Using blogging tools to create a blog | TOPICS CALL Pages | ESL/EFL

About blogs

Starting a blog

Using blogging tools to create your own blog

Slideshow with ideas on using Weblogs in the EFL Classroom

Using Weblogs in the EFL Class
Christina Markoulaki

Links to articles on using blogs in ESL/EFL

Weblogs for Use with ESL Classes
Aaron Campbell

Blogging for ELT
Graham Stanley

Creating a Writing Course Using Class and Student Blogs
Andrew Johnson

Create Your Own ESL/EFL Blog

Sandy Peters

Using blogging tools to create a blog

Now that you have considered ways to use blogs and determined the purpose of your blog, it is time to look at some weblog hosting tools you can use to create your blog.

There are many free blogging tools available online that will host a blog for you free-of-charge. Blogger and WordPress are two of the most popular ones. and both are free.

Using the following links, you can explore features of each one and decide if you would like to try either of these.

Take a quick tour of Blogger.

Discover features of WordPress.

How to get started: It's easy to start a weblog. Basically, all you need to do is decide on a user name, a password, and the name of your blog. In only a few minutes, you can start posting on your blog. Here are some basic instructions for opening a blog on each of these hosting tools.

How to Create a Blogger Blog
(adapted: Blogger sign up pages)

How to Create a WordPress Blog
(adapted: WordPress sign up pages)

1. At Blogger Start Up, click on the orange arrow: CREATE YOUR BLOG NOW.

1. At WordPress.com, click on the green bar: Sign Up Now!

2. Enter your email address, password, and display name. Click on the orange arrow: CONTINUE.

2. On the sign up page, choose a user name and a password. Enter your email address. Check the terms of service box. Click on "Gimme a Blog!" Click on "Next."

3. Name your blog and complete the url. Make sure the name reflects the purpose of the blog. Click on the orange arrow: CONTINUE.

3. Name your blog. The name should reflect the purpose of the blog. Select a language. Check the privacy box. Check "Signup."

4. Choose a template. Click on the orange arrow: CONTINUE.

4. You will receive an email. Login in to your blog with the password sent to you.

5. Click on the orange arrow: START POSTING. Make a posting and give it a title. Click on the orange button: PUBLISH POST.

5. Click on the "write a post" link. Make a posting and give it a title. Click "publish" to send it to your blog.

More help with Blogger: Read more about Blogger at Google for Educators. You might want to have a look at the visual tutorials at Vance Steven's Blogger Tutorial or Andy Johnson's How to Use Blogger.

These are barebones instructions to get you started. Once you are comfortable using your blog, you can delve into more advanced features to enhance its look and functionality. You can view video tutorials to learn how to add an image, a video, or a podcast to a blogger post, and much more! You can also use the Blogger Help Section.

Return to: What is a Blog?