This simple tutorial will show you how to add a Trackback url into your BLOG posts. This is sometimes necessary when your theme doesnt have the code included by default.

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Have you ever wondered how you can use all your great Widgets in Blackboard ? This tutorial will show how to Widgetise your Blackboard Course.

1. Find a Widget

The first step is to find a widget or create a widget with the content you would like to add to blackboard. For the purpose of this Tutorial I will be using Widgetbox to find a widget however there are loads of widget websites so feel free to use a different one.

It’s a good idea to signup for a username and password as this will allow you to save widgets in your favourites so you can easily access them later rather than searching or creating them again.

2. Search Widget Gallery

Search the Gallery for a widget you would like to use and click details to look at the details of the widget, here is an example of the details screen you will see when you click to view the details button. Chris McDermott Blog widget .

3. Get the Widget

From the details screen of your chosen widget click the Get widget (<>) button at the top right hand side of the screen to get the widget. A pop up window will now appear. Click Get winget code and copy the code in the top box (Ctrl + C or Edit/Copy) for use later.

4. Log in to Blackboard

Now login into Blackboard and find the course and content area where you would like to import the widget.

5. Add Widget as content

In your desired content area add a content item as normal. Before you add any text in the text box click the toggle button (<>) to change from normal mode to html source mode.

6. Paste the code

Paste the code that you copied in step 3 into this text box

7. Click the toggle button

Click the toggle button (<>) again to switch back to normal mode

8. Name your Widget

Give your widget a name in the Name field at the top of the page and configure any other parameters as required.

9. Submit your Widget

Click the Submit button to submit your new content item,

10. Check it looks ok

Check what your widget looks like by going back to Display view and viewing the widget.

Congratulations you have just Widgetised your Blackboard course. Your widget should now be displayed in Blackboard.

Note: I will try and add a few screen dumps later to help this tutorial

E-Learning Tutorials, Blackboard Tutorials | No Comments »

Are you looking to allow your readers to subscribe to a single category of your Word-press BLOG or only posts relating to certain categories, if so this tutorial may be able to help.

1. Update Permalink Structure

The first step is to update the Permalink structure of your Word-press BLOG by using this Permalink Structure tutorial.

2. Work out Category feed address

Assuming you have setup categories and are attaching all your posts to one or more categories we can work out the category feed for a specific category. If you have not setup categories and have not linked your posts to a category I suggest you do that now by logging in as admin and editing your posts. Whilst in the word-press post editor you will notice a categories field on the right hand side start ticking the categories that the post relates too. If a suitable category does not exist then simple add a new one.

With your categories setup and posts linked to suitable categories we can now work out the category feed address for a specific category by viewing your blog and clicking on a category. This should display all the posts for that category. Notice the page title in the address bar it should look something like this http://blog.mcdermotts.org.uk/category/windows-2003/to create a category feed for that category you simply append /feed/ at the end so it now looks like http://blog.mcdermotts.org.uk/category/windows-2003/feed/ and hey presto that is the feed address for readers to subscribe to only that category.

Your readers can now add that address into any RSS reader and automatically receive new posts from that specified category. See it in action on McDermotts

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I am setting up links in Blackboard to this BLOG. Keep watching for updates.

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Widgets are a great way to bring information from all over the web straight to you desktop, website or Blog. If you use the Opera wen browser its now easier than ever to create your very own widget.

1. Go to Opera

Start by going to http://widgets.opera.com/

2. Start to Widgitze

Select Opera Widgitize

3. Create a widget

Select Create a widget and choose a style or type of widget you wish to create

4. Configure the new widget

If for example you are creating a widget to subscribe to a feed, select the RSS widget and enter a title and the feed url you would like to subscribe too.

5. Edit how the widget will look

Chooser a skin (what the widget will look like

6. Publish your widget

Finally publish and use the widget !

Well done you’ve created your first widget with opera. Widgets are also available from yahoo etc.. and use a very similar approach to creation

Good luck and happy widgeting.

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