The COETAIL blogging rubric states that for the highest level of achievement “The student greatly enhanced their weblog space using video, audio, images or other add-ons.”  As I appreciate that linking represents roots that have fed the thought process that is being presented the tools I felt this would be a good starting point.

To test this out I am going to look at 3 of the prescribed blogs and see if there are any linking features that I can take on board.

The Intrepid Teacher – when given the opportunity hyperlinks are in place to fellow bloggers

Always Learning – More sensible hyperlinking.  Pictures and embedded you tube videos.

The Thinking Stick – So I glanced at a specific blog relating to managing student interest on facebook entitled “Make Students Your Fans“.  There is an embedded facebook page link which you can scroll though for further links.

Catching Up – Now this is a blog from one of my fellow COETAIL students and he specifically has pictures which he took from Wylio alongside videos and hyperlinks.

So my things to learn how to do list is:

1) Pictures

2) Pictures using wylio

3) Videos

1) So first of all can I just paste in a picture

The answer to that is yes.

2) Now I noticed that on Ivan’s blog he had placed pictures which had the origin linked within them.  I have gone to wylio and they have given me some code which it tells me to paste into the text box (This did not work but I am leaving in just to show my journey):

<span id=”wylio-flickr-image-3311130707″ style=”display:block;line-height:15px;width:370px;padding:0;margin:0 10px;position:relative;float:left;”><img style=”padding:0;margin:0;border:none;” width=”370″ height=”252″ src=”http://img.wylio.com/flickr/370/3311130707″ title=”Traveling stars – photo by: Dhilung Kirat, Source: Flickr, found with Wylio.com” alt=”Traveling stars” /><span id=”wylio-flickr-credits-3311130707″ style=”font-family: arial, sans-serif;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%;color:#aaa;background:#fff;float:left;clear:both;font-size:11px;font-style:italic;”><span style=”padding:2px; margin:0;”><span style=”display:block;float:left;margin:0;padding0;” >photo © 2009 <a style=”padding:0;margin:0;color:#aaa; text-decoration:underline;” target=”_blank” title=”click to visit the Flickr profile page for Dhilung Kirat” href=”http://www.flickr.com/people/7236858@N07″>Dhilung Kirat</a> | <a style=”padding:0;margin:0;color:#aaa; text-decoration:underline;” title=”get more information about the photo ‘Traveling stars'” target=”_blank” href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/7236858@N07/3311130707″>more info </a></span><span style=”display:block;float:right;margin-left:5px;”><strong style=”margin:0;padding0;”>(via: <a style=”padding:0;margin:0;color:#aaa; text-decoration:underline;” target=”_blank” href=”http://wylio.com” title=”free pictures”>Wylio</a>)</strong></span></span></span></span><br />

3) So with videos there are buttons above the text box I have selected a Plain English guide to blogging as it seemed vaguely appropriate – I will now try and press those [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI[/youtube]

So two out of 3 is not bad (and in my own time I will find out how to do all 3) but I now feel ready to explore, find, consider and blog.