WordPress Assignment

Assignment Updated January 9, 2019

Reference Links

Practice Photo Gallery – Click to download images for WordPress photo gallery

How to make a screen shot on Mac, PC

WordPress Quick Start guide

Student Gallery – WordPress

WordPress Help

Assignment

Note:  Everything listed below is required unless indicated it is optional.
We will be using WordPress.com to build a simple website. WordPress is a free and open source software used to make websites or blogs, released in 2003. It’s a Content Management System, CMS, that allows you to use your web browser to manage your website. Learn more at wordpress.com.

Checklist
Download checklist for this assignment.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
WordPress Checklist
(Updated Jan. 9, 2019)
This will help you manage your WordPress project.  It is the same list that will be used for grading.  If you have not completed a required step, then you are not done!

 

 

Visual part of WordPress site, what public sees, left. Black WordPress dashboard, right, what you see and use for updating website.

Black WordPress dashboard, working procedure

  • To use the complete WordPress Dashboard, use the black dashboard, not the “new” blue dashboard.
  • The black dashboard can be used to login, avoiding signing into WordPress.com each time.
  • The address is  always:  yourwebsite.wordpress.com/wp-admin/
  • Commit your website address name to memory and remember:  your website name plus /wp-admin/
  • Two web browser windows or tabs – Always have one browser open with the visual portion of your website, what the public sees,  and a second to help avoid getting lost with the black dashboard, what you see for working on your website.  THIS WILL ALWAYS BE ASKED OF YOU WORKING ON YOUR WEBSITE, and the best practice for not getting lost.


Get help with your WordPress site as needed, email, or get help in class.

Deadline and Deliverables

See details the D2L
Use the provided Word document in the D2L to submit assignment.

How to make a screenshot
On a Mac
On a PC

Required pages

Home page (Example:  https://multimediatoolkit.me)
About page
Resume page
Portfolio page  – (Do not create a page called Portfolio, instead follow directs to active portfolio.
Installing portfolio:  Follow directions to activate Portfolio, then a custom link, available in the menu. Not all themes work with Portfolio, and you will need to changes themes. Directions to Portfolio
Contact page
Blog Page

Resubmissions:  Send links of the pages or posts you corrected and note what updates you made to be considered for resubmission of your assignment to the D2L. To resubmit the WordPress assignment, send an email to instructor’s SCSU address. 

Procedure – Getting started

  • Register new WordPress.com site
    Go to wordpress.com  and register a free site.
    Keep it Professional – Make sure you keep your site name professional.   Don’t call it COMM 240 website as it will have no meaning after the course is over.  It can be your name, a portion of your name or something professional you would show a potential employer.  Important: Save your username, password and website name for your WordPress.com site.
    Download WordPress Quick Start guide to get your site started.
  • Tutorials for WordPress assignment
    Links will be listed to help you create your WordPress sites.  This is your text book or guide for this assignment.  There is no required textbook.
  • Pages – Required Pages 
    Static pages, different than blog posts
    How to create pages – Go to tutorial about creating Pages in WordPress.
    Required Pages:  Home or Welcome page, About, Contact, Resume, Portfolio and  Blog.

     

    Requirements for Pages


    a.  Home or Welcome Page – No less than 100 words required, written in full sentences about your website. This is the welcome page to your website and a brief introduction to your site.
    Go to student gallery to see examples of WordPress sites.
    b.  About Page – No less than 200 words required, written in full sentences about your website.  This is a more detailed page about your WordPress site, about you and what you are studying and future plans for a career and after college. 
    c.  Contact Page –  A Contact form is required, see below.
    d.  Blog Page –  Page is used as place holder for setting up the static pages.  No text is required not the blog page.  Note:  This is not a blog post.
    e. Resume Page – Add your resume, required
    f. Portfolio  – Add your portfolio work (This page can be blank with a note work will be added. You should add outstanding work on this page.)

  • Static Home page – Required
    Go to WordPress static home page tutorial.
  • General Settings – Required
    Go to WordPress General Settings tutorial.
  • Header Image – Required – Must replace the default header image (Banner image)
    Go to WordPress Header Image tutorial.
  • Menu or Navigation – Required
    Go to WordPress Menu tutorial.
  • Categories and Tags – Requires for all posts
    Go to WordPress Categories and Tags tutorial.

One blog post with 200 words
Or Two blog posts with 100 words each

Posts/Blog Posts and post types- Required

No less than 200 words required for the one or two blog posts (see above)  along with the required post types listed below. This must be original work, not plagiarized.
Posts or blog posts are  the heart of a WordPress site.  Posts are stamped with a date, pages are static, such as the about, home or contact page.

Required Posts types –  The writing must be your own and you must have the right to publish photos or other images on your website.

The blog posts must include:
– Text (see requirements listed above)
– Hyperlink example on each blog
– Photo on each blog
– Embedded video on at least one blog
– Photo gallery on at least one blog

Tutorials for Posts and post types – All required unless noted
Create First Post or Blog Post – Go to WordPress tutorial about create a post with visual and text editors.
Hyperlink, Link –  Go to WordPress tutorial to create hyperlink.
Photos – Go to tutorial about adding photos to posts and pages in WordPress.
****Make sure you give photo credit to all photographs on your WordPress site, including photos you created, own the rights to, and photos you do not.
Photo Attribution – Go to tutorial about giving credit to images or photos in WordPress or any website.
Proceed with caution – You must have the right to publish photos you did not create and give proper attributions to all images on your website, no exceptions.  This is handled the same as plagiarism.  See details in class syllabus.

Photo Gallery – Go to tutorial about creating photo gallery in WordPress.
Flickr Photos, optional –  Go to tutorial about adding photos from Flickr in WordPress.
Embed YouTube – Go to tutorial about embedding YouTube video in WordPress.
Embed Vimeo Video, optional, but recommended – Link to tutorial Vimeo for WordPress.
Instagram, optional – Embed Instagram photos and video, optional

Grading Rubric

Possible Errors, Minor:  – 1 point

  • Missing Post requirements with examples of text, hyperlink, photo, video and photo gallery.  This cannot be all in one blog post, but a series of blog examples.
  • Missing Contact page with Contact form
  • Missing Featured images for required themes
  • Missing Categories and Tags on all posts
  • Tyo
  • Other minor errors

Possible Errors, Moderate:  – 2 points

  • Header Image missing or set as WordPress default
  • Missing Menu, navigation, or required pages missing from navigation
  • Missing Social Media sharing
  • Other moderate error

Possible Errors, Major:  – 3 points or more

  • Missing required Pages:  Home or Welcome page, About, Contact, Blog, Resume, Portfolio
  • Menu is not functioning or is missing
  • Missing  four required posts showing examples of the following post types:
    Text
    Hyperlink
    Photo
    Embedded video
    Photo gallery
  • Pages missing content
  • Site name and tagline not customized, still set on default settings, along with other General Settings
  • Missing Widgets on Footer or Sidebar
  • Other major error