p.s. If you are just joining us for the first time and have missed our other posts in our Setting Up Your Classroom Blog Series, view all of the other posts HERE.
About Pages
If you go to your Dashboard, you will see the word Pages under the word Posts on the left-hand side of your screen. Pages are similar to posts, in the way that you can type on them, post links and images on them, etc. But the cool thing about Pages is that they are like a single Page that is hidden until you reveal it wherever you want it. It is very similar to a traditional website's pages that you can click on. I don't know if I'm even making sense right now...but just go with it for a minute :) ...I think it would be easier if I showed you what I meant.
After reading this paragraph, hop on over to my future classroom's blog. I'll put the link at the end of this paragraph. When you get to the blog, I want you to look at the right-hand side of the screen. You will see all of my buttons there: Reading, Writing, Math, Social Studies, etc. When you click on one of those buttons, you are visiting a Page. You can get back to the main blog from here, but you don't see the posts, just what's on that particular page. Go and check it out now! :) Mrs. Stout's Class Page
Kind of make sense now? Hopefully so :)
How I Use Pages
You can use Pages for a number of different things. I use one Page for each of my main subjects. On each main subject's page, I will put all kinds of links for that subject. For example, on my Math Page, I have links for math facts timed tests, and other games pertaining to Math. If there was a Math website that my students visited often, I would also put that on my Math Page. I create pages for each subject.
I also use one page for my research sites. I don't allow my students to use Google- personal reasons...I just don't feel it's safe enough...even with safe search for little eyes. I've found a ton of good kid-friendly search engines which I've linked to my For Research Page.
Another Page I use is called For Parents. Here I put any links that my parents would need all in one place to make it convenient for them! :) I put a link to the school's main website, the lunch menu, the online grade system, some homework tips links, and finally I will be uploading my classroom rules and procedures welcome brochures at the beginning of the year so that they can refer back to them at any time.
The last page that I will be using when the school year starts is the Newsletters Page. Here I will post a link to a PDF version of our newsletter that I send home with kids each month.
How to Create Pages
Click on the Pages link on your Dashboard.
Click on New Page, then when the drop-down menu comes up, choose Blank Page.
This screen will appear. This is your page! :)
The Red area is where you type your page title (ie: Math, For Parents, etc). The Yellow area is where your tools are for changing colors, fonts, sizes, etc. And the Green area is where you will type the content of your page.
Tip:
-To link something, what I do is to type the word I want liked.
For example:
Mrs. Stout's Class Website
-Then, I copy the web address: mrsstoutsclass.blogspot.com
-Then I highlight the words: Mrs. Stout's Class Website
and click the LINK button in the yellow tool bar above. A screen will pop up like this:
-Paste the web address in the box that says "Web Address" highlighted in red above.
*If you do your links like this, then you don't have the ugly, long web address on your page--only the words with the link and it should end up looking like this: Mrs. Stout's Class Website. Yea!! :)
Create as many pages as you want! :) It's kinda fun! :) and visit the website above and feel free to snag any of the links on any of my pages to help you get started! :)
To get the pages to show up on your blog like mine, you will first need to create some buttons... but that is a topic for another day! Monday's post will be on creating a cool title for your blog and some buttons for your pages.
I hope you have a WONDERFUL and restful weekend! :)
May the force be with you,
