How to put a LOGIN window on your blog
Before you get your blog unblocked on the school network ensure that there is a LOGIN section on your blog.
- Click on Appearence on in the admin section of your blog.
- Then click on widgets
- Add the META widget into the side bar.
- Put it in the side tool bar
How to resize photos (make them smaller)
If you take a photo using a digital camera the size of the photo is usually BIG. For example the photo may be 1.2 (MB) or 1,200, 000 bits. If you inserted this photo onto your blog, every time someone went to your blog, the blog would have to load 1,200,000 bits to display the picture. So what we need to do is make it smaller and therefore quicker to laod on your blog.
- I use the FREE software Windows Photo Gallery to upload and Windows (resizer for XP) or (resizer for Vista) for resizing the photos. You can use which ever software you want. My pupils find these easy to use.
- Here is a photo with 1.02MB
- On your MOUSE RIGHT CLICK OVER the photo and choose RESIZE
- Choose RESIZE SMALL
- The photo will be copied and resized and will usually be put at the end of the folder.
- Look at the size of the photo now. It is 182kb. That is 182,000 bits. This means that the photo will load much quicker onto you blog.
How to unblock your blog in school
After you setup your wordpress blog AT HOME you will need to get it unblocked at school.
- Type your new blog address into a web brower in school. It will be blocked by FORTINET.
- Follow the instructions to get it unblocked. In the comments section give a brief description of what the site will be used for. E.g. I am a fifth class teacher and I will be using this website to display pupils’ work.
- Choose EDUCATION for the category of site.
- You will receive a confirmation window. The blog is usually unblocked with 24 hours.
How to check if your sound is working
Before we start recording do a quick sound check.
- Open the Control Panel and then open Sound and Audio Device
| Step 1 | Step 2 |
- Ensure that the right recoding device is chosen for VOICE Recoding and click TEST HARDWARE
- If your hardware audio recoding device is working you will the following window.
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Web Safety – NCTE Webwise
When blogging or doing any activity with pupils on the internet one thinks about web safety. The best place to go for up to date information about this is the National Centre for Technology Education website [NCTE]. Check out the NCTE WEBWISE website for safety tips and loads of valuable information.
- NCTE webwise Acceptable Usage Policy Example: CLICK HERE
- NCTE Primary School lessons on web safety. CLICK HERE
- NCTE Parent Safety tips. It is under publications, just scroll down to 10 tips for parents. CLICK HERE
How to add an audio file
- Start a new post and select add AUDIO clip.
- Choose the audio file you want to upload and UPLOAD file
- Insert audio file into post
- The audio clip is inserted. Publish post.


















