What is it’s use?Wordpress is set up as a personal website for each user. Multisite feature that can be enabled for campus-wide use -makes individual WordPress accounts available to the entire campus community.

-offers authentication and security and allows the community to enter content either privately or on the web. Wordpress can also be considered an alternative to the Learning Management System (LMS).

-The discussion forums offered can help students interact with one another in a blog-like setting.

-help students to collaboratively enhance everyone’s performance. A tool that can help use Wordpress in school settings is ScholarPress,

-provides LMS features like a class dashboard, courseware, calendars,

assignment-handling, and a grade book.

Downsides-Unsure of use as blogging platform, web development tool or supplement to existing LMS-Some colleges don’t support the necessary Wordpress installation that allows connection to the LMS-Some students object because of the need to learn a new application that may not be used in the other courses

Future-Web publication and interaction through blogs between students and faculty have started a trend – writing that is increasingly open-Digressi.it -> add-on that allows paragraph style margin notes on blogs, essays, or articles-Anthologize -> authors can edit, reorder, and update their efforts before converting the entire collection to a file viewable by e-book reader-Viewable through mobile devices -> Onswipe plugin – magazine-style format for iPad or iPhone

Teaching and Learning

-Students encouraged to write for various audiences -Gives practice to their voices being heard and their views considered-Students may gather fans for their work because of the public approach-Job opportunities for same reason-Jumpstart for students to share their ideas and reflections to a broadened community

The Main Concept Wordpress is an online tool for sharing and publishing content. It allows users to post projects or papers and share them with fellow classmates or professors. With over 50 million users, Wordpress can support portfolios, news sites, departmental newsletters, alumni magazine and other spaces where members of colleges and universities can publish and share work. The website does not require much

technological skills and therefore has become a top emerging resource throughout places

of higher education.

Who is involved?

Colleges and universities encouraging faculty, staff, and students to become involved with Wordpress.

-University of Mary Washington- blogging communities in history, economics, freshman seminars, campus news, and Study abroad

-University of British Columbia-Buddypress plugin -> students can form specialized groups and set up discussion forums for classes, projects, teams, or social organizations

- City University of New York (CUNY)-23 individual colleges –CUNY Academic Common -seeks to foster a social space for students, teachers, courses, and open-source projects in the WordPress/BuddyPress environment

-Macaulay Honors College at CUNY-E-gateway->students begin building online personas, both academic and professional

A New Way to Connect: WordpressPresented by Jess Garris & Rebecca Birch