This document outlines an instructor's use of WordPress to teach public relations and new media skills. The course focuses on community engagement, professional branding, multimedia storytelling, web design, search engine optimization, and analytics. Assignments include developing professional profiles and videos, creating websites for community partners using WordPress, and analyzing web and social media metrics. Students gain experience executing PR campaigns and develop public project portfolios. The instructor notes challenges in balancing skills teaching with original student work and facilitating peer learning while maintaining control over the course.

2. WordPress: Teaching 21st Century Skills
in New Media and Public Relations
• David Lynn Painter, Ph.D.
• Assistant Professor,
Communication Department
• Communication Educator
with 20 Years Professional
Experience
• Passionate about
transforming students into
professionals

3. WordPress: Teaching 21st Century Skills
in New Media and Public Relations
• How to balance teaching
skills vs course content vs
community engagement?
• How to motivate students to
take ownership of their
projects?
• How to apply critical
thinking and creativity skills
to develop tomorrow’s
professionals?

4. WordPress: Teaching 21st Century Skills
1. Why WordPress?
2. Learning Goals
a. Community Engagement
b. Professional Branding
c. Multimedia Storytelling
d. Web Design and UX Principles
e. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
f. Web Analytics
3. Outcomes
1. Public Projects and Portfolio
2. Lessons Learned and Learning

5. Platform: WordPress Is Industry Standard
• WordPress powers > 24%
of global Internet
• WordPress is used by 60%
of organizational websites
running a content
management system
• Today’s students will have
at least 8 jobs

6. Branding: Professional Persona Project
1. Develop 3 brand biographies
2. Develop professional and
engaging profiles on LinkedIn,
Twitter, Facebook, Google+,
YouTube, about.me, and Klout.
3. 1-2 min brand video pitch
4. Resume and cover letter for a
position you are interested in
pursuing through the Center for
Career and Life Planning or
other sources
http://social.rollins.edu/wpsites/foxtarmedia/about-us/our-voices-2/

7. WordPress & Community Engagement
1. Form teams; select CP
• Contact person & site visits
2. Select domain names, create
WP site and About Us pages
3. Develop promotional content
4. Optimize & organize content
5. Install plugins
6. Students become interns
• execute PR campaign plans
developed in class
• Worked for Wiley, Universal, Yelp

8. Multimedia Storytelling
1. TED Talk Promotional Publication
• The embedded TED Talk video
• 125-200 words original 3rd person text:
• Background and Context
• Quote from TED Talk, or an topic expert
• It must include answers to the big 6
questions that establish the report as
newsworthy in the headline and lede
• It must include active hyperlinks (that open
in a new tab) to relevant, credible sources

9. 2. Instructional Publication
• 2:00 to 5:00 minute narrated slide
show video that begins with a hook,
then an introduction and an Agenda
• It must use 75-200 words of text with
properly embedded hyperlinks to
introduce and provide context
• Headline must follow guidelines
• It must conclude with a call-to-action
and embedded hyperlinks to your
client

10. 3. Video Publication
• 30 second to 3-minute video
promoting an event, program, or
facility; or a PSA
• 125 – 500 words with hyperlinks to
provide context or background
• It must have a well-written Headline
and lede that answer the “Big Six”
questions
• It must conclude with a call-to-action
with embedded hyperlinks

11. Web Design and User Experience
• Clean, simple, branded
• Visual and Engaging
• Accessibility & Ease of Use
• Simple Design & Navigation
• Categories and Landmarks
• Site Structure: titles, headings, lists
• Text: size, contrast, color
• Image text
• Audio and Video transcripts
• Responsive Design

12. Content Marketing and
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Relationship Marketing
• Generic Interruptions vs
Customized Needs
• Push vs Pull Models
• Dynamic Content
• SEO: both readers and indexers
• Page title, headline, headings
• Use keywords in text
• Plugins
• Anchor Text

13. Web Analytics and Social Media Metrics
• Install Google Analytics
• Report on site stats: visits,
behavior, devices, bounce rate
• Social Publishing Assignment
• Twitter Analytics and
Facebook
Insights/Engagement: reach,
impressions, likes, shares,
comments/replies

14. Portfolios
1. https://organiceatspr.wordpr
ess.com/
2. www.foxtarmedia.com
3. www.realstrategypr.com
4. www.foxwired.com
5. www.missionsweetpr.com
6. www.tarpr.com

15. Learning Lessons
• Directions > 3 steps challenging
• Students NOT tech savvy
• Social Media
• Narrated PPT or Video Skills
• Vocabulary/Knowledge/Design
• Struggles to balance:
• Scaffolding with originality/creativity
• Control with peer learning (chatter)
• Struggle to:
• Customize assignments for
campaigns
• Generate student ownership