Admin for week 2:

When visiting many blogs last week, I noticed your pages in Edublogs often didn’t allow for comments to be written. You might need to do the following:

  1. Go to your about me page and open it in your dashboard.
  2. In top right corner, click on screen options and make sure Discussions is ticked. Close screen options.
  3. Now below the writing area for your page you should see a dropdown labelled Discussions.
  4. Make sure you have ticked the boxes about leaving comments.

About week 2: Commenting skills

This is another important week in the challenge. Blogging is all about having your voice heard and connecting with others who might like to read and comment on what you have written. But, as in many things we humans do, there are some protocols bloggers in schools like to follow.

Check out these videos about leaving quality comments. The first video was created for one of the very first blogging challenges back in 2009 by Mrs Yollis’ grade 3 students and it has been seen by thousands of students who have taken part in the blogging challenges since then. This video is suitable for all ages but specifically primary/elementary school or lower. But those in middle/high school or older might like to check out the second video which is more suited to an older age group.

Teachers: You might want to visit the post about teaching quality commenting on the Teacher Challenge blog. It has an excellent video about the possibilities of blogging through commenting. It also includes the videos below and others you might want to share with your class. You also find out about commenting and blogging guidelines, paper blogging and other ways to use your blogs to connect globally.

Using Edublogs? Check out these posts about comments: Comment overview,  managing comments,

Mrs Yollis and her third grade class

Nicolas Weiss – Leaving high quality blog comments

 

Activity 1: Create a ‘How to comment’ page on your blog

Many themes and blogging platforms have different ways to leave a comment. You might need to click on the title of the post, or click on a number in a circle or click on the words ‘Leave a comment’. Write a page for your blog explaining how to leave a comment. You could write it as a set of steps or perhaps create a video showing what to do. Be creative. Here is an example on  my family history blog. Mrs Yollis created a video showing how to comment on her blogspot blog.

Activity 2: Make a set of commenting guidelines

Explain what you expect when someone leaves a comment on your blog.

  • What type of comment is acceptable?
  • Which type of comment will you put in the trash?

Here are some examples:

Huzzah commenting guidelines,  a Glogster poster about commenting, WarriorKat used a variety of tools for her guidelines, notice how Sophie included a link back to Mrs  Yollis’ blog where she got her information from, Emme created a PowToon, Darcey included some interesting points, Kyndal has her guidelines here

Activity 3: Leave a comment on this post – you might be able to combine this with activity 4

Each week the best posts published in the Student Blogging Challenge are featured in our Flipboard magazine.

To check your posts we need you to leave a comment with a link to your post on this blog whenever you finish a weekly activity.

So your activity is to practice leaving a comment below with a link to your post for an activity you’ve completed this week or last week.

But first you need to know the difference between your BLOG link and your POST link

  • Blog link: https://studentchallenge.edublogs.org
  • Post link: https://studentchallenge.edublogs.org/2016/10/02/gday-my-name-is/

If your teacher is moderating and approving your posts, you will need to wait until this has been done before leaving me a link in a comment.

Activity 4: Use some HTML in a comment

Did you check out Mrs Yollis’ blog? She includes a page with some HTML (code) you can use when commenting especially on blogspot blogs. If leaving a comment on an Edublogs blog, here is a post explaining the HTML to use.  If you want to leave a link to your blog that looks neat and tidy, check out this post.

Activity 5: Visit other student or class blogs

Visit 4 other blogs on the lists above the header area. Leave a quality comment on one post on each blog. Might be the About Me page or another post you found interesting.  Write a post on your blog mentioning who you visited, which post you left a comment on and why, then include the comment you left. Hint: make sure you copy the comment before you hit the submit button. Here are some examples from previous students in the challenge: Allegra but try to include a link to the actual post you left a comment on

Will visitors to your blog find it easy to search for a post they might be interested in commenting on? Maybe you need to start using Categories and Tags or Labels (blogspot) or Categories (weebly) or Categories (Kidblog) or make sure you have an archive section.

Great posts to visit

Some student blogs don’t allow posts to be flipped to the magazine, so I will include links to them at the bottom of each post. Here are some introductions and avatar posts.

Catrina (Australia), Jayson (USA), Maddison (Australia), Emily (Australia), Erandi (USA), Angel? (USA), Anthony (USA), Angela (USA), Angela – avatar (USA), Chelsea (Australia),

Also remember to check out the comments left for last week’s post. These will include links to student, class and mentor blogs you could be visiting.

