I’ve written before about the importance of maintaining a class blog and encouraging your students to post content.
I’ve also shared ways to make this process as easy as possible.
Now, if you use WordPress, there’s an even easier way to make this happen. With WordPress for Android, students can post directly from their phone.
That’s right: Students no longer have to use a computer and log on your class blog. The clunkiness is gone.
This is a huge development. Here are a couple reasons why:
1. More content. Having to use a computer to access the back end of a blog is tedious and not user-friendly, especially for students who dislike technology. But everybody likes their phone! I’m certain that students are more likely to post if they can do so wherever and whenever they like.
2. Quick pics. Who doesn’t like photos? Adding a picture is the easiest thing ever. All students have to do is snap their photo and then share it to WP. It’s very quick and almost as easy as Instagram.
Unfortunately, the app doesn’t allow direct video embedding. I took a short video and uploaded it, and the result was a hyperlink. No good. My students will have to stick with our automatic YouTube uploader, which is a little harder to use and sometimes unreliable.
Still, I’m pretty impressed by WordPress for Android. It’s a free app, and students have to fill in their user credentials just once to use it. I highly recommend the app to teachers with WordPress class blogs.
I’ve seen a lot of posts from you this weekend trying out new tech for your classroom. Always great to see a teacher willing to work on growing even (especially) over the summer.
It’s funny, John — I think I’m forgetting that I’m not a teacher this year. But if any of the teachers I work with like tech, I can offer some pointers. Hope you’re enjoying your summer.
I’m still struggling with using word press in the classroom — or building a WordPress site in general. Though I see the power in using it. Planning, developing, and implementing a blog/website takes time and as a teacher time is hard to fine when most our time is planning, evaluating, and setting up. I’m trying out a Moodle Site and as I am delving into the program, it has a lot of tool that saves time when front load planning and building is done during the summer. More news on Moodle later as I will be implementing that in the upcoming school year.
Your websites have always been impressive, Jacob. And yes, they take a lot of time. I’m finding that once I made my WordPress blog more interactive, I was no longer the one who needed to post content all the time.
That said, WordPress isn’t the best for formal sites that involve teacher-generated content and curriculum. Unless, of course, you have a page linked to your shared Google Drive folder of stuff, which I did last year.
I’d love to hear more about your Moodle experiment!