Privacy settings for student blogging

When working with students on a digital platform, it is necessary to be very aware of privacy and compliance with school acceptable use policies, media releases, and COPPA. 

As a tech coach, I am constantly on the look out for ways to redefine teaching by integrating technology. I poke my nose into the layers of privacy policies, security, and COPPA on a daily basis. To my dismay, I realize that there are often too many cracks in website security for me to even be able to recommend an awesome site to teachers. Digital security is a huge issue, take a look at the blog post on Silicone Angle explaining how Yahoo on is finally focusing on security.

So, I am happy to be able to give a step-by-step breakdown of how to maximize the customizable features of Blogger's privacy settings so that both students and parents feel secure when their students are blogging for an authentic audience. Side now, curious about how to set up Blogger as a teacher, or for you students, or even how to use it? Check out our professional development website page about Blogging in the classroom and stay tuned for more posts about how to capitalize on a blogging platform and get students writing.

Tutorial below on how to set up a very private blog for your students.

1. Settings (all privacy information lives here)

2. Settings, Basic, Privacy, Edit. Here are the basic level Privacy Settings

2a)Change both settings to No

3. Settings, Basic, Permissions

3a) Choose your reader level preference:

***Public: anyone can read if they have the link

***Private: only those who are authors can read (not recommended)

***Private: only those who you add as readers can read (recommended). For example, if each student has a blog, each child can add his or her classmates, teacher, and his or her parents to his or her reader list. This way, parents can only view their own child’s blog.

4. Settings, Click Posts and Comments. See here for more information on moderating comments.

5. Post specific settings:

When you create a post you have other privacy options as well. Click New Post to start writing a post and then options on the right hand side, sidebar.