Today’s Goals:
- Successfully log into your computer and change your password
- Review computer responsibility and tools for every class
- Continue learning WordPress, one of the most popular content management systems in the world
- Start using WordPress by adding content to your page on the class website
Key skills you’ll learn:
- WordPress basics: logging in, editing a page, and adding text, images, and links
Today’s featured website:
- http://omgspace.net/ – – Travel through space without leaving your browser! Also, it wouldn’t be September without another Apple Launch .
Setting up your computer
- Being responsible:
- The computer you have in front of you is yours for the rest of the year. TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT!
- You are responsible for this computer. If you wreck your computer, either physically or by downloading something that you did not have permission to download, then you will have nothing to use in class. If you don’t have a computer, you won’t be able to participate in class, which will result in an F. Please treat your computer with respect. I will make updates and fix things as we go along. I expect you to use the computer for class purposes only. I have seen students download viruses and malware when playing certain games or visiting certain sites; please be aware of what you’re doing and always ask me first.
- You can change the desktop background if you want.
- It is an excellent idea to right now create a folder on the desktop with your name. Right click on the desktop and go to New, then Folder. You will put all of your class work in this folder.
- Logging in:
- Lenovo Thinkpad ONLY- just click your name. Your password is your first name in all lowercase letters. You will be prompted to change your password the first time you log in.
- HP Computers (most of you)– On log-on screen, hit ctrl alt del. Then choose switch user.
- Your user name is MHS-WEBCLASS-S#\First Name. I used nicknames for some students (Dom, Nick, Kenny, Joe, Zayn)
Example: MHS-WEBCLASS-S9\Jen. Check for your computer number on the front of your laptop cover on a white sticker. The back slash button is above the Enter key on your keyboard. MHS-WEBCLASS-S# can be all lower (mhs-webclass-s#) or upper case letters. - Your password is your first name in all lowercase letters (again, I used nicknames for some students, see above). You will be prompted to change this the first time you log in.
- Since your are sharing your computers with another class, you will have to go through this log-in process every time- switching the user and then entering the username and password.
Tools for every class:
- Your laptop, which you will take great care of this year!
- Chrome or Firefox browser (your choice unless I specify which one I want you to use)
- Class website: www.mhswebdesign.com, click on Class Work from top menu, then click on that day’s post at very top of page
- Notepad++ (when coding)
WordPress
- WordPress overview: I’ll show you the basics of how the page editor is set up and how you would add text, images, and links. Also see: stats on popularity of WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc.
- Respect and responsibility: You will ONLY edit your page and won’t modify, edit, or touch anything else on the class website.
- Logging in:
- Go to this link
- User name is first name, password is whatever you chose when I had you set up your account.
- Find your page: from the Dashboard, click Pages in the left menu, then type your first name in the white search box on the top left and hit enter. When you find your name, point your mouse to it and then click Edit below your name. You should now see your page editor.
- Adding content:
- Write a little bit about yourself: hobbies, interests, family, favorite food/music/tv/movies, sports, random quotes, favorite celebrities, teams, clubs, etc.
- Need images? Feel free to take some from your social media accounts. You can also grab royalty-free stock images from: https://unsplash.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or Bing.com (do image search, then choose free to share and use under filter).
- Make sure you hit the blue Update button frequently to save your work!
- When you’re done:
- Use the Checklist for Success below to review your page when you think you’re done.
WordPress Checklist for Success
- Make sure you do the following to end up in the “wildly successful”, A-range category.
- Wildly successful (A-range):
- Moderately successful (B/C-range):
- Student includes 4-6 pieces of information
- Student includes 1-2 images
- Student includes at least 1 link
- Not so successful (C or lower-range):
- Student includes 1-3 pieces of information
- Student includes 0-1 images
- Student doesn’t add any links