[ARCHIVED] To create a blog-like feature in Canvas

[behn_foroughi]

Hello,

I understand that there is NO blog feature in Canvas. I am new and will be teaching course shortly.

I desperately need to build a blog feature in a canvas course. How can I do a blog-like activity in Canvas? I want each student to run a blog throughout the course and other students to be able to view and comment.  blogging-challenge‌ create blog post‌ 

[Bobby2 · Accepted solution]

Hi there  @behn_foroughi . Students love to blog.

I have seen a grade 5/6 teacher open up Canvas pages to students to edit as a blog like environment When Magic Happens. Students experience as editors in Canvas. 

Others use iframes to embed blogs. 

Perhaps this could help. iframes (UoA Lecture Recordings)  

I use this iframe generator https://www.iframe-generator.com/  - works a treat in most cases. 

Hope that helps

[behn_foroughi]

This is for graduate students. How do I create an iframed blog? This must be live and students view and comment on each others' blog. I have iframed interactives/knowledge check activities. How can blogs be iframed?

[tlampley]

Greetings  @behn_foroughi 

Welcome to the Canvas Community!  It's nice to meet you!

Great question!  Have you considered the use of Canvas' Collaborations utility?  Other than implementing an Learning Tool Interoperability feature, This native feature might just fill the bill for you.

Please peruse the following resources from the Canvas Support Guides:

What are Collaborations? 

Depending on which tool you would like to use to facilitate a collaborative instance:

How do I create a Google Drive collaboration as an instructor? 

How do I create a Google Docs collaboration as an instructor? 

You can set-up groups, and then either create, or have your student initiate collaborations within them.

But wait!  that's not all...

As a current graduate student myself, who would appreciate the facilitation of these tools (but we're stuck with Blackboard...ick!) if you so decided to have a live experience within your course you might consider using Canvas' Conferences tool as well.

Here some information on that:

What are Conferences? 

I hope these prove helpful to you  @behn_foroughi , please let us know!

Have a SUPER Day!

[behn_foroughi]

 @tlampley ‌ thank you! I will look into it. However, Blogs are not necessarily collaborations. It is like journals that you share. I am asking students to post reflections, learning plans, and other personal narratives through blogs. They are not supposed to collaborate. They may like/comment on each others' blogs but they do not collaborate to create content. Discussion boards are specific discussions on specific topics whereas blogs are personal takeaways and reflections. It is a shame that Canvas did not consider adding a blog feature. I know that some canvas users are asking students to use Blogger for students' blogs, but in this course, I can't do anything outside of Canvas. Certainly I prefer Canvas to BB but the icky blackboard has discussions, blogs and journal features.

I would appreciate it if anyone who has done a blog like activity in her/his canvas course shows me some light.

[Chris_Hofer]

Hello there,  @behn_foroughi ...

I'm not sure if these blog entries will help you, but I thought I'd point you to them (there's more than what I've linked below, but this should maybe help to get you started?)...

• Fall 2017: Story of a Blog Network (1): running a network with Inoreader 
• Fall 2017: Story of a Blog Network (2): live streams in Canvas 
• Fall 2017: Story of a Blog Network (3) — A Blog of One's Own 
• Fall 2017: Story of a Blog Network (4) — Student Comments, Week 1 
• Fall 2017: Story of a Blog Network (5): Making Connections, Week 2 

[tlampley]

Good Morning  @Chris_Hofer 

Appreciate the resources!

[peter_hiscock]

I think all these offered solutions are not what is needed. I have the same issue. I want each student to write a blog, with text and embedded images, videos, links and so on. Other students in the class should be able to see it, but it is not collaborative. Ideally there would be an option for staff and other students to comment on the contents of each blog but not change the blog. And most importantly the set up should not need to be done for each student, it should be a simple matter of selecting individual blog for all students and it should be done. A google doc facility is simply not the same thing. I hope this facility is introduced soon, as a real blogging capability is essential.

[Chris_Hofer]

Hello  @peter_hiscock ...

Based on what you describe, I *think* the resources I linked to above back in May 2019 from laurakgibbs‌ (the ones that start "Fall 2017: Story of a Blog Network" may be what you are looking for?  I believe Laura's students have used things like Blogger to do many of the things you'd like to do in your own courses.  If you haven't checked out her blog posts yet, I would encourage you to do so.  She's got a wealth of information on her blogs, and I'm sure she would be willing to share more info with you on how to get started.

[dandress]

I might be a little late to this party, but you could turn on the "Let students create discussion topics"  in settings-->course details tab-->more settings.    This would allow each student to create their own discussion board (blog) while all the other students could respond.  The only downside is that, depending on how many students you have in your course, the number of discussions could become overwhelming.  If this happens, you can turn of this capability. 

[ltscal2]

We'd also like to have a blog like feature/eportfolio

Native canvas tools we suggested to faculty include Wiki Page and Discussions for individual blogging or reflection type of assessment.
You would need to create student groups and create a "group of one" and the students would create their pages and discussions in their group areas.
Group discussion is a bit cleaner because you can set them up yourself and make them graded. 
This works best for reflective journals type of activity.