Validating Blogger Accounts (Why Text Message Validation?)

I am hoping to get my students set up on a Blogger accounts, and then subscribe to each others' accounts through Google Reader.

Yesterday I tried using my work email to create a Blogger account and to validate it, Google wanted to send me a validation number via text message.

Is there any other way to validate the account? 

My apologies if this question has already been asked and answered.

Phil