Wordpress
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Contents |
[edit] Resources
- For in-depth tutorials using Edublogs.org check out The Edublogger by Sue Waters - the official "how to" Edublogs blog.
- Edublogs Video Tutorials
- Support Blogging - Find more blogs related to education by students, teachers, administrators and other educational leaders.
[edit] Setting Up an Account
WordPress is software designed for designing a blogging web site. There are several services available that are built upon WordPress software. Currently, we suggest that you create an account in one of two places. The first is Edublogs.org. Edublogs is a dedicated service for education. The software is configured with educators and students in mind. The other service is the web-based WordPress.com site. WordPress.com is a mainstream, anyone can start to blog service where Edublogs.org caters to those in education. There are some differences within each service feature-wise, consider your goal for a blog and check out both services features before you decide which to go with.
- Step 1
- Choose your preferred space. edublogs.org and wordpress.com are good services to begin blogging with. To sign up, locate and click the link (Sign Up Here or Sign Up Now!) on the homepage of the service you've selected.
- Step 2
- Complete any and all information on the Sign-Up screen. Be sure to use a unique username and possibly a password. Use an email address that is easily accessible (i.e. - Internet-based like Google Mail or Yahoo! Mail) and choose whether you would like to start a blog or just begin a user account. Fill in any additional information as needed (i.e. - some information relates to language and time zone).
- Step 3
- Create your blog by filling out the web address (this cannot be changed). Keep it short and simple in order for readers to remember it. After you have finished completing this part, you will be sent an email to the address you entered above confirming that you in fact have intended to create a blog.
- Step 4
- Check your email (be sure to check your Spam folder) for a confirmation email containing information about confirming your account. Click the link provided to activate your blog. You should be taken straight to your newly created blog, where you will see what is referred to as the Dashboard
You are now ready to begin setting up your blog and write your first blog post. Check out Edublog's video tutorials for help
[edit] Dashboard
The Dashboard is where you can find basic tools for writing to and maintaining your blog. The links below allow you to Write a Post, Update yourprofile or change your password, Add a link to your blogroll, and Change your site's look or theme.
The Dashboard also is where you can view news and information about WordPress. You will also be able to see some of the blogs and posts that other users of WordPress have written. These may prove useful when you are trying to develop a style or voice for your blog.
[edit] Write
This is where the meat of your blog will be created. Placing a catchy Title for your post will sometimes help direct readers to your post. A suggestion for just starting out is to not make your titles too abstract. Keep it simple until you have developed your online voice and an audience that may appreciate it. WordPress uses a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor. When writing your post you will be able to customize the format of your text, add graphics or if you know a little about HTML you can use that too. This is also where you will hyperlink articles or blog posts that relate to your post or support your writing.
[edit] Post
A post is a news article, story or prompt that is authored by the user. Under the post tab you can start writing new posts, publish them and save them as drafts for later editing.
[edit] Publish
If your post is ready to be published, click the Publish button. Publishing puts your post out "live" on the blog site for others to read and comment on.
[edit] Save
Saving a post puts into a draft state, click the Save button. This will save your post as a draft and not publish it "live" on the blog site. To edit the post later, click Manage > Posts and select the draft to edit.
Consider Using Categories
The more you write, the more topics you will address. Using Categories to group related posts is helpful for readers to easily find specific information about a topic or to find a specific post. To categorize your post, click the appropriate box(es), uncheck any box that doesn't fit the post topic.
[edit] Pages
Pages add layers to a blog site. Just like a standard web page that contains informational pages a blog site can also contain pages dedicated to related, but separate, information. Most other pages on a blog site are static as opposed to the blog page where posts appear and commenting takes place.
[edit] Links
Add links to other websites or blogs that relate to your blog site. To add a link to your blogroll, add a name of the site (this is what visitors will read)and then enter the web address. You may add a short description about the link in the Description field. This will appear when a visitor hovers the cursor over the link. If you have set your blog up with multiple categories (see below), select the category in which the new link belongs, otherwise leaving this blank will place it in the default (Blogroll) category. To save the link to your blog site, click Save.
Link Categories
Just as posts can be categorized, so can Links that you want to add to your blog site. Links, by default, appear under a category called Blogroll. A blogroll is sort of a roll call of blogs related to your blog or blogs that you read regularly. For your class consider posting blogs related to the topic or goal of the blog as well as other classrooms with which you collaborate. Giving them "link love" will generate interest in their site, and yours!
[edit] Manage
[edit] Posts
The manage posts page allows you to view, edit, and delete posts that you have either created or are works in progress.
[edit] Pages
Page Management is where you can view, edit and delete pages of your blog. Click on Create New Pages >> to add another page.
[edit] Links
Under Manage > Links you can edit, delete, sort or categorize links on your blog site.
[edit] Categories
Add categories to file your posts in on the Categories page. You can edit and delete categories using this page. You may find that you have categories that fit under another, if so you can create subcategories. To do this, under Add New Category create a title for the subcategory and click the Category Parent: drop-down menu to select a parent category. If desired, add a short description of the category/subcategory and click the Add Category button.
[edit] Comments
Managing comments is a section that you may frequently visit to keep out unwanted or inappropriate posts. Within the comments section there are two modes, View Mode and Mass Edit Mode. View Mode will display the comments to your blog posts. Mass Edit Mode will allow you to edit more than one comment at a time. This is a great feature if your blog is getting spammed. To delete a comment click the Delete Checked Comments button. To mark comments that are spam, click the Mark Checked Comments as Spam button.
[edit] Awaiting Moderation
If you have set up your blog for moderating comments, any comments made to your posts will appear under the Awaiting Moderation section. The number in parathesis next to Awaiting Moderation (0) is the number of comments waiting to be moderated.
[edit] Akismet Spam
Akismet Spam is a safeguard against comment spam. Blogs are often hit with spam advertising a multitude of unwanted goods and services. Much of the spam is caught automatically so you won't have to worry too much about it. However, some comments that are not spam may find their way into your Akismet Spam queue. Make a habit to check this once and awhile to allow any legitimate comments and to clean out any illegitimate comments.
[edit] Design
[edit] Themes
This is where you set the look and feel of your blog. There are many theme templates that you can apply to your blog. To select a theme, in the Available Themes section click on the theme you wish to use. This will apply the theme to your blog. To view your blog with the new theme, click the View Site link located next to the title of your blog.
[edit] Widgets
The Widget editor allows you to customize what appears on the side of your blog. Depending upon the Theme you have chosen, your sidebar where you place your widgets will vary. To customize your sidebar click and drag a "widget" from the Available Widgets area to the Your Sidebar area. You can set the order by clicking and dragging the widgets to the desired order. To reset your sidebar click the Reset button.
Customizing Widgets
Each widget allows a different element to appear in the sidebar of your blog site. You will need to edit each widget you add to make it appear the way you wish. To do so, click on edit.
Apply your changes by click the 'Save Changes button.
[edit] Settings
[edit] General
Update your personal profile information in this section. This is also where you can change your password. Be sure to click the Update Profile button to save your changes.
[edit] Discussion
Under the Discussion tab you will find settings for comment moderation, email notification and more.
