Tech Finds - 10/6

Add intersting widgets to your blog

I have been experimenting with the widget options here at edublogs and wanted to pass on two cool widgets.

The first is clustrmaps. If you notice on the right side of this page, there is a map of the world. Each time someone visits my blog, this map will show their location as a red dot. As of now, it looks like I have had people in California, Wisconsin, and somewhere in the Middle East! Wow!! To add a clustrmap to your blog, get to your dashboard and choose PLUGINS (to the right). The last plugin is the WIDGET PACK; activate it. Now, click on the DESIGN tab, and choose widgets. Add the ClustrMaps widget, move it into the desired position on the sidebar, and save. Now you have clustrmaps!

The second widget I would like to talk about is actually one you get elsewhere online. It will allow you to add music to your blog. This widget can be added into a post (as mine has here) or in the sidebar…but more on that in a minute. You will want to visit playlist.com, create an account, and follow the step by step instructions, and get to the screen where you are given a bunch of code. Highlight and copy the code.

• If you want the playlist in a post (maybe you want the kids to listen to a song and write about it, analyze it, etc) you will create a new post, click on the HTML tab (upper right corner of the post body area; and paste the code. Save and Publish your post.
• If you want the playlist to be a permanenet fixture on your blog, go to DESIGN>WIDGETS on your dashboard. Add a text widget. Save. Move the text widget to the desired position on the sidebar. Save. Edit the Text widget; paste the code into the body area. Save and Publish. Your playlist will now be on the sidebar!
• NOTE: this playlist does not show on school computers because of the district filters…