Itz Cool 2 ReadItz Cool 2 Read

A middle years student book A middle years student book review site.review site.

http://cool2read.edublogs.orghttp://cool2read.edublogs.org

A tutorial on A tutorial on using…using…

Objectives of this tutorialObjectives of this tutorial

Learn how to find the weblog (blog)Learn how to find the weblog (blog) Learn how to navigate and find Learn how to navigate and find

books on the blogbooks on the blog Learn how to post new books on the Learn how to post new books on the

blog for students then to reviewblog for students then to review Learn how to moderate your Learn how to moderate your

students’ comments and reviewsstudents’ comments and reviews

Navigate to the siteNavigate to the site

How to navigate to the How to navigate to the sitesite

Type in the address: Type in the address: cool2read.edublogs.orgcool2read.edublogs.org in the address in the address bar of an internet window.bar of an internet window.

Do not put a www. In front of the addressDo not put a www. In front of the address This is a free, public website, so This is a free, public website, so

sometimes it has technical problems, but sometimes it has technical problems, but what doesn’t?what doesn’t?

You can access this from anywhere there You can access this from anywhere there is an internet connection.is an internet connection.

How is the blog How is the blog organizedorganized

Posts, or book Posts, or book reviews are reviews are placed from the placed from the most recent at most recent at the top of the the top of the page.page.

These first 2 These first 2 books were the books were the latest entries.latest entries.

Find books on the blogFind books on the blog

Books are grouped in Books are grouped in CategoriesCategories and and TagsTags..

CategoriesCategories are are genregenre

TagsTags are topics are topics within the bookswithin the books

These will help you These will help you and your students and your students find books that find books that interest theminterest them

Note: the bigger the Note: the bigger the tag word, the more tag word, the more books on that subjectbooks on that subject

Before you post a new book Before you post a new book - Search- Search

Use the Use the SearchSearch box box to find the book you to find the book you want to review.want to review.

If the book is not on If the book is not on the site, then you the site, then you must must Log inLog in to post to post a new book to a new book to review.review.

Only teachers in Only teachers in the Saskatoon the Saskatoon Public School Public School Division will be able Division will be able to post new books.to post new books.

Log inLog in You must have a You must have a

username and username and password to log on.password to log on.

Contact the OLC or Contact the OLC or the site administrator the site administrator to log on. Email to log on. Email elliottjr@spsd.sk.caelliottjr@spsd.sk.ca For more info.For more info.

Click Log in under Click Log in under MetaMeta, down the page , down the page under the under the TagsTags sectionsection

This is the log in pageThis is the log in page

Watch when Watch when you type in you type in the the username username and and password, password, that you that you enter it enter it exactly as exactly as instructed.instructed.

Post New BooksPost New Books You will You will WriteWrite

new posts, which new posts, which will become the will become the books your books your students will students will review.review.

Click on the Click on the WriteWrite tab, then tab, then click click PostPost

Or click Or click Write a Write a New PostNew Post button button here.here.

Note: do not write Note: do not write a new page!!a new page!!

Before you post a new Before you post a new bookbook

Find the book cover picture on Google Find the book cover picture on Google imagesimages

Searching the book title is usually effectiveSearching the book title is usually effective

Save the Save the picturepicture

Publishers want Publishers want us to use the us to use the covers of their covers of their books, so do not books, so do not worry about worry about copyright.copyright.

RightRight clickclick on the on the picture and save picture and save it to your it to your documents.documents.

Write a PostWrite a Post Type the Type the

Title Title herehere

Leave Leave space for space for the the picturepicture

In the In the post box, post box, put the put the author’s author’s namename

Add the cover picture to Add the cover picture to the postthe post

Click Click Add Add an imagean image, , next to the next to the Add mediaAdd media button herebutton here

This is an annoying stepThis is an annoying step

Everything Everything works well works well on this site, on this site, except this!except this!

Choose the Choose the ““Browser Browser uploaderuploader instead”instead”

Browse for the cover Browse for the cover picturepicture

Click the Click the Browse Browse buttonbutton

Find the Find the cover picture cover picture in your in your documents, documents, click that fileclick that file

Click openClick open

Upload the cover pictureUpload the cover picture

Click the Click the UploadUpload button, button, herehere

We are almost there…We are almost there… You are almost You are almost

ready to put ready to put the picture in the picture in the post, but the post, but we don’t want we don’t want huge pictures huge pictures on the site, so on the site, so scroll down in scroll down in this box.this box.