 

182 thoughts on “Week 2: Learning to comment well

  1. Hi Ms.W,

    Come check out my new post here
    about a photo sentence, this really late, but at least i did It. :/

    Thanks, Hunter
    I hope that html link worked

  2. Hello, I’m really enjoying these blogging challenges, they’re really helping me learn how to BLOG

  3. HI Ms. W,
    This was a very interesting activity to do. I also learned the word to click on that would take you to the blog.

  4. Dear Ms. W,

    I really enjoyed your post about comments! I really now understand how to write better! Optimistic comments actually boost self-esteem and confidence! Here’s a link to my most recent post. (By the way, you don’t have to read it because I personally think its a little scary. I’m into writing scary posts.)

    Sincerely,
    Aukai

    I know this is a little late. 🙂

    1. G’day Josh,
      Thanks for leaving a comment with your blog URL. If you want me to visit your blog, you need to leave the URL for an exact post or page rather than just your blog.

    1. G’day Kaleb,
      Thanks for leaving a comment with your blog URL. If you want me to visit your blog, you need to leave the URL for an exact post or page rather than just your blog.

    1. G’day Sam,
      Thanks for leaving the comment, but is it a two point comment as mentioned in the videos for this week? Have you added to the conversation? Have you included some new information? Have you given your opinion?

    1. Hi Zeta,
      Thanks for leaving a link to your blog. But remember, if you want me to visit you need to include the URL to an exact post or page rather than just your blog.

    1. Hi Drew,
      Thanks for leaving a link to your blog. But remember, if you want me to visit you need to include the URL to an exact post or page rather than just your blog. Both the links you left are to your blog.

    1. Hi Victoria,
      Thanks for leaving a comment with your blog URL. But remember, if you want me to visit, you need to leave the URL of a particular post or page rather than just the blog URL.

    1. Josh,
      Sorry I can’t leave any comments as I need a password to login to your blog. You might need to get your teacher to change some settings under the ‘My Class’area of their blog.

    1. G’day Shahreen,
      Loved your post, especially your reasoning about your avatar. If you ever find a great avatar maker that includes muslim attire, leave me a comment and I will add it to the list.

  5. Hey Miss W
    I forgot to add in my comment if you could comment on my blog with your advice on my page.
    Thanks Miss W
    From Sophie (again)

  6. Hi Miss. W,

    Sorry for the late reply, but I finished all the interesting activities for Week two. Sorry I cannot give you the links to my posts, but here is a my About Me for week 1.

    Thanks,
    Hmschad

  7. Dear Miss W,

    I like week 1 I think the challenges are a good thing to do please keep putting more because I enjoy doing this.

    From. hmscaden

  8. Hi Mrs. W,

    I’m not that great at posting comments, so I’ll try my best. Thank you for running this blogging challenge, it really introduces me to blogging and seeing what other people do. Maybe you could give me some tips or advice?

    Here is week one’s post.

    Bye,
    Skylar

  9. Dear Miss W,
    I have created my commenting guidelines which are still being checked. (I have to turn this in tonight…) So I am sorry I can’t send you my link. But, may you please help me. I am writing a story and may you please judge it and give me your opinion of it. If you think that it is decent may you please help me get my story to other people. So far there is only one part (while the other is getting approved, also the other is just another page there is supposed to be an entire book that this is coming out to be) I will add more on it later but until then here is part one.

    Part One: http://hmsriley.edublogs.org/2016/12/03/s-b-c-week-5-kimi-a-story-of-alpacas-and-war/

    From,
    hmsriley

    1. G’day Tyler,
      Thanks for leaving the link to your blog URL. But remember, I only visit when you leave the URL for an actual post or page not the general blog URL.

  10. Dear Mrs.W,

    I really enjoy doing the SBCs and I hope to do more week by week. This post is about a comic character I really enjoy comics so I make posts about comic book characters. Please check out my latest post here here
    -Thank you

    1. Hi Mrs. W,

      When you read my comment I want to apologize for adding an extra “here.” I was trying to put the link in my comment and I accidently put an extra here. I’m sorry and I will make sure not to do it again.

      -hmsbrady

    1. Hi Peyton,
      Thanks for the comment and the attempt at HTML. You forgot the http: and added an extra ” but I have fixed it for you. Well done.

  11. Hey Miss W.

    This Student Blogging Challenge is really interesting. I think its pretty cool how I can comment on someone from a completely different country. Here is my link on my post on “How to Comment.”
    How To Comment

    1. G’day Gerard,
      You did a great job attempting the HTML code for your post. I have made slight adjustments so it now works. You forgot the http: and you used an extra “

  12. Dear Miss W,

    I loved all the activities you made and it was really fun! I hope you can check out my blog! I have been doing weekly posts and I chose a post that you might like, so here is a link on my “bagobag.”

