Starting a blog site can be daunting, but think of this as a starting point, a building block that you can use to begin the construction of a blog that will grow and develop as your blogging skills and fluencies develop. This starting block will hopefully shape your trajectory while providing a playful and engaging way to make something special with the available technologies and the particular affordances they provide.

Let’s make a mess. Let’s begin building.

In the words of Alan Levine (whom you may meet through many of the materials for this workshop and perhaps even on the web) “Creating a website in WordPress installation is a lot like getting a box of LEGOs. It’s flexible. It allows your imagination to run wild. It can also be a bit intimidating. Even if it’s not intimidating, it can be time consuming if you have a very specific thing site you want to build. So getting a new, plain vanilla, fresh WordPress installation is like having your LEGOs and dumping the box on the floor.” (from LEGOs, WordPress and SPLOTs)

The Building Blocks of Blogging with WordPress – a series of workshops

Framed by the Edith Lando Virtual Learning Center mandate and principles, this series of two, 90 minute workshops are an opportunity to learn as you play with the basic building blocks found within the WordPress box of blogging blocks. There will be opportunities to thinking critically about why, how, who, when, and where blogging can support K-12 educators, leaders, and learners. Examining your ‘why’ will help build connections to BC K-12 curriculum and important topics such as digital literacy, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.  You will experience blogging through unique WordPress sites, templates, and constructions available through UBCBlogs, OpenETC, and WordPress.com. You can build from a template, a pre-set clone-able site or start with a DIY design. There will be building blocks for novice and experienced bloggers. Some digital proficiency is suggested but not required. A playful mindset is essential. 

Blogging can be fun and exciting when constructed over time, while exploring the building blocks of web design. These 90 minute workshops will be ‘facilitated conversations and creation spaces’ where you can begin or continue building a blog while gaining insights into the sometimes complex and complicated digital world of classroom, professional, or personal blogging. Throughout the workshop, you will be asked to ‘find your WHY’ (Sinek, 2020) in order to bring purpose and meaning to the blogging process, production, and product.