Websites with WordPress

Design, create, and manage your own website

Created by Michael Allen @ Creative Curriculum Consulting

Agenda

Introductions Objectives/Purpose Course Structure Rules of Engagement Surveys/Evaluations Learning Modules Questions and Answers

Introductions

Please introduce yourself: Name Previous experience with blogs and websites What you want to gain from the workshop

Objectives

After this training you will be able to: Identify the major components of a blog Locate the key features of WordPress Plan and design a website Use WordPress to create a website

Course Structure

Demonstrations/Exercises

Presentation

Questions/Answers

Rules of Engagement Please do not access your personal email

Turn off cell phones and pagers

Please honor break time limits

Participate, this is your class

Ask questions at any time

Still don’t get it – ASK AGAIN

Be willing to experiment new ideas and techniques

Offer suggestions for improvements

Surveys/Evaulations

You will be asked to complete two surveys Pre-Workshop Survey Post-Workshop Survey

You will be asked to complete a workshop evaluation

Please complete the Pre-Workshop Survey

2. Tour

1. Introduction

3. Plan

6. Manage

4. Create

Learning Modules

6. Manage

5. Explore

2. Tour

1. Introduction

3. Plan

6. Manage

4. Create

Introduction to Blogs & WordPress

6. Manage

5. Explore

What is a Blog? Abbreviation of the words “Web and Log” Ongoing chronicle of information Frequently updated Commonalities:

Main content area with posts Archive of older posts A way for people to leave posts Links to other sites One or more RSS Feeds (Real Simple Syndication)

History of WordPress Started in 2003 with a bit of code Created as a personal publishing software The largest self hosting blogging tool in the

world Open Source:

Everyone has access to it Everything is written by and for the community Free to use

Can download and customize

Origin of the WordPress Name

Wanted to associate the new software with printing presses

“Press” refers to journalists, photographers, columnists

Serves as a “printing press” for users to publish their “words”

2. Tour

1. Introduction

3. Plan

6. Manage

5. Explore

4. Create

Tour of WordPress

The DashboardTo see the actual site

Recent activity on your site Popular posts and sites

Topic menu bar

Sub-topic menu bar

Presentation: Themes

Style, look, and feel

Presentation: Widgets

Items in your sidebar navigation

Site Management

Manage all of your posts, pages, uploads, categories

Comments

Moderate comments left by others

Home PageTitle and header

Sidebar navigation

Most recent posts

2. Tour

1. Introduction

3. Plan

6. Manage

5. Explore

4. Create

Plan a Website

Mission Statement First step is to determine the purpose, content, and

audience of your website Think about the following questions:

What am I going to do with this? Who is going to read this? What kind of information will I be posting? Why am I doing this? Who am I doing this for? How often am I going to be posting and adding

information?

Title and Tagline

Title Think about the title of your site should be Be creative but keep it simple

Tagline Short phrase or slogan Describes the essence, attributes, & character

Sidebar

Customize your site by determining the information you want to have accessible

Organized into links called “widgets” Used to navigate within and outside of your

site

Widgets

Here are just a few of the widgets you can add:Calendar Archives

Blogroll RSS Feed Tag CloudTop Posts Search Vod: Pod Categories Plug-ins CommentsFlikr Del.iciou.us Recent Posts

Search Pages

Identified Sidebar Widgets Pages:

“About”, “Daily Schedule” Blogroll:

“http://www.epa.gov/kids”, http://www.scholastic.com/kids “http://www.yahooligans.com”

Categories: “Ask the Teacher”, “Homework”, “Weekly Bulletins”, “Special “Announcements

