Welcome from Mike and instructions for first blog post

Welcome to our class Blog!

Hello students and welcome to our blog.  Today, let's work to get everyone on the blog and learn how to use its features.  Our blog address is delaware1115.blogspot.com, but if you are signed into your Gmail account, all you have to do is go to blogger.com and it will show you a link to the blog.

The first thing you must do is get a Gmail account.  Then, using that Gmail address, please write to me at mikelohre@gmail.com and I will invite you to the blog.   You must accept the invite and follow the steps in order to use the blog.  Let’s do this in class.

Once you are a member, you will see your Gmail address appear in the upper right hand corner, and only then can you post to the blog.

--To do a New Post, you must again find that link in the upper right hand corner.  Click New Post and a window will appear to let you compose.

Please title all your writings, and use a username that is either your name or nickname so we know who is writing.  Only class members will be on this blog.

GOALS:

For your first post, write one paragraph where you introduce yourself and some things about you, including a Fun Fact or something unique.  That way we can always have this on the blog as a way of knowing and remembering each other. 

In your next paragraph, write about something that stuck you as important or interesting one of the essays you read in The Essay Connection today.  Use a direct quote from the essay to start your response, and give us your best ideas about this essay.

Finish your post by including a picture of yourself.  Let's learn how to use images with our posts, and it is both fast and easy to do.  Usually people just grab one from Facebook or his/her phone for this.  You will have to save it to the computer, and then upload it to the blog.  I'll show you how.

 Good luck, have fun, and just let me know when you need help!  This first day is all about getting comfortable with the blog, and for some of you, this will take time.  For others who are more familiar, please be patient and helpful with your classmates.

All best,

Mike Lohre

P.S. If ever you don't finish an assignment on here, or if you just want to revise, sign into the blog and then go back to the pencil icon on your post.  If you click it, it will take you right back into your writing, and you can update, add, subtract, and edit easily. 

 P.S.S. A little about me.  I have been teaching at OSU for almost 20 years, and got my degrees here in poetry in fiction. I love serving others and am active in a couple of churches and non-profits.  I also love animals and growing our own food.  My wife Irene grew up in the Philippines on the mountain before moving here  and I come from the farm in Minnesota so we are both country people.  She's my best friend by far.  I'm happy to be able to teach this class and hope I can be a good influence as I truly believe young people are our future and we have to support your goals and dreams and encourage good citizenry.