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Beyond Blogging. Using WordPress as a platform for innovation in teaching & scholarship. What does blogging mean to you?. 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
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Beyond Blogging Using WordPress as a platform for innovation in teaching & scholarship
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
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
.eduvs .com http://sites.jmu.edu/ 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 • 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
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 • WordPressoften complements a Blackboard (Canvas) course
Imagine… How will you use WordPress for teaching and learning?
It takes a village • Server administrators • WordPress application administrators • Web designers • Instructional designers • Trainer • Customers (faculty and students)