Adding Blogger Gadgets & Customizing Headers

I get really excited when, after I give a keynote or do a preso at a conference, people from those events contact me later with questions about new things they are trying that is making them feel that awkward growing feeling! Much like I felt a few weeks ago with creating my first Wikipedia page....

Several of these wonderful educators are trying to create new blogs and Twittering for the first time! A very close friend of mine (we went to grad school together - hey Kathy Glascock!) asked me for design help with her blog header
another friend (not new to blogging) asked for design help with his blog header (Hey Chad Lehman!)
Oh and I gotta say sorry... I'm not avail to make any more custom blog headers unless you throw tons of cash my way because I'm really busy now and I'd REEELY like an iPad! LOL

So a lovely lady I met when I was the keynote at CASL - Robin Stiles emailed me last week and asked the following questions:

"Ok, question for you...or maybe a couple.
How do I put in the widget like you have on "daring" with the "Subscribe to/Posts/All Comments?
How do I plunk in an RSS feed?
Advice on my settings?
When you are a follower shouldn't the blog do directly to a follower's email address/inbox?"

Bingo! So rather than email back a text answer (and I had gotten a few of these same questions lately) I rolled up my sleeves and created the Customizing Blogger Comic Tutorial At-A-Glance you see at the top! Just like I was inspired to do so with the Twitter At-A-Glance Comic Tutorial a few weeks ago!

This comic on Blogger answers a lot of those questions ...Adding Widgets and making a design choice about your header - whether to upload a header pic that has your blog name and subtitle already on it or upload a header pic and type in the blog name and sub head.

I give directions for both and the HTML needed to make it look SWEET!

Just creating that tutorial inspired me to morph and mix up mine! So YAY! I love it when I can create something that answers questions easily and graphically..I'm such a flippin visual learner! And I get inspired to create these when it seems as if it's needed or I get asked more than a couple times questions about the same thing.

Oh and the Width of the header should be no more than 650 X 310 pixels seems to work best!

Take, share, use!

Enjoy!

And I gotta say I'm a MAC grrl so you won't likely see any comics about PC stuffs. But with so many sites being platform agnostic - it really doesn't matter so much anymore!

Also, I keep getting asked so I'll share again...All these comics are made with the program Comic Life that I've blogged about before that is VERY INEXPENSIVE and does come in a MAC and PC WIN version!

Liked all the Comic Life tutorials? Here's a whole gallery of them! Here's more about Comic Life, how to use it, and examples of how I (and my staff!) integrate it into my lessons!

Buy & Download a Single Copy Mac/Win PC Version for only $19.95!

"Use Comic Life to explore storyboarding of students' plays and movies, document school outings, acquire language skills and as an easy-to-use tool for creating worksheets, flash cards, lesson plans and much more. This license is for students and educators."


What inspires you to create stuff?
What comic tutorials would you like to see me make next?

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 24, 2010 at 8:44 PM

    Thanks for these instructions. you inspired me to change my header. It doesn't rival your work but it is an improvement.

    ReplyDelete
  2. @GwynethJones - The Daring LibrarianNovember 25, 2010 at 1:59 PM

    You're very welcome, dear! I like your header and your blog...I follow it now! Cheers!
    ~G

    ReplyDelete
  3. Matthew C. WinnerDecember 1, 2010 at 9:28 AM

    What inspires you to create stuff?

    Ownership. Other people create amazing work and I'm passionate about sharing outstanding resources with others. But taking an idea and making it your own... that's money. Pouring hours, creativity, and consideration into a work so that it reflects you and (hopefully) will be of use to others... it's such an intrinsically fulling task.

    What comic tutorials would you like to see me make next?

    I think we need to have a couple comics on Gearing Up for a Conference (those ways we can have open minds and ready scribes to soak in all the great things... and then reflect and share following). You go to so many conferences, I'd love to see how you get your gameface on and what you never forget to pack to make the most of a conference.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Makerspace for Little or Nothing

Image
Makerspace for Little or Nothing You don't have to spend thousands of dollars to start a Makerspace area. You don't have to have a designated room or rip out bookcases. You can even have a Makerspace on a cart! When we have testing in our Library, I put all our Makerspace stuff on an AV cart and roll it into our server room.  This post evolved from a previous post called Makerspace Starter Kit Updated where I had some of these idea, but I felt that it deserved it's own expanded post. You can take baby steps into the Maker Movement.  I've been saying that for 7 years or so....long before I blogged about it, I tried it out. Yeah, sometimes I try things on the sly to see if they are blogworthy for you! Now....having said that..... WARNING: Controversial Opinion Ahead.  I'm not 100% sold, even after 7 years of talking about the Maker Movement, that it's something that's here to stay and not just a fad. Even though I've (without knowing it!)
Keep reading

Makerspace Starter Kit Updated

Image
Three years ago I shared my Makerspace Starter Kit with you or what I was buying to boost our Makerspace area using four empty Library study carrels that no longer held desktop Macs.  That post has consistently been one of the most viewed posts every week for years and years - with more than 83 THOUSAND views, gee whiz! (Crazy, right?) So, I thought maybe it was time to update it!*  Since then, I've had some major Makerspace successes and a couple dismal (and expensive) Makerspace failures!  So, here's the latest for ya'll with the good, the bad, and the bloody awful! Our MHMS Makerspace How it works: Kids can come in before the 1st period late bell rings, during lunch, or when they've finished their work in class to explore, craft, and create in the Library Media Center. It's not a "class" or an organized offering. It's a free form optional offering of constructivist learning and creativity! It's not as big as some and it hasn't tak
Keep reading

Curating the Happy for Your Future Self

Image
Teacher Tip #112 Teacher Self-Care:  Create a Happy Folder In my School Library Media office desk I had a manilla folder where I carefully tucked all the hand written notes from kiddos & parents to read on a rainy day. I also SHAMELESSLY would first tape them to my office door (let the other teachers internally writhe with envy!)  Nah, really just to keep me motivated and also show the kiddos I appreciated their heartfelt little notes!  But.....before I tucked it away tenderly or taped it to my door, I took a picture of it and uploaded it to Flickr. A digital Happy Folder that pays back dividends of warm fuzzies and motivations for your future self.  Because, let's not kid ourselves, being an educator right now is HARD.  Start this habit NOW.  Don't be like me and wait 10 or 15 years. OK, some of that was because cell phones and digital cameras weren't as handy and as ubiquitous back then. But do your future self a favor, there will be days when you will need it.  Make
Keep reading