Each month we highlight a #MashoftheMonth, focusing on a tool or application within Purple Mash and how it can be used within the classroom to support learning across the curriculum. During the month, if you share how you have used #MashoftheMonth on Twitter or Facebook, you will then be entered into a draw to win a 2Simple Goody Bag!

This January the Mash of the Month is 2Blog.

Introducing 2Blog

What better way to start 2024 than setting up a blog for your school, class, or group to share the amazing work that takes place with the wider school community? Your blog could also have a particular focus, for example a reading blog. Features of 2Blog include the ability to attach multiple items, scheduling blog posts and recording sound.

Blogs can either be set as private or public – it is up to you as the teacher how visible you would like the blogs to be. If your staff are new to blogging, there is a great course within our training platform that covers sharing online work as well as a 2Blog guide that covers all you need to get started with 2Blog within school.

Different Uses for 2Blog

Over the last year we have loved hearing how schools have been making use of 2Blog within their environment. St Paul of the Cross school set up a Whole School Reading blog, where children can upload the books that they are reading at home, with reviews of what they have read. The blog is not public and has been set to be viewed only by the children and parents of their school using their logins.

Some other ideas include setting up the following:

• Digital Leader blog – to share challenges and how Digital leaders are used within your school. It would also be great to share updates with parents and involve them with Online Safety for example. Find out more about Digital Leaders here.
• School Council blog – share who the school councillors are and what their plans are for the year.
• Sports blog – capture the achievements of your teams and share their successes with the wider school community.

• Forest School blog – share work that is completed in Forest school with parents and those outside.
• Whole School/Year Group/Class blog – capture events, visits and celebrate work that takes places across the school during the year.
• Club blog - share work and activities that your after-school club completes. Find out about Mash Club here.

Pupil Blogs

Within 2Blog, pupils can also create their own blogs, which is a great way of them sharing their passions or interest both inside and outside school. They may want to set up a Gaming blog, one that covers their favourite sport or a hobby that they do. Pupil Blogs are not made visible to anyone other than the creating pupil and their teacher unless the teacher sets the blog to be viewable to others.

Share your #MashoftheMonth with us

However you use 2Blog, we can’t wait to see how you use our #MashoftheMonth this month – you can share examples via our Twitter or Facebook pages. Just use the hash tag in your share and you will be entered into our monthly draw to win a 2Simple goody bag!