The assignment is to create a WordPress portfolio site that will help with your job search, internship applications, or grad school applications. You should be using the blogs.lt.vt.edu version of WordPress for this activity. You need the following required content:

• Posts: You need at least two posts on topics related to your career goals and portfolio topic.
• Pages: You need the following:
  • an about page, where you tell visitors about yourself. You can revise your identity statement for this page.
  • a site information page (like a colophon in a book), where you tell us about the tools you used and the design decisions you made. Be sure that you give credit for any resources (like an image) that you use.
  • pages necessary for your portfolio, such as pages for your creative works or essays you have written.

Lynda.com Videos on the Basics

• Posts vs. Pages
• Creating a new post
• Creating and formatting your first post with the content editor toolbar
• Using quick shortcuts to format text
• Creating and editing links
• Creating a page
• Using revisions (to restore something to a post or page)

Themes

If your Theme doesn’t work, the only real option is to change it to another Theme. Make sure that the text is legible, with adequate contrast. Be sure that the menus work properly, and that all the images appear correctly and blend in well with the rest of the site. Be sure to avoid distracting backgrounds.

Some Themes allow you to change nearly every color and font; others allow nothing. Look in the Customizer for the available options. Realize that if you do change the settings, you will need to test your site fully to make sure everything works properly. Try watching this Lynda.com video on Customizing your Theme for more help.

If you want your homepage to show something other than your blog posts, watch the Lynda.com video on Changing what the home page displays.

If you are using the Twenty-Fifteen theme, the Lynda.com video on the that theme can help you.

Menus

The number of menus and their location on the site will vary by Theme.

• Go to the Customizer, and click the Widgets tab.
• Choose an existing menu, or Add a menu.
• Use the Add items button to place pages, links, and other resources in your menus
• Arrange the items in your menu
  • Drag the items up and down until you have the order you want.
  • Drag the items left or right to arrange submenus.
• Choose a location for your menu (without a location the menu will not show on your site).
• Save and Publish the menu when you are done.
• Watch the Lynda.com video Creating and customizing menus if you need more information.

Your Theme may have a Social Menu that will add social media icons. You will need to connect your social media sites when you set up the menus.

Widgets

• Go to the Customizer, and click the Widgets tab.
• Click the Add Widgets button to see the options that are available.
  • Browse the list and try any that are interesting to you.
• Watch the Lynda.com video Using widgets if you need more information.

Plugins

Use Plugins to add functionality and special content to your site.

• Go to the Plugins tab on the left to see the tools that are available.
  • Browse the list and try any that are interesting to you.
  • Try the Visit plugin site link for more information on them.
  • Avoid any that require a premium ($$$) upgrade.
  • After they’re installed, look for settings or options; or look for more info in Widgets.
• Recommended Plugins:
  • JetPack: enables proofreading, Contact Forms, and more. Requires a WordPress.com account (Sign up).
  • Google Doc Embedder: embed PDF, MS Office, TIFF, and many other file types. Upload the file just like you upload an image and insert it in your page or post.
  • iframe: embed content from YouTube, Vimeo, SlideShare, SoundCloud, Twitter.

Images and Other Media

To add a image:

• Go to the Edit screen for a page or post that you want to add an image to.
• Click the Add Media button at the top (between the title and the toolbar).
• Click Upload Files.
• Navigate to your image (or drag it into the window), and click Open to upload it.
• Click the Insert into Page (or Insert into Post) button to add it.
• Click on the image to bring up buttons to change how it appears on your page.
• Be sure to Update the page or post to save the changes.
• Watch the Lynda.com video Adding images for more help.

To add several images to a gallery, watch the Lynda.com video on Creating image galleries.

If your Theme has a slider on the homepage, you may need to add featured images.

To add a YouTube video or other content, watch the Lynda.com video on Adding content from YouTube and similar sites.