Archives for February 2016

by on 2016-02-08

Getting Started on Portfolios

This is the post for the Monday, February 8, 2016 class meeting.

Frog Meme, with caption, I find your WordPress site ribbiting.Today we’re diving into WordPress and learning about some of the features built into the publishing tools. By the end of today’s session, you should have created a WordPress site.

Creating Your Site

If you have used WordPress before, you are free to work at your own pace. Otherwise, follow along as we complete these tasks:

  1. Remember that your blog will be public, so think of a URL and a professional name that you can share with the world.
  2. Choose one of the following options, depending upon whether you have used WordPress.com before:
    • If you have never used Blogs@VT before, sign up for your own blog.
      • Enter a Username and Email address. Leave "Gimme a site" marked. Click the Next button.
      • Choose the Site Name (which cannot be changed) and Site Title. Leave everything else at the defaults. Click the Signup button.
      • Go to your vt.edu email address, find the activation email, and click the link inside to finish setting up your blog.
    • If you have used Blogs@VT before, log in.
      • Click My Sites at the top left side of the page.
      • Click the "Add New" button at the top of page, beside the My Sites header.
      • Choose the Site Name (which cannot be changed) and Site Title. Leave everything else at the defaults. Click the Signup button.

Setting Up the Basics for Your Site

  • Go to the Users tab on the left and then choose Your Profile to update your profile and login information. You can change the way that your name is listed with each post, for instance. You can also change your password on this page.
  • Go through the Settings tab and update the information. In particular, be sure that you do the following:
    • Go to the General setting and fix the timezone. You can also change the Tagline here.
    • Go to the Discussion setting and decide when you want the site to email you.
  • Don’t worry about the menus or sidebars. We’ll work on that Wednesday.

Creating Your First Post

  • Go to the Posts tab on the left and then choose Add New.
  • For the "Enter title here" field, choose one of these options, filling in the blank with whatever makes sense for your goals:
    • Why I Want to Be A/An ___________
    • Why I Want to ___________
    • Why I Love ___________

    For instance, I might use the title, Why I Want to Be A Teacher, Why I Want to Teach, or Why I Love Teaching.

  • Click on the Text tab if you want to code your own HTML.
  • In the body, tell readers about your career decision. This is just a first draft. You will update the page later.
  • Use the toolbar to add any formatting or links.
  • Click the Publish button in the right sidebar to save your page and make it live.
  • Go to your blog’s homepage, and your post should be on the front page.

If you need help creating posts, watch these Lynda.com videos:

In-Class Writing

Go to Quizzes in Canvas and choose the "WordPress Site Address" quiz to post the address of your WordPress site. I will use the link to check that you have your blog created and have written a draft of your first post, and to set up a megablog (sometimes called a motherblog) that includes everyone’s updates.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

  • If you didn’t complete your "WordPress Site Address" quiz in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 6 PM Tuesday (2/9).

For Wednesday’s session (2/10), do the following before class:

  • Outline your site, either on paper or using something like Word or Google Docs. Account for the following in your outline:
    • The menus you want to have, and what kinds of information will go under them.
    • What will appear on your homepage (Will it be static or changing? Lots of images or lots of words?)
    • What artifacts of your work/qualifications do you want to include?
    • Features you saw on the sites you gathered as examples.
  • Begin the process of exploring themes for your site:
    • Go to the Appearance tab on the left, and choose Themes.
    • Try the Live Preview to see test out a theme.
    • Choose the Save & Activate to apply the Theme and any changes you have made to your site.
    • Don’t worry about menus or how the sidebars work for now.
  • If you need help, try the WordPress Documentation and FAQs. Try contacting 4Help if you need additional help outside of class. Also remember that you can use the step-by-step WordPress Tutorials & Training at Lynda.com.

 
Last updated on 8th February, 2016, 12:25 PM
Filed Under: Class Notes Tagged With: ,
by on 2016-02-05

Project 2 Overview

This is the post for the Friday, February 5, 2016 class meeting.

Absences and Other Issues

Sick Lolcat under blankets with the caption, Ai habs a bad Cold. Stay away. But first bwing meh sum books, sum snaks, Mr. Skweezy-Bear, and turn on da Tee-Bee.Several of you have talked verbally to me about missing class for some reason (e.g., a funeral, a job interview, etc.). If you have not already done so, will you please email me with the information (even if the missed class has already happened) and tell me which class you are in. I track that information so that I can make sense of the attendance data in Canvas. Try as I might, I can’t keep track of all the individual conversations.

Also remember that you never need to ask me what you missed. Just come to this website and read the post for that day. Be sure that you complete any in-class writings/quizzes that you have missed before the grace period ends.

Questions about Project 2

We’ll use the same strategy that we used for Project 1. Go to the document for your class, and add any questions you have about Project 2. I’ll use your questions to guide the information we discuss for the project.

Portfolio Examples

We’ll get back into the same groups we used on Wednesday and look at one site from each of these collections:

As a group, analyze the positives and negatives, reflecting on the information we collected about good websites on Wednesday:

Be prepared to share three things you like about the portfolio your group examines and at least one thing you would change to improve it.

In-Class Writing

Go to Discussions in Canvas and choose the "Portfolios to Emulate" discussion. Follow the instructions to share the three sites you found for homework. You will make one post with your three site and then at least one reply to someone else. You can use the find command in your browser to find others in the class with similar career goals and/or interests.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

  • If you didn’t complete your "Portfolios to Emulate" discussion posts in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 6:00 PM Sunday (2/7).