RSS Feed: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/rss/SNK.asp

Calendar Archives

Biographical Statement

A brief history of yourself Include any professional, personal, or

educational information What you want viewers of your site to know

about you

Username and Password

Words used to access your site Choose ones that you can easily remember

Welcome Message

A brief message that welcomes viewers to your site

2. Tour

1. Introduction

3. Plan

6. Manage

5. Explore

4. Create

Create a Website

Create an Account Open browser and type in

http://www.wordpress.com Click Start your free

WordPress Blog

Create an Account Type in your

“username” in the Username Box

Type in your “email address” in the Email Box

Check the box next to Legal flotsam

Click Next

Create an Account Identify your site’s

domain name Enter your “Blog Title” Click Sign Up

Create an Account Open the email sent by WordPress

and locate your initial password Return to http://www.wordpress

com Type in your “username” and

“initial password” Click Enter

Update Profile

Click Users on the topic menu bar Click Your Profile in sub-topic bar

Update Profile Type your “first name, last

name, and nickname” in the Name section

Type your “autobiographical statement” in the About Yourself section

Type your “email” and “website address” in the Contact Info section

Type your “new password” twice in the Password section

Click Update Profile

Create Title and Tagline Click Options in the

topic menu bar Type your “website’s

title” in the Weblog Title box

Type your “website’s tagline” in the Tagline box

Click Update Options

Manage Categories Add a Category Click Manage in the topic menu bar Click Categories in the sub-topic

menu bar Click Add New Type “Ask the Teacher” in the

Category Name box Type a brief description of the

category in the Description box Click Add Category

Repeat the steps above to create these categories:

“Homework” “Weekly Bulletins” “Special Announcements”

Manage Pages Click on Manage in the topic

menu bar Click on Pages in the sub-

topic menu bar

Edit Page Click Edit for the page About Delete the text in the Page

Content section Type your “Mission

Statement” Click Save

Manage Pages Create Page Click Create Page Type Daily Schedule in

the Page Title box Click Publish

Manage Posts Delete a Post Click Manage in topic

menu bar Click on Posts Locate the example

post Click Delete for the post Click OK in dialogue

box

Manage Posts Write a Post Click Write in the topic menu

bar Click Write Post in the sub-

topic menu bar Type your “welcome message

title” in the Title box Type your “welcome

message” in the Post box Use the tool bar to edit and

format your message Click Uncategorized in the

Categories box Click Publish to publish your

post to your website

Change Theme Click Presentation in the

topic menu bar Scroll down to find a theme

you like Click on the “theme title” (website is automatically

updated with new theme) Scroll to the top and click

View Site Click your browser’s back

button Locate and click the theme

“Quentin”

Manage Widgets Click Presentation in the topic

menu bar Click Widgets in the sub-topic

menu bar

Add RSS Feed Find the widget RSS 1 in the

Available Widgets box Drag the widget RSS 1 to the

sidebar box

Manage Widgets

Double click on the Configure Icon on the right side of the widget

Locate the pop-up dialogue box Type the URL address: http://

www.sciencenewsforkids.org/rss/SNK.asp in the RSS/Feed box

Type “Science Right Now!” in the Title box

Manage Widgets Add Calendar Find the widget Calendar in the

Available Widgets box Drag the widget Calendar to the

sidebar box

Repeat the steps above to create these widgets

Archives Links Pages Categories

Click Save Changes

Manage Comments Click Comments Click Delete on “test

comment” Click OK in dialogue box Edit, delete, approve and un-

approve comments Email is received when new

comments are written and posted

Manage Blogroll Add a Link Click Blogroll in the topic menu

bar Click Add Link in the sub-topic

menu bar Type “Environmental Kids

Page” in the Title box Type “http://www.epa.gov/kids”

in the Address box Check Blogroll in the

Categories box Click Add Link

Manage Blogroll Repeat the steps above to

create links for the following: “Scholastic Kid page” “http://

www.scholastic.com/kids” “Yahooligans” “http://

www.yahooligans.com”

2. Tour

1. Introduction

3. Plan

6. Manage

5. Explore

4. Create

Explore Some Websites

Website Addresses

Identify the web addresses of the WordPress sites created by workshop participants

Make a list of these websites to use as a resource

Trade your website address with one other participant

Leave a Comment Open up a new web browser

window Type in the “web address” of your

partner’s site Read the Introduction Post Click Comment Type “your name” Type “your email address” Type “your comment” Click Submit Comment

Award Winning Sites

Open a new web browser Type in: http://www.incsub.org/awards Scroll to view different sites Click on a site you would like to see Continue to choose other sites to visit

2. Tour

1. Introduction

3. Plan

6. Manage

5. Explore

4. Create

Manage Your Website

Resources

Here are two excellent resources to help you expand, modify, and manage your website http://edublogs.org/features/ http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page

Question and Answer

Please ask questions for additional: Clarification Help Support Concerns Guidance

Evaluations

Please complete the Post-Workshop Survey

Please complete the workshop evaluation form