Welcome to the Year 6 Blog 2021

Hi Girls,

Welcome to our blog!

The theme for your blog currently is called ‘Edublogs Default’ (if it isn’t, your teacher will help you change to this theme) you are not allowed to change to a theme of your choice at this stage.

Here are some housekeeping instructions which you must go through and complete at your own pace:

Make some changes to the appearance of your blog:

  1. Go to the dashboard
  2. Click on ‘Appearance’
  3. Click on Customise
  4. Click on ‘Site Identity’

You may only change the following:

  • Site Title
  • Tag line – this is where you can write an inspirational quote of your choice.
  • Make sure the box is ticked to display the site title and tag line.

Next, click on the arrow next to ‘customising site identity’ now you may change your header image* and colours.

*your header image must be one from edublogs or a photo or drawing created or taken yourself.

Now it is time to create your first post.

In this post, you can express what you are looking forward to in the year 6 Blog.

Can you work out how to add a photo to this post?

We would like you to get the photo from www.unsplash.com

Extra Challenge:

Can you work out how to reference your image?

 

Once you have finished all the steps above, please reply to this post saying that it is completed. 

Create your own avatar!

You are going to create your own Avatar using suggestions from the blue link below.

Remember this is Reading Comprehension! Take the time to read the instructions step by step

Link- Avatar instructions 

  1. Click on the link and open it in a new tab, next select ‘Creating your avatar’  and follow the instructions to create an avatar using ‘Doppelme’.
  2. Take a screenshot of your avatar.
  3. Follow the instructions to upload your user avatar which will appear every time you leave comments and next to your posts.
  4. You may also like to read the Avatar Tips which may help you to solve any problems you come across.
  5. Extra Challenge- See what happens when you also upload your avatar as a Blog avatar.
  6. Once you have successfully uploaded your avatar create a new post and tell us about your avatar as well as any challenges you may have had when creating it.
  7. Insert the screenshot of your avatar into your post.

Week 5 Blog Challenge – Let’s Look At Earth Day

Earth day is an environmental movement to drive change for the people and the planet.

What sort of things do you and your community do to look after our planet?

  • Recycle?
  • Walk or ride where possible instead of driving?
  • Plant trees?
  • Clean up outdoor areas?
  • Donate goods you don’t need?
  • Use reusable bottles and cups?
  • Minimise printing?
  • Avoid plastic bags and food packaging?
  • Grow your own food?
  • Avoid wasting water?
  • Turn the lights off when you leave a room?

There are so many things you can do to play a part in saving the environment. Even small actions can make a big difference.

Since 1970, Earth Day has been an annual chance to remind people to take action.

Week Five Tasks

This week’s activity is simple. You’re going to choose an environmental issue you’re interested in and write a blog post that educates or informs your readers.

Here is a list of topics or you can choose your own:

Week 5 of the STUBC is about Earth Day and the environment

 

Please make sure you share your blog post URL here once you have completed your post.

SBC Week 2- modified version

You will still need to follow this link to get more details and examples and also to fill out the Google form.  

Have a look at the link to Steph’s blog below.

STUBC Week 2 Quality Comments

Some notable posts 

Trophy image -- great workWith so many amazing posts and pages written during the last two weeks, it was hard to choose just a handful to showcase.

Let’s take a look at just some of the great work we spotted last week:

  • Steph from Australia has used an interesting tool called Tellegami to introduce herself (also check out her fun sidebar widgets!).
  • Aleks from 4th Grade Gifted Wednesday presented his avatar information nicely.
  • Serge Galligani shared an interesting video of their deserted school in France.
  • Mrs Yollis’ class in Los Angeles, is a long time Student Blogging Challenge participant. Check out the excellent work of some of her newest bloggers, Yogi and Banana,  Lucky Ducky, and Chasing Cheetah (all these students use pen names).
  • Nikija is an English language learner from Latvia. She enjoys ice skating.
  • Scotty from Mrs. Caudill’s class in Ohio is a returning Student Blogging Challenge participant and he has made a terrific new avatar.

Remote Learning Blog Challenge Week 10

This week we are going to explore what others are doing on their blogs.

   

  1. Make sure you have completed your Week 1 SBC so others are able to give you their feedback
  2. Make sure you have given the 6 girls from the 2 other classes in Year 6 appropriate and meaningful feedback.
  3. Check your own feedback that you have received from others in Year 6, make sure you have approved all of your comments in your Dashboard.
  4. Go to this list of students competing in the SBC and think about which blogs you would like to visit. Remember you are not allowed to visit blogs made by students who are over 13 years old. 
  5. Choose 3 different blogs to visit and explore in detail. Read all of their posts and look at the different designs of their blog. You might want to make some changes to your blog. It’s important to make sure people are still able to leave comments on your blog when you make changes. How will you check this?
  6. Comment or leave feedback on something on each of their blogs. Make sure you introduce yourself and leave the URL to your blog so they can come and visit you.
  7. Remember you are representing your school. Proof read and edit everything and remember the importance of making useful, relevant, well thought about comments!
  8. Now………Create a post on your blog about your experience visiting other blogs.

    Did it inspire you?

    Did you see any cool designs or posts and what were they?

    Were you surprised by anything and WMYST?

    Include the links to any blogs you think are worthy of others visiting and why you chose them. 

Week One SBC

Task 1: Avatars- Make your own avatar:

If you’re using Edublogs or CampusPresscheck here for instructions.

Now write a post about your avatar

Tell us how your avatar represents you. Include a link to the website where you created the avatar. Remember to include your avatar as an image in your post.

