WordPress for Teaching and Learning
Baynard Bailey
Vassar College
bit.ly/nercomp_wordpress2013
Event Goals:
WordPress Basics
& Class Blogging Tips� �Goals:
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY �Small Liberal Arts College�2300 or so students, 55% F, 45% M�
Big Picture
Digital Literacy
Digital Citizen
& Digital Natives
Connectivity
Technical Expertise
in the Liberal Arts
Superb Experts and the Battery Challenged��
�"If we're in a digital age, we had better try to be digital citizens"
@GardnerCampbell keynote #fsi2012
Image used by creative commons license of Cristóbal Cobo Romaní
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ergonomic/3363073562/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Brief History of WordPress at Vassar
FacStaff
Plone
Joomla, Expression Engine
WordPress
ACS Vision Statement Excerpt
Building on Vassar’s tradition of teaching and learning in an intimate setting, as well as its important focus on interdisciplinary connections, learning technologies will increasingly enhance the rich academic experience of the college community. …
Digital technologies are transforming the nature of scholarly work in a fundamental way. Recognizing this, educational technologists will focus on developing a high level of digital literacy in our academic community, particularly the ability to create, share and evaluate information using learning technologies.
http://blogs.vassar.edu/acs/about-acs/
Why WordPress?
Publishing Platform
Blogs
Customizable
Extensible
Blog Requests For Classes
Ideal Order of Operations:
1. Request a Blog Form (keeps College Relations in the Loop)
2. One or more consultations with faculty before class
3. Workshop for the class
4. Follow up consultations with faculty or students
Faculty Consult Checklist (10 Tips)
1. Discuss & set expectations / learning goals�
Faculty Consult Checklist (10 Tips)
1. Discuss & set expectations / learning goals�� 2. Encourage faculty to contribute content (modeling)��
Faculty Consult Checklist (10 Tips)
1. Discuss & set expectations / learning goals�� 2. Encourage faculty to contribute content (modeling)��3. Have blog activity incorporated into the grading structure�
Faculty Consult Checklist (10 Tips)
1. Discuss & set expectations / learning goals�� 2. Encourage faculty to contribute content (modeling)��3. Have blog activity incorporated into the grading structure��4. Vary posting and commenting��
Faculty Consult Checklist (10 Tips)
1. Discuss & set expectations / learning goals�� 2. Encourage faculty to contribute content (modeling)��3. Have blog activity incorporated into the grading structure��4. Vary posting and commenting��5. Write prompts carefully
Faculty Consult Checklist (10 Tips)
6. Encourage heavy feedback, especially early on
Faculty Consult Checklist (10 Tips)
6. Encourage heavy feedback, especially early on
7. Share with the world / write for a broader audience
Faculty Consult Checklist (10 Tips)
6. Encourage heavy feedback, especially early on
7. Share with the world / write for a broader audience
8. Encourage them to meet again and emphasize WP as a discovery process
Faculty Consult Checklist (10 Tips)
6. Encourage heavy feedback, especially early on
7. Share with the world / write for a broader audience
8. Encourage them to meet again and emphasize WP as a discovery process
9. Add users beforehand, have students do some writing before a class visit
Faculty Consult Checklist (10 Tips)
6. Encourage heavy feedback, especially early on
7. Share with the world / write for a broader audience
8. Encourage them to meet again and emphasize WP as a discovery process
9. Add users beforehand, have students do some writing before a class visit
10. Make site user-friendly
WorkShop Contents
Skills:
Logging in
Demo:
Concepts:
WordPress as a discovery process / Work in Progress
Using Categories
Privacy Settings
Site Management (recruit)
Discussion settings (comments)
Recruiting a Student Admin
Support & Process
Homegrown Support Site: http://pages.vassar.edu/help/
WordPress Codex: http://codex.wordpress.org/
Teach "Googling" for help, Leveraging Support
Often WordPress is used in conjunction with a class developing or curating Media Rich Content
Site Renamed: pages.vassar.edu
Support Challenge: Constant Updates
Why is WordPress working?
Matches Student and Faculty Needs, solves problems
- customizable and extensible
- quick and easy websites
- great for end of year projects
- different dynamic than the LMS experience (audience)
WordPress Class Examples
VAST Stories http://pages.vassar.edu/vast-stories
Casperkill Watershed http://pages.vassar.edu/casperkill/
Moby Dick http://pages.vassar.edu/engl177/
Queer of Color Glossary https://pages.vassar.edu/queerofcolorglossary/
Citizen Girls http://pages.vassar.edu/citizen-girls/
French Digital Storytelling http://pages.vassar.edu/ffs-digital-storytelling/
Comparative Education http://pages.vassar.edu/ffs-digital-storytelling/
Physics 341 http://pages.vassar.edu/magnes/
What value does WP provide for teaching and learning?
Writing for a Broader Audience
"I think most students get more excited about it, and do better work. Some prefer to remain anonymous, but they still know that many people will be reading what they write. Some posts on the site have had thousands of “hits” (people who open the page), and all of them are guaranteed at least a core audience of students in the course." Nick De Leeuw
Digital Landscape - outside of Education writing is web-based
Job Opportunities
Characteristics of “Digital Natives”
Dan Pankraz, a youth planning specialist for a digital marketing agency in Sydney, Australia, says there are five main characteristics of Generation C:
Multiple Intelligence Theory
Bloom's Skill Pyramid
Examples of Setting Expectations
Evaluation Guidelines
More Examples in Teaching & Learning
http://pages.vassar.edu/chestercycle/
http://blogs.vassar.edu/aacvr-germany
http://intro2psych.wordpress.com/ Community & Guidelines
http://blogs.vassar.edu/amcl301/ Media Rich Posts/ Sharing Capstone Ideas
Institutional Growth
Transformation & Growth
- team has increased from a couple of people to 15 (optimistic)
- bi weekly meetings
- establishing protocols for production server and our development server
- added to our HelpDesk/Ticketing System
WordPress Team
Director of ACS, 3 ACS members,
CIS – Director & Assoc. Dir. of Networking, Assoc. Director of Networking, Director of Administrative Information Services
Potentially Nine of our student multimedia developers
Overall: Increased use for classes and for faculty professional sites
Director of Administrative Information Services
“Gravity forms has been an amazing tool for us to use in moving from paper to online forms. We are currently using it in the Financial Aid, Dean of Studies, Development, Finance, Campus Life, and Student Career offices. I expect its use to continue to grow, especially as we evaluate business processes while implementing the Banner Workflow module.”
Professional Sites�& Implementation of Builder Themes
http://pages.vassar.edu/isf/
http://pages.vassar.edu/scivis/
http://pages.vassar.edu/joschwarz/
http://pages.vassar.edu/schlessman/
Part of this effort: Avoid CSS Hacking for Individual Professors, Reduce Theme Inventory
Discussion / Q&A
What features do in WordPress are most attractive / useful for teaching and learning?
What have been some stumbling blocks for using WordPress for teaching and Learning?
What tips would you share with your colleagues?
The Future? A Digital Commons? Ted Talks, VSA
�
WordPress for �Teaching and Learning
Baynard Bailey
Academic Computing Consultant
Vassar College
babailey@vassar.edu
baynard@gmail.com
pages.vassar.edu/acs
WordPress for �Teaching and Learning�NERCOMP Event�Norwood, MA�October 9, 2013
Baynard Bailey
Academic Computing Consultant
Vassar College
babailey@vassar.edu
Evaluation:
http://bit.ly/nercomp_wordpress2013