    “bagobag”

    1. G’day Ayane,
      You did such a great job trying out the HTML in your comment. I made the adjustment so it now works. You had forgotten the http: and you had an extra “

    1. G’day Naho,
      You have now taken part in the blogging challenge for 3 years. Would you like to be a mentor for a small group of students aged 9-12? If yes leave me a comment on the post on the sidebar relating to mentors.

  13. Aloha Ms. W,

    Ever since we started the SBC, I didn’t know a lot about commenting. That’s why I didn’t do it. But, now thanks to the knowledge I’ve gained I can do it now. My teacher told me to leave a link back to one of my specific posts, so I’ve decided to link it to my very first post that ever got published, the SBC week 3 activity 3. So, here it is http://hmssydney.edublogs.org/2016/10/28/week-33.

  14. Dear Miss W,
    I’ve really enjoyed this blogging challenge recently. At first I wasn’t sure what our blogs were for but after looking at other students and learning about different lifestyles I’m glad we did it. I look forward to future challenges. http://marinabarcenas.edublogs.org/

    1. G’day Marina,
      Thanks for the link to your blog. Remember for me to actually visit your blog, you need to leave the URL of the actual post or page you want me to visit, not just your general blog URL.

    1. Hi Cooking Panda,
      I would love to visit one of your posts or pages, but you have only left the blog URL – remember for me to visit you need to leave the URL for just the post or page .

  15. Hi Miss W, My name is Chantel and I am from the USA. I really would enjoy it and have the pleasure if you could check out my about me page. It give you insight to my life and the struggles i deal with but how i overcome them and so grateful for the things i have today. If you could thank you so much.http://chantela100701.edublogs.org/

    sincerely Chantel A

    1. Hi Chantel,
      I would love to visit one of your posts or pages, but you have only left the blog URL – remember for me to visit you need to leave the URL for just the post or page .

  16. Dear Mrs W,
    This school year my two Accelerated English classes have been doing the Student Blogging Challenge 2017 they all really love it. We do every single activity you have in each weeks challenge. The idea of talking to and commenting on other students post around the world is so unique and different. There isn’t many other activities you can do in classes that allows you to talk to people from so many different backgrounds. The challenge has taught students many things about how to leave good comments and how you should write post that people will like. Please come to my site and see about the different types work I’ve wrote from poems and stories to all about me. I recently did my about me page for the challenge. http://deondrayd.edublogs.org/2016/09/08/3/

    1. Hi Gavin,
      I would love to visit one of your posts or pages, but you have only left the blog URL – remember for me to visit you need to leave the URL for just the post or page. When I first began with computers back in the 1970’s we learned different coding languages like Basic and Fortran and HTML, but nowadays there are so many apps and programmes to help with coding. Do you do any coding at school or home?

    1. G’day Kyler,
      You need to wait until your teacher has published your post before leaving me a comment. I don’t have permission to view your previews or drafts.

    1. Hi Skye,
      Thanks for leaving a link but it doesn’t open to your blog. You might need to check how you have written the code for the link.

  17. Hey Miss W!

    I’m really excited for this year’s blog challenge and I’m so happy that I am apart of it! It’s my first time! Down below is my website and two blog posts that I have made so far for this challenge.

    Website: https://cultureasite.wordpress.com/

    (My) Commenting Guidelines blog post: https://cultureasite.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/my-commenting-guidelines/

    A through Z of me: https://cultureasite.wordpress.com/2017/03/07/a-through-z-of-me/

    Thanks!

  18. Hello there Miss W

    We did some work on quality comments in our class today. As part of that I came across a great ‘Comments’ post from George online. https://georgeonline.edublogs.org/

    Could be worth a look as it may be a goodie to put on the showcase space.

    All the best, and thanks for your time and input.

    Jane

  19. Dear Miss W.,
    We have left comments on the four class blogs that are listed on our sidebar under Student Blogging Challenge 2017. We are trying to follow these classes and post comments each week. We have not hear back from them yet, but hope that they will leave visit our blog and leave us a comment soon. We have copied and pasted the link to our class blog at the bottom of the comment. Thanks for your challenge this week!
    http://blogs.stafps.wlwv.k12.or.us/staff/amrij/

    From, Mrs. Amri and The Crew

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