This week’s challenge is all about family and culture. I couldn’t let the opportunity pass without including a happy snap of my amazing family. The photo was taken on the pier at St Kilda a few years ago when we were visiting Geoff in Melbourne. A beautiful spot for lunch!

Miss W. has come up with lots of great activities this week. I’m sure you’ll find one that grabs you. Follow the link below.

http://studentchallenge.edublogs.org/2017/04/09/week-5-culture-and-family/

Olearys via Compfight

This week it’s all about researching a global issue that you think is important. Follow the link to the SBC blog and read through the activities listed by Miss W.

Student Blogging Challenge

Commenting: This week it’s all about the comments!

(Copied & edited from this weeks Student Edublog Challenge post)

Blogging is all about having your voice heard and connecting with others who might like to read and comment on what you have written. But as in many things we do, there are some protocols bloggers in schools like to follow.

Activity 1: Visit other student or class blogs

Visit 3 other blogs on the lists. Leave a quality comment on one post on each blog. Might be the ‘About Me’ page or another post you found interesting.  Write a post on your blog mentioning who you visited, which post you left a comment on and why, then include the comment you left. Hint: make sure you copy the comment before you hit the submit button.

OR

Activity 2: Make a set of commenting guidelines

Explain what you expect when someone leaves a comment on your blog.

• What type of comment is acceptable?
• Which type of comment will you put in the trash?

Here are some examples:

Huzzah commenting guidelines,  a Glogster poster about commenting, WarriorKat used a variety of tools for her guidelines, notice how Sophie included a link back to Mrs  Yollis’ blog where she got her information from, Emme created a PowToon, Darcey included some interesting points, Kyndal has her guidelines here

Create a page introducing yourself

Although many of my ‘old bloggers’ have already created an ‘about me’ page I’d like you to create an update. You have changed and grown during the past 10 months and your skillls have improved. I want to see that growth in confidence and skills in your update. Why not try something completely different. You could create a telegami, an A-Z post, a short bio, a poem or create a list of things people may not know about you. You could include information about your family, your pets, your passions and interests, favourite books and authors, music and artists, food, movies, subjects at school…

Below are instructions for creating your page.

1. Login to your blog, go to the dashboard>pages>add new
2. Change the title to About Me or something similar.
3. If you only have one row of icons above the box, click on the last icon called the kitchen sink or toggle. This opens a second row which allows you to change font colours.
4. In the box, write a bit about yourself remembering to be internet safe.
5. When you have finished click the big button on the right side of your screen –send for review.
6. Once you have saved your about me page, go back and delete the sample page.
7. If your theme doesn’t show pages in the header area, then you will need to go to dashboard> appearance> widgets and drag across the Pages one to your sidebar.

Create an avatar AND a post about it

Create an avatar to use on our blogs. There are many different avatar creation sites on the web. I have explored many sites on the symbaloo of websites provided by Miss W on the week 1 challenge. Below are some of the avatars I created and links to the sites I used.

 

 

 

 

 

https://pickaface.net/create-avatar.html

http://chibimaker.org/

https://www.cartoonify.de/

 

 

 

 

http://www.faceyourmanga.com/editmangatar.php

http://avachara.com/avatar/

http://www.pocoyo.com/en/pocoyizeyourself

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.reasonablyclever.com/mini/

http://apps.warnerbros.com/greatgatsby/avatarcreator/us/

http://www.dudefactory.com/

All of the sites I have included above did not require any registration. I found the easiest way to save it when complete was to do a screen shot or capture by selecting the Print Screen (PrtSc) button on the keyboard, open Paint, paste, crop and save the image as a JPG. From there it was as easy as going to the dashboard, selecting users, your avatar and following the steps from there.

Once you have created your avatar and uploaded it to your blog I’d like you to write a post about it explaining how it represents you. See mine below for ideas. Don’t forget to include a link to the site you used to create it. Have fun!

My Avatar

I chose this avatar to represent me because of all those I created, this was the one that looked the most mature. (Note I didn’t say the oldest) I gave my avatar reddish brown hair, hazel eyes and a broad nose. I also decided to put glasses on my avatar even though I don’t wear them all the time. I do need them when I am reading and working on the computer which is most of the time when I am in the library. I selected a green dress as it is one of my favourite colours to wear. The background I chose has flowers as apart from reading, gardening is my other passion. What do you think? Did I choose the right one?

I created this avatar using https://pickaface.net/create-avatar.html

 

 

Welcome to another exciting year of blogging at Tenambit Public School. I am looking forward to working with a small band of enthusiastic bloggers who are prepared for a challenge and ready to share the joy and magic of learning. Remember the magic happens when we are prepared to step outside our comfort zone, try new things and be willing to work hard to achieve our best.

Photograph thanks to Anthony Riding Image created by Mrs Riding using Skitch 

I will be inviting interested students in years 4, 5 and 6 to email me in the coming week outlining why they should be included in the blogging group for 2017. Watch this space!

