WordPress is a solid tool to create a quality blog or help you run a business website. Students looking to get into the tech field may want to learn how to utilize this content management system. Think about how you can help get the foundation down to create their web properties. Here are some solid tips for teaching WordPress basics to students.
Start With the Dashboard
It's better to understand the foundation with a program like learning fuze. After they log into the site, they'll see the dashboard has many possibilities. Help them grasp various menu items and what they mean.
Tell everything in detail to help them remember everything. You want your students to learn what to click on to do specific commands. Maybe they want to see them interact on their site.
Have your students look at the posts, pages, comments, and users. Get them to understand how to edit comments and delete spam. Also, you may have them work with a partner.
They can assign admin privileges for two people to do any posting, editing, and other things to create a better site.
Show Them Quality Examples of WordPress Sites
If they want to create a blog site telling the news, maybe you should show them how the New York Times, CNN, or TechCrunch looks. Students will get a better idea of their capabilities using this software. These sites look neat, organized, and fast.
Also, they don't have too much flashy content, but they get millions of views every month. It shows them that quality and function reign supreme over having a flashy-looking site. It'll give them a goal to build and create a WordPress site that people want to visit and stay for a while.
When they have a real-world example, it'll give them more confidence that this is something they can do. Also, it'll apply to a career choice your students may want to have for the future. Showing them what can happen when they work on something like this will probably unlock a passion they never noticed.
Not to mention, it'll keep them interested in learning the basics to get better with the complex concepts of building a WordPress site.
Help Go Over the Features
It takes time to get the students to understand what this system offers. You might want to create a site where you can explain the rundown of WordPress. The working features make it easier to teach and show the coding side.
It'll help them become familiar with the language used on WordPress for developing the front and back end of the site. Not to mention, you can use this as a litmus test to experiment with various system elements. When they start to grasp the ins and outs of this system, they can start using their creativity to develop a unique niche site.
It also shows you their strengths and weaknesses with getting the basics. You can spend more time going over the problematic areas to keep them from following behind.
Use Video Tutorials
Sometimes explaining it through words and images won't be enough. Remember, you may have students that learn better through videos. It'll give them the audio and visual components to help bring a complete picture.
You may find experts who can explain specific concepts more in detail to beginners. It'll save you time because you don't have to spend the whole class explaining the little details. You can use the tutorials as supplementary information that your students can learn outside of the classroom.
The advantage is they can practice at home at their pace to refresh things. Videos are easier to digest and help them get a step-by-step tutorial on topics they went over in class. It's a solid learning tool to cover any gaps they may have missed during the lecture.
Also, they can send you an email or go through a live chat to speak to you after class. Students can reference the video to make it easier to get on the same page. You might create a dialogue with other students who have the same issue.
Separate Each Skill Into Sectors
If none of your class has experience creating a WordPress site, turn it into a mini curriculum. One day, you'll cover how to edit content and a theme. The next day, you'll talk about doing meta tags to help increase search engine traffic.
You want to spend enough time on each topic to prevent the subject matter from going over their heads. Consider different techniques to tell them how to do everything in the simplest terms. You want the course to be like them learning their ABCs to work to more complex things.
Another good thing about taking things step-by-step is you have the chance to answer questions. It's better to spend a little bit more time on one thing before moving to something else. You don't want your class getting lost in the beginning.
Helping your students learn WordPress basics can help them excel in other technology courses. You help them become familiar with entry-level coding, speaking to a global audience, and understanding how to provide information with a creative twist.
Use your teachings to help them tap into their abilities and find something they enjoy putting on an online platform. It can help them gain some unique skills they'll use later in their careers.