Publishing files

Another nice way to publish files is using ISSUU. This service allows you to publish documents with text, pictures and you can even insert a link to an audio file.
You can first create a word file, insert some pictures or some scanned drawings, and finally convert it into a pdf file.
You can convert a word file into a pdf by clicking on the pdf link in your word programme (on the right hand-side corner) or by clicking on print, select printer and click on pdf printer, in this way a pdf file will be created from your word file.
Once you have your pdf file, you can uploaded to http://www.issuu.com.
First, as usual, you'll have to sign up and confirm your registration by email. Next time you access the site you'll need to remember the details to log in, so please write them down.
So, log in and click on upload document. Then, click on browse to select the file. Fill in the general information you are required about the text . In the media section, if you click on choose options, you can insert a link to an audio file, which you may have previously uploaded to an audio hosting place, such as Snips.
When all the info has been filled in, click on upload and after listening to a quick introduction video to Issu, select the uploaded document and click on embed.
Click on customize and embed, to change colour and other things, and when you are ready, copy the embed code, open a new window in your navigator, go to your blog and copy the embed code on a new post.

Publishing a word file on your blog

In order to publish a word file on your blog, you need to upload the file to a hosting page called Scribd: http://www.scribd.com, where you will first need to sign up. Remember to write down the details as you will need it next time you want to log in.
Once you have become a registered user, choose upload file (I recommend you the single file uploader), click on examine to select the file from your computer and then click on upload. Then, you will be required to fill in some information about the file, once you have done so, you can go to share this document and copy the embed code.
Now open a new window on your navigator (you'd better not close the other one, just in case), go to the blog, create a new post, write whatever you need to and then paste the code on the post.
Finally, click on publish and go to view blog to see the result

Giving it a try!

We will start with quite an easy activity. We are going to upload an audiofile to a hosting page and then we will copy the code onto a post.

Download thehareandthetortoise.mp3 from FileFactory.com

Publishing things on the blog: Hosting files and embeding the code

As I said, there are many kind of files that you can publish on your blog and it is often the same technique: finding a hosting page, logging in, uploading the file, copying the embed code and pasting it on a new post.
But, let's see in more detail what kind of files you can publish and where they can be hosted. These are the best hosting pages I have found:
Word files: Scribd.com (Box.net, eSnips.com, ...)
Pdf files with pictures (Beautiful books and magazines): Issuu
Powerpoint: Slideshare.net
Audio and player to embed on your blog: Esnips (GoEar, BooMp3)
Audio and link to your blog: Filefactory
Podcasts (Audio files you and other people can subscribe to): Podomatic
Video: YouTube
Picture albums: Picasa, Flickr
Video with questionnaire or subtitles: ESL Video, Yappr
Photo Slideshows: Slide.com
Animated avatars: Voki, Lively
Mind maps: Bubble.us
Games and nice graphics: Classtools.net
Forms and Spreadsheets for your surveys (and place for many other kind of files,such as documents, presentations, spreadsheets or html files, Hot Potatoes' exercises): google.com
Questionnaires: mystudiyo.com
Cartoons: Kandoo
Animated books: mape.org.uk (very similar to Powerpoint, but with nice ideas to use)
More for surveys and graphics: surveymonkey.com and graphic.org
Interactive presentations with pictures, images and audio: Voicethread


There are some things which are more difficult to embed and you may prefer to simply create a link to the hosting page. For example, hot potatoes games (without picures) can be uploaded to Scribd or Box.net and accessed by means of a link on the blog.

Publishing things on your blog: The technique

There are plenty of things you can publish on your blog, most kind of files are allowed and if you are a bit creative you can end up with a nice piece of work.
The technique to upload files and publish them on your blog is nearly always the same one. First you find a place where to host your file and you register or sign up. Once you are a registered user, you have to log in or sign in with your email and password every time you access the hosting page (so, please, don't forget to write down every detail!)
Once you have logged in, you can upload the file. The hosting page will ask you to examine your folders in your computer and select the file to upload. Then, you will have to fill in some details -such as kind of text, content, file type, ...- and tags for the file, so it can be found by other people. And finally you'll upload the file.
Once the file is uploaded, there are different ways you can share it with your friends and other people on the Internet. Very often the hosting page offers you an easy way to send it by email or publish it on places such as Facebook, Myspace, ..., but to make it simple, I would say that there are two things you can do: copy the link or embed the code. If you copy the link on your blog or website, people on clicking on the link will access your hosting page. If you copy the embed code, the file will be published on your blog, and that's what I recommend.
So, once you have uploaded the file, fill in the details and look for the embed code. Copy the embed code and go to your blog. Create a new post, write something if you want to, leave some space and paste the embed code. Put some labels to your post, publish it and go to view blog to see if the file has been correctly published.

