A clock on the wall

• What is WordPress
• Basic Semantics/Glossary/Terms
• Create a WordPress.com blog
• Categories and Tags to organize content navigation
• Blog Title and Tagline
• Introduction to Basic Content Formats: Posts and Pages

You will create your test blog during the class, add a Page and a Post, set up your profile, and start thinking about what you are going to publish on your blog during this course.

It is important that you choose a topic on which you have something to say in addition to the topics and assignments covered in class. We will all be reading your blog and looking for thoughtful content, so be ready.

A well designed and structured site is built around content. I call it “content with intent.” You cannot make framework or design decisions without understanding your content, audience, and specific needs that support that content. So we start with content and build from there.

Homework Assignment

• Group brainstorm words into categories (no more than 7)
  • Title the categories
  • Write 3 blog posts minimum, one per category
• Complete your About Page
• Create a Contact Page
• Complete your Profile
  • Set your Gravatar
• Create or find 5 copyright free photographs, graphics or images and bring them to class on a thumb drive/flash stick.
• Find 3 YouTube videos and bring the links to their pages to the class.
• Read the material in the Reading Section.

Reading

• Preparations for the Clark College Introduction to WordPress – Learning from Lorelle – required reading
• About WordPress
  • What is WordPress?
  • Why Choose WordPress?
  • Getting Started with WordPress
  • New To WordPress – Where to Start
  • WordPress Lessons
    • Introduction to Blogging
    • First Steps With WordPress
    • WordPress Semantics
    • Using Images
    • Linking to Posts, Pages, and Categories

  The following are recommended reading assignments from the WordPress books in the 24×7 Book program. Please note the notes on book naming conventions and confusion in the class preparation post.

  • Getting Started with WordPress: Design Your Own Blog or Website
    • Chapter 3: Starting a Free WordPress Blog
  • WordPress 24-Hour Trainer
    • Lesson 1: Thinking Like WordPress
    • Lesson 2: Planning Your Site for WordPress
  • WordPress All-In-One for Dummies
    • Book 1 – Chapter 1 – Exploring Basic WordPress Concepts
    • Book 3 – Chapter 3 – Section on Creating Your Personal Profile
    • Book 3 – Chapter 7 – Creating Categories and Tags
    • Book 4 – Chapter 1 – Writing Your First Post
    • Book 4 – Chapter 2 – Examining the Difference Between Posts and Pages

  Outcome

  For those keeping track of overall outcomes, the goal of the first class outcomes were:

  • Understand the core content elements of WordPress.
  • Introduction to WordPress semantics and nomenclature.
  • Introduction to content conception and generation.
  • Introduction to WordPress dynamic web pages and WordPress Themes.
  • Introduction to WordPress content organization and navigation.
  • Basics of setting up a WordPress blog.