For Monday’s session (9/14), do the following before class:

  • Watch these Lynda.com videos to learn some basic information about WordPress, which we will begin using Monday. :

    Focus on the basics of what the tool is and what it is capable of doing. We’ll go over the technical aspects in class. Note that you will NOT have to install WordPress since we are using the university’s multisite version.

  • Think about a name and the kind of design you would like for your site. You will set a site name and a site URL on Monday.

  • Begin taking (or finding) photos you can use to illustrate your blog.
    • You can use your identity image for your About page, but you will need more images.
    • Take some photos (or identify photos you have already taken) that will work with the name and design you are thinking of and upload them to some place like Flickr or Instagram so you can get to them in the classroom.
    • If you find images that you did not take, ensure that they are licensed for your use and keep track of where you found them.


 
Last updated on 5th February, 2016, 1:29 AM
Filed Under: Class Notes Tagged With:
by on 2016-02-03

Characteristics of a Good Website

This is the post for the Wednesday, February 3, 2016 class meeting.

Willy Wonka meme, with caption 'I love how your website is impossible to read on my smartphone.'Seating Chart

If you weren’t in class on Monday, check in with me so that I can add you to the seating chart.

Discussing What Makes a Website Good

Based on the information from the lynda.com videos you watched for homework and your own experience, brainstorm answers to the two questions below on your computer or on paper. You will share the characteristics you list with a small group and then potentially with the whole class.

  • What are three things that make a good website?
  • What are three things that make a website that looks good?

After everyone has some notes, we’ll work in groups to combine lists, aiming for five items for each list. Someone in your group will need to work as a notetaker and email me (tengrrl@vt.edu) your group’s list of five things for each question.

We’ll end by combining the different group lists into a collected class list.

In-Class Writing

Go to the Quizzes tool in Canvas and take the "Suzanne Collins Analysis" quiz.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

  • If you didn’t complete your "Suzanne Collins Analysis" quiz in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 6 PM Thursday (2/4).

For Friday’s session (2/5), do the following before class:

  • Read the assignment for Project 2: Build a Portfolio. Note any questions that you have about the assignment to ask in class. Save technical questions for next week.

  • Find three portfolio-style sites that you like and want to emulate. Find sites where the authors show their work and/or their qualifications in their field. Be ready to post your links and say what you want to emulate on Friday. Some examples:
    • If you are a creative writer, look for the websites of some writers you admire. Be sure you admire the website. Admiring the writer is optional.
    • If you are a journalist, look for the homepage of some journalists.
    • If you are a teacher, look for the websites of some teachers.

    One rule: Don’t choose any site of mine. I want to avoid any awkward strangeness.


 
Last updated on 3rd February, 2016, 2:30 AM
Filed Under: Class Notes Tagged With:
by on 2016-02-01

Peer Review and Submission for Project 1

This is the post for the Monday, February 1, 2016 class meeting.

Seating Chart

Today, be sure that you are sitting in the seat you will use for the rest of the term, so that I can set up the seating chart in Canvas (which will help me take attendance and learn your names).

Peer Review Cat Tears Ur Paper ApartImportant Dates

  • Today: Peer review; Project due by 11:59 PM
  • Monday, 2/8: End of grace period. Work must be submitted by 11:59 PM

Peer Review Activity

Today’s peer review is just a short activity where you look over each other’s papers and provide each other verbal feedback. Please complete these steps:

  • Pair up with someone else in class. You may have to work in threes if we have an odd number of people in class.
  • Share your projects with one another, using whatever method is easiest. You can probably simply read one another’s screens.
  • Provide feedback on the following:
    • Check the title of the file and document. Let your partner know if it is unique, clear, and effective.
    • If you notice any spelling errors, punctuation errors, or typos, point them out, but please focus more on the content rather than editing.
    • Look at the image and the explanatory statement. Comment on at least three things your classmate does well and at least three things that your classmate could improve on. If you aren’t sure what to comment on, refer to the tips below.
  • Be sure you end your conversation with a bit of encouragement.
  • Make any corrections or changes that you want to improve your work before submitting it.

Ten Tips for Project 1

  1. Wrap the text around the image, unless you have a specific reason not to (such as the image is too wide).
  2. Crop your image to eliminate distractions and focus on the important visual information.
  3. Make sure that the image and the explanatory text work together to create a unified message.
  4. Be sure that there are no unintended hidden messages in your image.
  5. Ensure that the text on the image is legible and that the image is clear (not blurry or unfocused, unless that is the point).
  6. Try to use the visual information in the image as a guide for where to place the text on the image.
  7. If appropriate, use the image and text to build a sequence or suggest a story.
  8. Include a photo credit if you did not take the image yourself.
  9. Refer to the Ten Design Tips and 20 Most Common Errors for more help.
  10. Compare your work to the rubric on the assignment page in Canvas.

 

Submitting Your Project

Once you have revised your profile, follow the submission instructions to upload your work, add the reflection comments, and submit your work. Your project is due by 11:59 PM tonight. If you are using the grace period, you have until 11:59 PM on Monday, 2/8 to submit your work.

Homework

For Wednesday’s session (2/3), do the following before class:


 
Last updated on 31st January, 2016, 10:55 PM
Filed Under: Class Notes