Task 2: About Page

You might want to include:

  • You first name
  • Your approximate location (even just state or country)
  • Your age or grade level
  • Some of your interests
  • What your blog is all about. Tell us what you’ll be writing about

Remember to be safe online: don’t include personal details like your YAPPY (see above).

You can get creative when writing your About page.

💡 Here are some ideas and examples that classes or students could use:

  • Jodie wrote a really engaging About page that included some interesting pictures.
  • Write a poem. It could be a traditional rhyming poem or any other style of poetry. Learn about different styles of poetry here. Here is an example from Daniela.
  • Ms. Mack created a “fun facts” list that links to the students’ blogs.
  • Rina wrote 15 things about me for her About page. Check it out. 
  • Write an A-Z about yourself (e.g. I am an athletic and brave child who decided that saving the environment is one of my future goals). Check out how commenter Dinah created her A-Z About page especially for the Student Blogging Challenge a few years back.
  • Zaprina made a creative About post that’s an acronym of her own name. It includes paragraphs and coloured text.
  • Write a ‘Who am I?’ or list of things people might not know about you like Ms. Herring, Mrs. Keane, and Mrs. Lyttle.
  • Students in Ireland paired up to create a line for their class About page and Ms Seitz’ class did the same.
  • Student Rajyashori wrote a creative interview script.
  • Year 5/6 Class at Westwood with Iford School made a Thinglink.

Task 3: Visit other blogs

For students or classes: Start making connections!

One important aspect of blogging is commenting on other blogs.

Remember: The more you put in to making connections during this challenge, the more you’ll get out!

There are two places you can find other participants’ blogs to visit:

  1. The pages at the top of this blog. There is a page for student bloggers and a page for class bloggers. These are sorted by age. Student bloggers have hobbies listed so you hopefully can find someone who is not only a similar age to you but shares some of your interests.
  2. The green link on the right-hand sidebar of the blog (available from Tuesday/Wednesday). This will show you the spreadsheet of students/classes who have submitted their posts in the weekly Google Form. Note: You won’t need to request access — it’s “view only”.

Don’t forget to fill out the Google Form at the end of this page.

These are the 4 steps we follow each week for the SBC.

Watch the video below……

Four step weekly process

Don’t want to watch the video? Here’s a summary…

1) Read the weekly post

  • This will be published every Sunday (Australian time) on https://studentchallenge.edublogs.org.
  • If you’ve signed up to our mailing list, you’ll get an email telling you about the weekly post.
  • The weekly post includes highlights from the previous week, information about the weekly topic, an explanation of the activity choices, and the Google Form to submit your published work.

2) Tasks and Activities

  • After you’ve read through the post, choose one or more task you’d like to work on.
  • Publish your task response as a post on your blog.

3) Form

  • Once your post is published, head back to the weekly post on the Student Blogging Challenge site.
  • At the bottom of the post, you’ll see a Google Form.
  • Enter your blog post URL and your details into the Form so a commenter and others can visit you.

4) Connect and Comment

  • Making connections is a big part of the challenge and the more you put in, the more you’ll get out!
  • Take the time to visit other participants’ blogs and leave comments.
  • You’ll find the links to everyone’s weekly posts on the sidebar of the Student Blogging Challenge site (https://studentchallenge.edublogs.org).

    The new link will appear a few days after the weekly post is published (so usually around Tuesday). This is so participants have a chance to start completing and submitting their tasks.

  • When someone comments on your own blog, remember to approve the comment and reply in a timely manner.

Adding Tables and Widgets to your blog.

Learn how to add a widget so you can see who is visiting your blog

You may want to add a flag counter

You may also want to know how I have put 2 images next to each-other in my post?

I have added a table with 2 cells and put one photo in each cell. If you cant see the button in the tool bar that allows you to add a table, go to plugins in your dashboard and search for tables and add an easy table.

 

Commenting on other people’s posts

This is an activity to help you think about the quality of your comments as well as what makes a quality comment.

  1. Follow each step below. Remember this is also an activity which requires you to use your reading comprehension skills.
  2. Read the Commenting Guidelines under the red heading below.
  3. Now watch a video by clicking on the green link below the commenting guidelines, made by Year 5 students.
  4. Next, click on the link directly below in blue, to see a range of comments left on an imaginary blog.
    thumbs up or thumbs down sorting activity
  5. Create a new post and rate these comments from the above link in order from the least helpful to most helpful.
    Which is the most helpful and WMYST?
    Which is the least helpful and WMYST?
  6. Next make a comment about what you have learnt in this activity on our class blog, in the post called,
    “We have been learning about making comments on other people’s blogs”.

Commenting Guidelines

Commenting is what brings a blog to life. Comments are also a significant reason why people write blogs – they want to get people thinking and communicating.
Your comments should aim help to keep the learning going, to keep the conversation going.

Here are some important guidelines to follow when you are making comments. Thanks to ‘Guidelines’ written by the 2009-2010 bloggers of Huzzah! 

  • Make your comment worth reading.
  • Start a conversation.
  • Be positive, interested, and encouraging.
  • If you disagree, be polite about it.
  • Connect with the post: be on topic.
  • Re-read your comment before you hit submit–think before you send!
  • Aim for correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
  • Don’t use chat or texting language like lol, i, or u.
  • No “Hi! Visit my blog! Bye!” comments. Be thoughtful.
  • Keep your privacy: no personal or identifying information about you, your family, or your friends. Don’t give out last names, school name, phone numbers, user names, or places and dates you can be found.

Together we will practise commenting and create our own set of guidelines to help us write really appropriate and effective comments.

Watch this excellent Comments video shared by Andrea Hernandez made by a 5th Grade student.