This isn't just any blog, this is a blog made by the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Isaacs! It's a great resource filled with links to other sites, mostly about game based learning. Towards the bottom of the page you will find the Holy Grail to all Game Maker tutorials. There are literally dozens of tutorials, all created by none other than Sir Isaacs himself.
This is a very helpful video tutorial on how to make a platformer game in Game Maker 7, but it does also apply to Game Maker 8. It goes through the basics by actually showing you how to make the objects on-screen.
This resource is a whole list of sprites that work well with the Game Maker software. This is valuable because if you need some sprites, look no further, there are hundreds on this site (including Nyan Cat)!
This is a list of 21 good tips for designing adventure games. Not all of the tips really pertain to the students in Mr. Isaacs' game design and developement class, but most are good to keep in mind when designing a game