the image. The image can link to any webpage.
1. Tip: Click “File URL” and the image will link to the original (usually much larger) image
After uploading, you can add a caption, description, and link url if you wish. To embed an image directly in the text of your blog, select the size you wish to use for your image (we recommend “medium” and then click “insert into post”. You can also choose the image layout. Images are NOT necessary but you might have a relevant one to share.
Publishing
Saving a draft
The blog software automatically saves the post every few minutes, but you can also save your post in draft form in case you want to revise and edit your post before you publish it.
Publishing a post
Publishing your post means that your post is visible and published on the main blog page. When you are ready to post, click on the link to “Publish”. You will still be able to edit your post if you forget something or need to make changes later (click on”Edit” below your post and make your changes, then select “Update Post” to save any changes). You may also save it as a draft prior to publishing, though do make sure it is published before the due date.
To return to the main blog page, click on the link to EXPL 310 Fall 2010 at the top left of the page.
Useful links
Introduction to Blogging – Wordpress
Please feel free to leave comments below
Places to start your own blog outside of SFU
http://wordpress.org/
http://www.blogger.com
http://edublogs.org/
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