Use the scroll Use the scroll bar on the side.bar on the side.

Insert a thumbnail Insert a thumbnail picturepicture

Click Click Thumbnail Thumbnail next tonext to SizeSize

Then click Then click Insert into Insert into PostPost button button

Wow, we did it, Title, Wow, we did it, Title, Author, and book cover Author, and book cover

picturepicture That almost That almost

seems like too seems like too much work, but much work, but trust me when I trust me when I say, the cover say, the cover picture is worth it.picture is worth it.

If the picture is in If the picture is in the wrong spot, the wrong spot, you can just click you can just click it with the mouse it with the mouse and drag it and drag it around in the around in the post.post.

Now, enter the Category Now, enter the Category & Tags& Tags

Type in the Type in the TagsTags

Try to use Try to use some tags some tags that are that are already in already in useuse

Click the Click the appropriate appropriate CategoryCategory

Last Step, PublishLast Step, Publish This post is not This post is not

published yetpublished yet Publishing it Publishing it

makes it appear makes it appear on the interneton the internet

Saving it, is Saving it, is when you want when you want to make to make changes to posts changes to posts that are already that are already publishedpublished

Students leave comments Students leave comments on a bookon a book

When When students find students find a book they a book they have read, have read, they can put they can put their book their book review in the review in the comment boxcomment box

Click hereClick here

How to How to commentcomment

Students should only put Students should only put in part of their in part of their namename

Tell them to use initials, Tell them to use initials, the school name, and the school name, and grade i.e.: j.e.CRS6-7grade i.e.: j.e.CRS6-7

Ignore Ignore emailemail and and websitewebsite

They They mustmust enter the enter the AntispamAntispam word correctly word correctly

Cut and paste, or type in Cut and paste, or type in their book reviewtheir book review

Then click Then click Submit Submit CommentComment

What to do with student What to do with student commentscomments

Student comments do not show up on the blog Student comments do not show up on the blog without first being approved by an without first being approved by an administratoradministrator

You will moderate all your student commentsYou will moderate all your student comments Tell your students that they need to inform Tell your students that they need to inform

you when they are putting book reviews on you when they are putting book reviews on the sitethe site

You must log in to the site and moderate their You must log in to the site and moderate their commentscomments

This is why it was important what name they This is why it was important what name they put on their post, because you now have to put on their post, because you now have to find your students’ postsfind your students’ posts

How to moderate How to moderate commentscomments

When you When you are logged are logged in, click on in, click on CommentsComments

There are 29 There are 29 comments comments waiting to be waiting to be moderated moderated by someoneby someone

Moderating CommentsModerating Comments

You can view You can view all comments all comments and edit ones and edit ones that are that are already on the already on the blogblog

Or you can Or you can view only view only those Awaiting those Awaiting ModerationModeration

Moderate student Moderate student commentscomments

Now you can Now you can approve, approve, delete, or delete, or mark the mark the comments as comments as SpamSpam

Spam is rude Spam is rude unsolicited unsolicited communicationcommunication

We would We would encourage you encourage you to set high to set high standards for standards for the comments the comments you will accept you will accept from studentsfrom students

This is all you need to know This is all you need to know to get started using to get started using

cool2read.edublogs.orgcool2read.edublogs.org Now you can find Itz Cool 2 Read on the Now you can find Itz Cool 2 Read on the

internetinternet Your students and you can search the blog to Your students and you can search the blog to

find books they have read, either to post find books they have read, either to post reviews or to find good books to read reviews or to find good books to read themselvesthemselves

You can put new books on the site for You can put new books on the site for students to reviewstudents to review

You can moderate, approve or delete, their You can moderate, approve or delete, their comments before they are viewed on the comments before they are viewed on the internetinternet

That is not allThat is not all There are a few other things you can do There are a few other things you can do

on this blogon this blog For example, you can edit the blog or For example, you can edit the blog or

edit old posts on the blog (you don’t have edit old posts on the blog (you don’t have to do that!)to do that!)

We, the middle-years teachers of the We, the middle-years teachers of the Saskatoon Public School Division, have Saskatoon Public School Division, have worked hard to set up this resource. worked hard to set up this resource. Help us build it to become a useful Help us build it to become a useful resource for our students.resource for our students.

Thanks!Thanks!