Getting it all set up

Here I will talk about getting those specifics all set up for your blog.  Like your permissions, display options, and even a few ways to try to make a little money with your blog.

You've already chosen your template, but you can get really customized if you have the know-how.  I don't, so you'll have to learn that from someone else :)  But, I can help with a few basics.

We'll start with basic settings.  (Click on the "Settings" tab at the top of your screen)  Here you can add a description to your already determined Title (remember, we did that first?)  Here you can also choose if your blog will be listed and searchable on search engines.  Depending on the content you're planning on adding, you may want to opt out of these.

Next are the basic publishing options.  You also already chose a unique URL for your blog, here is where you can change that if you'd like.

The formatting tab allows you to format how many posts show on the main page, how the date will be displayed and lets you choose your time zone.  

The Email & Mobile tab allows you to opt in to a mobile template for viewers using a smartphone and gives you options for publishing via text or email if you are away from your computer or iPad.

The permissions tab is the important one.  Here you can add authors to your blog and set who can view the blog.  To gain more privacy, you have to select readers of your blog (which means you need to have their google id and they have to log in to view your blog).  I chose "Anybody" to make it easiest to share information and because I don't plan on posting anything too racy or private here (or anything that could get me fired in the future).  If you plan on using student work and photos in your blog, you'll either need to be REALLY careful about blacking out names/faces or be sure to add this extra privacy step to your blog.  

The design tab is the fun one.  Here you can choose how your blog is going to look.
The page elements tab allows you to add Gadgets to your page such as a list of Links, other blogs, a blog archive, recent comments, a slideshow of your images and a place for readers to easily subscribe to your blog and follow you.  Plus a few fun ones like Fish and Amazon Associates which earns you 15% of what readers buy if they link through your blog.  Play around with these settings, if you really mess it up you can always "Clear Edits" and go back to square 1.

If you want to personalize your blog even more, you can click on the "Template Designer" tab and you can choose background colors, layout and widths of the pieces of your blog.