Merry Christmas one and all! I’m not sure if I will have too many take me up on this, but Sarah has requested a challenge so here it is. Happy blogging!

 

Activity 1: Santa Claus

Santa Claus has a long history dating back to the third century. Create a post about Santa’s origin.

or

‘A Santa by any other name.’ We call the jolly old man Santa Claus or Father Christmas but he has many other names too. Find out what Santa is called in other countries and what is special about each one. The links below may help.

http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus

http://www.christmas-day.org/multiculturism-santas.html

Activity 2: Interesting facts about Christmas

Did you know that most of Santa’s reindeer have male-sounding names, such as Blitzen, Comet, and Cupid. However, male reindeers shed their antlers around Christmas, so the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh are likely not male, but female.

Check out the link below and share what you find to be the most interesting, the funniest and the strangest fact about Christmas.

http://www.factretriever.com/christmas-facts

Activity 3: Symbols of Christmas

Santa Claus, Rudolph, Christmas trees, Christmas lights, holly and mistletoe, poinsettias, Christmas crackers and candy canes. These are just a few of the many symbols of Christmas. Find out where these symbols come from. You might like to also create a gallery of these symbols.

Activity 4: The BEST Christmas ever!

Interview a number of family members about the best Christmas they ever had and what it was that made it special.

 

I have read lots of suspenseful sizzling starts and stories in the last couple of weeks and on the whole, I have to say, much of it has been very dark, even a little disturbing. As a result, I’m craving some bright, uplifting, inspirational posts, so this week… no dark gloomy paths or tunnels, no blood splattered walls, and definitely no zombies or evil clowns. I want to know what motivates you, who are the people that inspire you, and what makes you happy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activity 1

Choose a bright, cheerful, uplifting image and write a creative response to that, either a short imaginative story or poem. (Remember to include attribution.)

http://www.photosforclass.com/

Activity 2

Write about a person who inspires you. What are the qualities that you admire?

(I remember blogging about a few women who inspired me after reading a great book called ‘Amazing Babes’ by Eliza Sarlos. You may want to check it out.) http://tenambit14.edublogs.org/2015/11/11/amazing-babes/

Activity 3

Write a post about your hopes and dreams. What are your goals? Include both short term and long term goals. What can you do to help achieve your goals? Be specific.

Activity 4

Create a gallery of images that describe you and the things that make you happy. Be sure to include attribution. You may want to include a paragraph that explains your choices. In what way do the images you chose describe you and what is it that really makes you happy?

Last week students were asked to select an interesting landscape image,  include  attribution, and create a sizzling start to a story based on that image. The challenge this week is to select one of the story starters from a fellow blogger and continue where they left off. Where will their story lead you? Make sure to backfill where needed and build the tension. I am including the sizzling starts of six more of our super star bloggers in Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Issue 4, so along with the three previously featured in Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Issue 3 you have plenty of choice. Which one appeals to you? I can’t wait to read your thoughts!

The very best will feature on the home page in an upcoming Extra!

Using Images and Attribution

(Copied & edited from this weeks Student Edublog Challenge post)

This week’s activities are going to be fun but first there are some things you need to know so please read carefully.

“I have been visiting many blogs over the last few weeks. Some students new to blogging have been writing some great posts while others who have been blogging for a bit longer have started adding videos and images to their posts.

Yes, this week we deal with using images, music and sounds in your posts.

But can’t I use any image, music or sound that is on the internet?

No, you must use creative commons or in some cases the fair use rule.

But where can I find these images, music and sounds? Can’t I use anything when I google an image?

No, your blog is public so you must use creative commons images, sounds, music and videos.

Sue Waters over at the teacher challenge has written a fantastic post about

Step 7: Images, copyright, and Creative Commons

I would suggest you all head over there to read the post. She explains about creative commons and the licences, attribution, how to find images for your blog and how to upload images to your blog. This might be very wordy for some students, but Sue uses lots of images and how to do sections in her posts.”

Great places for images:

http://www.photosforclass.com/

http://www.pics4learning.com/

https://openclipart.org/

Free music and sound effects:

https://www.jamendo.com/search?language=en

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/websites-download-creative-commons-music/

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/55-great-websites-to-download-free-sound-effects/

If you have read the information above you are ready to have some fun.  This week I have included a few activities for you to choose from. Have fun!

Activity 1

Find an interesting landscape image (include attribution).  Write a sizzling start relating to your image. Invite your readers to finish the story. How many different endings can you get? Which ending do you prefer? You might need to visit some other bloggers and invite them to finish your story. Remember to leave the URL of your post for them to click on.

Activity 2

Create a slideshow, photo gallery or poster about your interests. Your final slide should include attribution for each image.

Activity 3

Find an image or piece of music. Add it to your post (with attribution) and write a poem relating to the image or music. Invite your readers to write their own poems.

Activity 4

Go back to previous posts.

If you have used images in any previous posts you have written, then you are ethically obliged to give the correct attribution or take the image out of the post if it does not have the right creative commons license.