This blog is an example of the type of blog students will produce using WordPress hosting. You can have as many posts as you like. These work best as short pieces. You can also create a small number of pages. Pages suit a longer piece such as an essay, or static content. Depending on your choice of theme, tabs linking to pages will usually be arranged at the top, sometimes at the side.
I will use this example blog to demonstrate how to upload files and edit your blog. You are free to experiment with different themes and plug-ins. Generally, changing the theme re-arranges all the elements without mishap. At least as far as loss of text is concerned. Usability can suffer, but unlike a traditional website, you can change your mind about the design without the overhead of re-design and re-coding.
Writing into the web form provided by the WordPress control panel can be awkward. You can write in any text editor or word processor if you prefer. This will also give you a backup copy. Save your work in plain text or rich text format, because any text formatting which is picked up by the WordPress HTML will be difficult to unscramble.
As we progress we will add tags and categories, so the example blog develops in parallel with your own.
This course is primarily about developing student’s analytic and academic writing skills. The blog is just a tool to encourage everyone to get started with short written pieces. I can then offer feedback and support in class.
Further course resources will be available from another location. I will give you the links in the lectures.