Blog Safety


Blogging Safety & Etiquette


When you publish what you have written is instantly visible all around the world. Make sure you think carefully about what you write in blogs and in comments and ALWAYS follow these rules.


BE SAFE:

  • Do not use your last name.
  • Don’t be specific when writing about yourself. eg. Say, “I play basketball on a local team” instead of ” I play for the “YY Yaks”.
  • Never give anyone your address, e-mail address, or phone number. 
  • Never give information about your parents, family or friends.
  • Don't identify anyone in a photograph.  Instead you can say, "Student working on the computer," or "Students playing kickball."
BE RESPECTFUL:

  • Be considerate of others.  Don’t say anything that might be offensive to someone else.
  • When communicating, show others that you have read what they have written rather than just saying, “Good Job”.
  • Be open to other people’s opinions, but be prepared to discuss your own position if you don’t agree.
  • Be sure you are proud of everything you write.  Do not say anything that might hurt someone's feelings or embarrass yourself later.   
BE LITERATE:

  • You know good grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Apply it!
  • Save abbreviations and shortcuts for texting. 
  • Show your thinking and encourage others to refine their ideas.  Think about your posts and what you want to say.  Is it clear and interesting?  Instead of writing, "Your post was so cool, dude!" try to express yourself more clearly.  If you think it was cool, try to tell what was so amazing about it.


How to leave a comment…
I’m hoping these posts generate lots of comments. My students know not to leave their last names so if you are a class parent, please leave your name as “Sally’s Mom/Dad” so we can keep with our No Last Names policy.
Here’s some good practices for being a good commenter:
  1. Click on the heading of the post on which you wish to leave a comment
  2. Scroll down until you can see the “Leave a Comment” section
  3. You will be asked for your name (use first name and last initial only)
  4. Next you will be asked for an email address (use firstname@ example.com ===> sally@example.com)
  5. On some blogs, you will also need to write the “spam word.”
  6. Click “submit comment”
  7. On our class blog, with our KidBlogs and many other blogs, your comment WILL NOT appear right away. The blogger-host must moderate (approve) first. If your comment is okay it will soon appear on the site!
How to write a good quality comment…
  • Write your comment like a letter starting off with “Dear Jenna” or “Dear Mrs. Kolbert.”
  • Compliment the writer in a specific way, ask a question, and/or add new information to the post. For example, if the post is about hurricanes, maybe you know something else about hurricanes that you can add. More information is terrific.
  • It’s ok to be critical and say you don’t like something but be nice and constructive about it. That means offer a solution or a better way.
  • Write your comment about the post.
  • Check your comment for correct spelling, grammar and punctuation before you submit it.
  • Don’t reveal any personal information about yourself in your comment.
Be nice! If you wouldn’t say it to the person’s face with a teacher standing next to you, then don’t say it online.
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