Getting Started with WordPress

David Groganedtech@tufts.edu

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Goals of this SessionAt this end of this session you should know:– What WordPress is.– How to create a new WordPress site.– The basics of:

• Changing the look and feel.• Adding content.• Adding additional functionality• Where to get support.

WordPress• Is a content publishing tool for the web. Originally designed as

a “blogging” tool, it is now a fully featured, custom website, creation tool.

• Is good for:

– Rapid development of and attractive, easy to use, publicly accessible web sites.

– Mixing blog content with static content for an informative and up-to-date “news” type web site.

WordPress – Tufts Examples

Overview1. Creating a new site.2. Changing it’s theme (e.g. how it looks)3. Adding pages and menus.4. Adding blog items and moving the blog page.5. Adding widgets.6. Adding plugins.7. Free for all!

Step 1: Creating a new site1. Go to http://spark.uit.tufts.edu2. Login using your Tufts Username and Password3. Select “blogs/websites (WordPress) from the Get Started box.4. Click on “Create New”5. Give your site an address e.g. sites.tufts.edu/davidtest6. Give your site a name (title): e.g. David’s Test Site7. Press “Create Site”.8. Click on “admin dashboard”9. Click on “settings > privacy”10. Select “I would like my site to be only visible to users that I give permission to”11. Click “Save Changes”12. Click site name on top menu to see the “readers” view of your new site.

Step 2: Setting Your Site’s Theme1. Go to your site’s dashboard (click on “dashboard” link at

top).2. Go to “Appearance > Themes”3. “Preview” your site in the different themes.4. “Activate” the theme you’d like to use.5. For this session use “Twenty Ten”6. Select “Appearance > Header”

Step 3: Adding Page and Menus1. Go to your site’s dashboard.2. Trash “Sample Page”3. Click “Add New” 4. Give your page a title (e.g. “About”)5. Add content to the page.6. Press “Publish”7. Do it again!8. Go to “Appearance > Menus”9. Give you menu a name (e.g. Main Menu)10. Press “Create Menu”11. Add your pages to the menu and sort them the way you want.12. Press “Save Menu”13. Select “Main Menu” for “Primary Navigation”14. Press “Save”15. Visit your site!

Step 3: Adding Page and Menus1. Go to your site’s dashboard.2. Trash “Sample Page”3. Click “Add New” 4. Give your page a title (e.g. “Home”)5. Add content to the page.6. Press “Publish”7. Do it again! Add a page called “News” and a page called “About”8. Go to “Appearance > Menus”9. Give you menu a name (e.g. Main Menu)10. Press “Create Menu”11. Add your pages to the menu and sort them the way you want.12. Press “Save Menu”13. Select “Main Menu” for “Primary Navigation”14. Press “Save”15. Visit your site!

Step 4: Blog Posts1. Go to your site’s dashboard.2. Click on “Posts”3. Trash the “Hello World!” post.4. “Add new” post.5. Give your post a title.6. Add some content.7. Press “Publish”8. Visit your site.9. Go to your site’s dashboard10. Go to “Settings > Reading”11. Change “Front Page Displays” to “static page” and select “home”.12. Change “posts page” to “News”13. Press “Save Changes”14. Visit your site.

Step 5: Widgets1. Go to your site’s dashboard.2. Go to “Appearance > Widgets”3. Drag off the widgets you don’t want.4. Drag a “Text” widget onto the Primary Widget Area5. Give your new widget a title (e.g. “Contact”)6. Add content (e.g. Email: david.grogan@tufts.edu)7. Press “save”8. Visit your site.

Step 6: Plugins1. Go to your site’s dashboard.2. Click on “Plugins”3. Activate “FaceBook Share (new)4. View your site.5. Go to your site’s dashboard.6. Click on “Facebook Share”7. Change settings.8. Click on “Save Change”9. View site.

Things to Explore1. Tags and categories.2. Embedding media (images, audio, video) into your content.3. The Pagelines theme (http://www.pagelines.com)

The only thing you really need to remember is: edtech@tufts.edu

Email if you have any questions or need help setting up your site.