How To Create A Free Blog On The BlogSpot Blogging Platform

By:Harsh Agrawal In:Blogspot Last Updated:2/01/2017

Having a blog is a great thing because you can share anything you want (…and if you are wise you can also earn a decent income from your blog).

(Read: My AdSense Earnings for Five Years)

Here at ShoutMeLoud, I have written about many blogging platforms that you can use to create a blog for yourself. I usually suggest creating a blog using your own domain and hosting, and creating your blog via WordPress(.org).

We have talked a lot about self-hosted WordPress blogs in previous posts, and there is no doubt that this presents a better blogging platform when compared to free blogging platforms like BlogSpot.com and WordPress.com.

However, many newbies who want to start blogging don’t want to make an initial investment of funds to create a blog. This is completely reasonable.

There are many blogging platforms which offer users the ability to create free blogs. If you are looking for a simple free blog, my suggestion would be to start blogging with WordPress.com or BlogSpot.com.

Once you have some blogging experience, you can advance and become more professional with a self-hosted WordPress blog.

BlogSpot allows you to create a free blog, but it does have limitations.

However, as I mentioned above, for a beginner it is a great way to learn how to create a blog and begin the blogging process.

This post is dedicated to the “beginners” who are new to blogging and would like to get started by learning the basics involved in the process.

Before I begin the complete tutorial, there are a couple of things you should know:

Firstly, BlogSpot is a blogging platform powered by Google. It offers you an opportunity to start a blog, but all your images will be hosted by Picasa (also part of Google). BlogSpot, in this sense, is a Google-centric blogging platform.
Secondly, if the goal of your blog is to make money and to have a blog that is professional in appearance, I would recommend that you create your blog using WordPress. It’s easy, and with the help of our exclusive free WordPress guide, you can create your blog in the next 60 minutes.

Step-by-step Guide to Creating a Free Blog on BlogSpot:

To create your free BlogSpot blog site, head over to BlogSpot.com and login using your Google account. If you don’t have a Google (gmail) account, you can create one for free.

For a first time user, you will see an option to use the identity from your Google Plus profile, or you can use your limited BlogSpot profile. I recommend using your Google Plus profile.

Once you are logged in, click on “new blog” or click on this link to directly go there: Create a free blog

Name your blog:

The first thing you need to do is add a name and select your domain. I suggest you read “H ow To Select a Domain Name” for additional information.

Avoid using your personal name as the domain name, and instead use some generic domain name that you can brand later with a custom domain.

You can then select a blog template (you can change it anytime), and click on “Create Blog”.

Now your blog is created, but you are not done yet!

There are a few settings that you need to set on your newly created BlogSpot blog to make it easy to use.

You are now on the BlogSpot dashboard where you will see your blog’s backend. From here you can go to “Settings” and make changes to improve your blog’s visibility.

Here is a screenshot of what you should be seeing:

From here you can click on “Posts” > “New post” and start writing your very first blog post!

But before you write your first post, I would recommend that you go to “Pages” and create at least one “About” page describing who you are and what your blog is about.

You can read my post on why you need an “About” page for your blog.

Most importantly, you should change your blog’s template as the default one is generic and boring (in my opinion).

Here I have compiled a list of free BlogSpot templates that you can download and install on your blog. Alternatively, you can go to “Settings” > “Template” and change the template from there.

On this page, you can also add a logo to the header of your BlogSpot blog, and add or remove various other features.

Once you have a few blog posts up and running, you can go to “Settings” > “Earnings” and enable AdSense for your blog. This will allow you to earn money from your free BlogSpot blog.

Read my earlier guide on how to sign up for an AdSense account.

So your blog is almost ready and you can start writing posts. There are just a few more things I suggest you do

Document Cameras

(For printable instructions, click here.)

Document cameras can be used to display three-dimensional objects, opaque items, transparencies, and slides. Document cameras have been installed in several classrooms. Click here to locate a classroom with a document camera installed.

In the classroom, document cameras are located on top of the instructor station, inside a drawer on the side of the instructor station, or in the ceiling above the instructor station.

Using a document camera

(Click here to watch an instructional video.)

If the lens and lamps are folded, unfold using the release catch at the base of the arm. While holding the catch open, unfold the camera head and lamps. Be sure the top of the camera head is aimed directly down.
Press the “Document Camera” button on the system controls.
Wait for the button to stop blinking. If the camera does not turn on, you can turn it on using the power button on the unit’s front panel.
Control the camera using the “Document Camera Controls” button on the touch screen or the buttons on the camera unit itself.
Place the object you wish to display directly below the document camera lens.
If using touch screen controls, press “Escape” to return to the main controls.

Tips

There are various models of document cameras in classrooms. Some of these tips may not apply to the device in your room.

Depending on which type of item you plan to display, use the "LAMP" button to adjust the light source accordingly. Each time you press the button, it cycles through these settings: upper lamps on, lightbox on, and all lightings off.
When using transparencies or slides, change the light source to "lightbox on" (this will backlight the object from the white box in the center of the document camera).
When using three-dimensional or opaque objects, change the light source to "upper lamps on." Be sure to adjust the lamps so the light is directed at the object.
If the image color or brightness is imbalanced, automatically adjust the color by placing a white piece of paper under the lens and pressing the Auto White Correction (AWC) or Auto White Balance (AWB) button.
Use the Iris buttons on the document camera to adjust brightness.
Use the Detail button to control image sharpness. Text usually benefits from a detail setting of "High." Images may appear distorted when using the "High" setting.
If the image is blurry:
- Use the "APERTURE" button to control image sharpness. For images with mostly text, turn the aperture ON. For images with many pictures or colors, turn aperture OFF.
- Use the "AF" or "Auto-Focus" button to automatically focus the image.
- Use the Zoom, Wide, or Tele buttons to enlarge or reduce image size
If the image is rotated on the Samsung SDP-860 models, you can correct the rotation by trying the following:
- Rotate or flip the camera arm or head to turn in the opposite direction of the current position. It may reverse the image.
- Use the settings by pressing the buttons on the document camera base to adjust the image by 180°. Use the following procedure for this option:
  - Press the center button inside the large circular button. After pressing, a set of options will appear on the projection screen (make sure document camera source is selected). In the first set of options, select Image Adjustment. Move to this option, by pressing the button by the down arrow, then the middle button to select.
  - In the second set of options, select Rotation. Change 0 to 180 (or 180 to 0) by selecting one of the buttons by the side arrows.
  - When finished, select Return. Then, Save and Exit.

Using a document camera as a web cam

How to use as a web cam:

Connect one end of the USB cord to the USB input at the instructor station and the other end to a laptop. Both ends of the cable will be the same, which is a USB A Male to A Male Cable, as shown in the picture.
Turn on the document camera using the power button at the base of the camera. Select the “Laptop” source on the touch screen control panel.
Using the options in your laptop application/software, find the document camera within the camera list and use it as a webcam. This step varies by laptop application. The document camera may be listed as Samsung Digital Presenter or Samsung SDP860.
Use the buttons on the base of the document camera to adjust the display settings and quality. Move the camera head and arm to vary image display.

Only Samsung SDP-860 model document cameras have this feature available. If you are unsure which model of document camera is installed in your classroom, please contact OCM: classrm@umn.edu.

Here is an example, using the Skype application:

Windows:

After launching Skype, select "Options" from the "Tools" menu. Within the Options window, click "Video Settings." Choose "Samsung Digital Presenter" from the "Select Webcam" drop-down menu.