Thing 11 - Blog Widgets

(you might not be able to play the above Voki
if you're using Firefox... try Internet Explorer)

Another way to build community is to provide interactivity to your blog. This can be done by embedding add-on elements into your posts. Called widgets or add-ons, these are little extras, sometimes interactive, that give your blog something special.

For this Thing, explore a variety of widgets listed here (or find some on your own) and embed at least one into your blog.

Take our poll:


(FYI... had a really difficult time getting two widgets -- both the Voki and the Poll -- into this one blog post)

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To complete Thing 11 you must:
A. Explore blog widgets and embed one into your blog
B. Reflect on Thing 11 on your blog

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A. Embed a Widget
Explore this list, select one and add it into your blog post. Look for embed code (review Thing 10 if you need help embedding) and copy it using the "Edit Html" tab when writing your post. You can find more by going to your blog settings and clicking the LAYOUT tab, then click "Add a gadget" to open the list of widgets.

Polldaddy interactive polls - like ours
Miniclock just what it says, a mini clock
ClustrMaps visual map of who visits your blog -- look at our Clustrmap on the front page of this blog, we even have a hit from Africa!
Voki speaking character like ours (didn't work with Firefox)
Google Gadgets collection of Google widgets
Widgetbox huge assortment of widgets
Widgetbox: Education list of education related widgets
PBS Teacher Activity Packs education related widgets

B. Reflect - Blog Prompts for Thing 11
Review the widget you selected. Are you getting comfortable with embedding code? Do you belong to other online communities? Are relationships formed online as meaningful as face-to-face relationships? Why do you think MySpace and other social networking sites are so popular with kids today? Have you formed a professional learning network -- your online contacts that contribute to your professional learning?