As you start the ePortfolio that you will build throughout your time at UNE, you will not only begin shaping a professional digital identity, but you will also be constructing a website. At the beginning, your site’s purpose may be shaped by course requirements, but you should also select and add experiences and reflections to demonstrate your learning and growth. This is your space on the web to create a professional, digital representation of your growth, accomplishments, and goals.
Your UNE ePortfolio site is part of the UNE ePortfolio network and will be built using WordPress software. Like Wix or Weebly software, WordPress allows users to add multimedia content and customize their sites. WordPress software is used to build 1/3 of ALL sites on the Internet, so you are likely to encounter sites built in WordPress for many different uses. Many people write blogs using WordPress, but organizations and corporations also do. For example, UNE’s library services site is built with WordPress as are many company sites and blogs.
Launch Sequence
Complete the series of activities below to learn the basics of ePortfolio construction. Each part of the sequence includes steps that you need to complete (in red) and a time estimate. If you would like to offer feedback on any of the activities or videos, please use the form below. If you prefer to download a PDF of the required steps, click the button below.
Complete the launch sequence by:
- Understanding the purpose, terms, and expected usage of your site
- Getting familiar with the WordPress dashboard
- Adjusting site settings
- Deleting samples
- Adding an About page
- Customizing your site
After you have launched your site, you may make adjustments to any of the above at any time.
Part 1: Access Your Site and Familiarize Yourself with Purpose of ePortfolio and with the Dashboard and Settings (@ 20 min)
- Watch the introduction to ePortfolio video and 2022 Grad video to understand the purpose and value of building your ePortfolio.
- Log on to your ePortfolio site for the first time by going to your UNE email and finding the email from UNEPortfolios about Login Details. Read it, including the Terms of Use. If you cannot locate the email or need help, fill out the form at the bottom of this page to request assistance.
- You will use the WordPress Dashboard to add content and customize your site. View this written overview or video tour of the Dashboard (6 minutes) to get familiar with it before you begin building your site.
Settings
Content
- Delete your sample post and page; publish an About page to your ePortfolio. To see details and demos, watch the following videos. The videos below include step-by-step instructions to complete the tasks to give you a basic understanding of WordPress as you begin your ePortfolio.
- Add the About page to your menu. To see written instructions with screenshots click here, or watch the following video tutorials for customizing your navigation menu.
Customize Your Site (@ 20 min)
Your ePortfolio site will reflect your professionalism and your goals, but it should also highlight your creativity and interests. Selecting your theme and customizing your site is like decorating your home — it reflects your personality and suits the purpose of the space. Although you may be using your ePortfolio for course work initially, you may also add pages and posts about your interests and experience.
Theme, Header Image, and Tagline
Themes are website templates. They are designed by professionals, so the colors and text styles work together but you can customize to your liking or needs. When choosing a theme, remember that your content will not only include the text you are adding to your site but also the images. Some themes include stock images for the header or featured content.
- Most themes include a header (or banner) image at the top of the page and a tagline. To change your theme, go to Appearances > Themes. You may preview a theme before selecting it. You may change your theme as often as you would like. Content (posts, images, pages) is saved on your site, but it may be displayed differently from theme to theme. Some themes also include tutorials to demonstrate customization choices.
- To change your header image and tagline, go to Appearances> Customize or click the customize button from the short cut menu at the top. Some students use the tagline to share their philosophy about learning or life, while others select a thought-provoking quote. Others simply welcome visitors or state the student’s major or year of anticipated graduation.
- You may customize your header image to include a photo you took or image you created, or you may want a professional Creative Commons or royalty free image. Consider using unsplash.com for your header image (select “small” image size when downloading and copy attribution to acknowledge the creator by adding a paragraph widget).
Widgets
Widgets are meant to help visitors navigate the site or to offer additional global content (content and navigation that is visible from the home page as well as on all posts and pages). All themes allow customization of widgets from Appearances>Widgets or from the short cut menu at the top.
Different themes have different options for the location of the widget. Select a location (sidebars, footer, etc). Click the + sign in the top left to add a block, such as Paragraph text, Search, or Categories. New widgets are added to the bottom but can be adjusted by selecting and toggling them up or down (see image below). Click “update” to save the change. If you change your theme, you may need to adjust your site’s widgets.
Have you completed all the launch steps? Want to learn about making your content more visually interesting?
