1. Beyond Blogging Using WordPress as a platform for innovation in teaching & scholarship

2. What does blogging mean to you?

3. JMU’s WordPress Installation http://sites.jmu.edu/ 5,400+ users 200+ sites 200+ themes 250+ plugins Login tied to JMU central eID user directory Site membership can be automatically synchronized with course roster

4. Plugins and Themes Plugins extend the functionality present in a standard WordPress site Themes determine the look and feel (the design) of a WordPress site. Themes are a way to skin your site There are thousands of commercial and open source (free) plugins and themes

5. .edu vs.com http://sites.jmu.edu/ – Server located on campus – Managed by CIT staff – Course roster synchronization – 100s of installed themes and plugins – Large ecosystem of commercial and open source themes and plugins – Accounts tied to JMU’s Active Directory – CIT supports you and your students http://wordpress.com/ – Self-serve – Predictable – Reliable – Small set of carefully vetted themes and plugins – Great for blogging – Limited ads may appear on your blog unless you pay for an upgrade

6. WordPress is not an L/CMS WordPress can be used as a “lightweight” course management system WordPress lacks: – Tools for managing, collecting, annotating and grading assignments – Online exams – A gradebook WordPress often complements a Blackboard (Canvas) course

7. “Technology without content is empty.”

8. The Content WordPress Micro- blogging Digital Storytelling Podcasting (audio & video) Geospatial Learning Community Media Portal Online Magazine Photo- blogging Portfolio Resource Portal Lightweight Course Management Blogging Digital History Digital Humanities Digital Scholarship Classroom Portal Group WorkOrganization

9. Imagine… How will you use WordPress for teaching and learning?

10. It takes a village Server administrators WordPress application administrators Web designers Instructional designers Trainer Customers (faculty and students)

11. The Process How you plan to use the technology Type of content Features/function Meet with CIT Select a theme Add menus Enable functionality Enroll students Develop site Students log into site Practice posting Discuss writing in this format Upload media files Meet with your class Troubleshoot Archive at end of semester (optionally) Ongoing support