Links in your post

Well. I'm getting tired today, so, to finish I will explain to you how to insert a link in a post.
Write a website address or a word which may serve as a click button. Select the word or address with your mouse and click on the third icon on the list of tools above. A little window will open (please check pop-ups are allowed), write down the address and save.
Here you have an example: http:://www.anuskis-cyberenglish.blogspot.com

Save and view blog to see if it works!

Soon, I'll come back with more. Keep practising!

More gadgets

There are more gadgets you can include in your blog, they will all appear on the sidebar. Go to the layout, add gadget and try different ones. Try adding a few ones and rearranging them. If you don't like them, you can always delete them.
I recommend you the lists, the lists of links, a picture, the calendar, the quote of the day, ... Well, have a look yourself!

Time to add a label

If you go to the layout, you will be able to add and arrange elements in your blog. In order to arrange the different elements, you just have to drag them with your mouse. To add new ones, click on add a new gadget and a window will open with a display of elements to choose from.
As you'll there's a good variety of things you can include in your blog, but today we will start with the labels. So, please click on add a new gadget, select labels among the basic one and click on the + button.
You may change the title to folders or whatever you prefer, and there they will appear all the labels you've been giving your post so far.
Just click save and a new section called labels or folders will be created on your blog sidebar, which people will use to acces your different posts.

Images in your posts

Today, we'll just see how to insert a picture from your computer in a post, and as you'll see it is very easy.
Write your post and then click on the image icon on the set of tools above and a new window will open, called add an image. Click on examine and look for a picture in your computer. Choose layout and size and click on upload image. Finally click on done and the window will close and the image html code will have been added to your post.
Add some labels for you post and click on publish post to see the result.

Posting

Whenever you feel ready to write something down and publish it to the world, go to http://www.blogger.com, log in with the email address and password you used to register and you will be taken to the dashboard. From there you can simply view your blog or go to new post and write your first words.
A window will open where it says Posting, Settings and Layout. Go to posting, create. Write a title and your post (you may use the tools at the top to change colour or write in bold or italics.
Once your post is ready, write down some labels for it (I will later explain to you what labels are) and then click on publish post. If you are not sure it is ready for publishing, you may just save it and re-open it again. Anyhow, if you are not satisfied with a post, you can always go to posting, editing, select the post, change it or delete it.

A new blog for you

I've created a blog for you to publish your most creative pieces of work. I have designed a chart with different activities for you to choose from, classified in topics and activity types.
Choose two activities and find a partner who would like to do the same as you. You may choose something which involves an skill you are a bit weak at and that will help you with your marks.
Discuss some ideas with your partner/s (you may cooperate with two different people for the two tasks), plan your work and set appointments for your meetings.
Once you set to work, write down some notes, see what you need to know and if you need any help. Make a draft, edit your work before publishing - you may check with your teacher for correction.
And when you are ready, remember the steps!

Setting up your blog

Firs thing you have to do to have your own blog is go to: http://www.blogger.com and register as a Blogger user. In order to do so, you'll need an email address and a password. Please, write them down carefully on your notebook, so that you can always remember them.
Once you register as a Blogger user, you just have to follow their instructions and you'll easily and soon have your own blog.
Don't forget to write down too the name and address of your new blog, so that people can visit you, and please do remember that there are two different addresses, the one you use to access your dashboard and where you write from and the one you give people to visit you.

This is a video which will help you with the first steps:

Welcome to Anuskis' How to blog

First step before you set to creating your own blog is to have a look at other people's blogs, this way you'll get an idea what they can be used for and what kind of things you can put in them.