WordPress 101

This WordPress course runs on Sunday, June 22nd from 9:45am to 4:30pm with a 30-minute break for lunch.

This class is for beginners wanting to learn about using WordPress as a framework and content management system for a blog or website. You can arrive knowing nothing about WordPress and will leave knowing how to start up, build and manage a site.

The first hour of the first class will be a "Happiness Bar" dedicated to installing WordPress on students' hosting accounts. If you already have WordPress installed on a hosting account, or locally on your computer, feel free to arrive at 10:45.

We will cover the following:

• Intro to Wordpress, Installation, Security, Administration & Management: You'll learn how to install WordPress, gain an understanding of the admin interface and learn of how to manage site content.

• Widgets, Plugins, Themes & Customizing Themes: You'll learn how to install plugins and themes to add functionality and change the look of your site. You will also learn how to customize themes and theme frameworks.

The last 30 minutes of class will be one-on-one help for individual issues and any WP topics not covered in class.

Prerequisites:

All students MUST come to class with at least a WordPress compatible hosting account, preferably with WordPress already installed. If you do not already have WordPress up and running on your hosting account we will install it for you. We recommend InMotion Hosting (https://secure1.inmotionhosting.com/cgi-bin/gby/clickthru.cgi?id=girldevelopit&page=7) who are providing members with a 50% off annual hosting plan at $48 in addition to a 3-month guarantee (if you want to sign up for the class and decide to cancel, they will provide a full refund).

A basic understanding of HTML/CSS, and FTP is helpful, but it is NOT necessary. A follow-up WordPress theming class (http://www.meetup.com/Girl-Develop-It-Philadelphia/events/171135792/) is currently for Saturday, July 12th and Sunday, July 13th.

About Tracy Levesque, our Instructor:

Tracy Levesque is a co-owner of YIKES, Inc., a Philadelphia web design and development company located in Fishtown. She has been designing websites since 1996 and working with WordPress since 2007. She spends her days building custom themes for WordPress. When not wrangling HTML and CSS, Tracy drinks coffee, chases her 7 year old daughter, plays drums and takes pictures of abandoned buildings.