Thing #2

It is time to dive into the world of Web 2.0.  In order to keep track of your thoughts, impressions, and learnings as we go along, you will create a blog (online log).  To do that, you may use one of several free blog hosting sites.  I use Blogger for both the 13 things blog as well as the blog I have for the libraries.  You may also choose to use WordPress or Edublog (although I believe that unless you choose to pay for a subscription, Edublog includes ads on your blog).  Although I haven't used either of the other two programs, I believe they work in much the same format.

Thing #2
To create a blog for yourself, follow these steps.  (And then feel free to customize as much as you're comfortable!)
1. Create an account.  If you choose to use Blogger, you should already have an account from when you became a follower of the 13 things blog.  In that case, your email address is your user name and your password is the one you already created.  If you choose WordPress or Edublog, you will probably have to create a new account. 
2. Name your blog.  Since your blog name will be out there for all to see (although you will be able to customize some privacy settings), you may want to make the name of your blog something that doesn't completely give away your identity.  Your address (and blog name) will look like the following examples depending on which hosting site you use:
Blogger: http://(youruniquename).blogspot.com
WordPress: http://(youruniquename).wordpress.com
Edublog: http://(youruniquename).edublog.org
3. Select your template.  Each of the hosting sites have a variety of templates from which you can choose, so have fun and make your blog something you'll enjoy looking at!
4 (optional!). Customize your settings. Once you have your blog set up, you might want to go in and change some of the settings.  For example, you can prevent Blogger from listing your blog on a blog list or allowing search engines to find your blog.

To complete Thing #2, create your blog and add your first post.  Your first post can be as simple as a hello or a paragraph about what you hope to gain from this Web 2.0 experience.  Once you've done that, email me the address to your blog.  I will add your blog to the list on the 13 things blog.  In addition, IF you tell me you'd like me to do this, I will ask Kevin to unblock your blog address so you can edit your blog at school.