This semester was a pretty abnormal one. We started in Connected Learning on Zoom, then we made our way into school. I go to a private school, so we came back earlier, although some of my classmates stayed online for a while. We had to wear masks (and I couldn’t wear my favorite neck gaiter) and we tried and generally failed to stay 6 feet apart.
In fourth grade, we get privileges like lockers, choosing our own seats in the cafeteria, but we didn’t get to do that this year. No one had lockers, and we ate lunch at our desks (which I sort of liked because I could take up a lot more space).
But the year didn’t come without its perks. I got to explore more hobbies and I had a LOT of free time because we had less homework. I also learned a lot of things I probably wouldn’t learn in school, like facts about the world. And I got to go all around SF and I found a lot of cool places I am definitely going to go back to. I also started this blog! 🙂
When I chose to start a blog, it was sort of an out of the blue decision. But it kind of made sense – I really like to write, and I like to design things. I also have written an essay about bad websites. It’s true! Bad websites bother me a lot.
I was determined not to create a blog that made people feel that way.
And to help you create your own blog, if you’re interested, I have made a step by step list and a rating of online platforms for you! You’re welcome 🙂
So the first step is to figure out what you want to do with your blog.
You can find some really good worksheets for this online – I used this. You’re trying to find the pillars of your blog – ideally three. For example, mine are Hotspots, How Tos, and Opinion. You can always add more categories.
Also think about what you are giving people when they read this. Needless to say, your blog should not be a waste of time!
Next, figure out what platform you want to use.
I’d recommend looking at other blogs and finding out what they used. Then find out which theme you want to use on that platform – I used Nucleare on WordPress. Don’t jump in right away, though: make sure you want to use that theme before you click on it. I have rated all the platforms I looked at below.
After that, you’ll want to find a name for your blog, and then a domain that you want to use.
This part was probably the most challenging for me, but if I can do it, then you can too!
If you want, too, you can make a logo. This might sound like a daunting task, but don’t worry: there are some apps and websites that design a logo for you, like Fiverr.
Then, you can publish your blog! Happy blogging!
1. WordPress
WordPress is the platform I chose to use. Its wide variety of templates is more than a little overwhelming, and it took me a while to figure out which one to use. You can browse them by the type of website you have, and also by the templates’ designs, which is really helpful. A lot of online tutorials for WordPress exist, and it’s not too hard to navigate.
2. Squarespace
I like Squarespace, and I know a lot of other people do, too. I know a lot of people use it, and it’s not hard to see why. All you have to do is, as it says on their website, choose a template, get a free domain, add text and photos, customize, and publish!
3. Wix
Wix is more or less like WordPress, except I found it really complicated. Once you start editing, there are just so many links and arrows and buttons…whatever. It might be just that I get overwhelmed with things like this really easily.
Notes From SF 
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