WordPress Beyond the Dashboard course syllabus: The Lifelong Learning Center in Missoula, Montana taught by Nora McDougall-Collins

WordPress Beyond the Dashboard

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Overview
This course was designed to help you
1) learn how to download a set of the WordPress files and install them on a web server
2) understand the organization of the files that make up WordPress
3) create a WordPress child theme
4) manipulate the basics of the WordPress stylesheet to customize your theme
5) understand the "loop" in WordPress and how PHP shows up in the files

Prerequisites
If you register for this class, it is assumed that you are comfortable using a web browser and saving files on a PC computer. If you have a Mac laptop, you are welcome to bring it to class and use it instead of the lab PCs. However, there is not time in this class for basic help with using a browser and saving files.

Note
This syllabus is provided as a goal for the class. However, every group of people comprising a class comes with a different set of background knowledge, which affects the general learning curve. While I will make every attempt to accommodate learning styles and understanding levels, please make your needs or concerns about the speed of the material covered or distractions known to me by using the Contact Nora form!

Lesson	Class Description	Web References
1	Introduction & Installing WordPress What is WordPress? What is the difference between using WordPress.com and installing WordPress in your own hosting account? What does it mean that WordPress is "open source"? What server technologies are needed to run WordPress? How can web server setup cause problems with WordPress? How do you get to a database on a web server? Installation options with WordPress and how to set up a database in your own hosting space Text: Chapter 1 - includes a great discussion about how to set up a testing server on your own computer, which will not be covered in this course.	WordPress file download Article: With WordPress it's Easy, Right?
2	Understanding the WordPress File Structure, Database and the "Codex" Setting up software tools for this class Uploading the WordPress files to the server space Installing WordPress through the browser and why Looking at the WordPress database structure The CORE WordPress files and folders Most of your work will be in wp-content -> themes - look at the files in the default themes: TwentyTen and TwentyEleven The Dashboard is in wp-admin Understanding the server hops (redirects and the .htaccess file) Setting up users The codex is written in a foreign language, but it's worth learning! And, there are options written in plain English! Text: Chapter 2 - This chapter goes much deeper into the theme files than we will do today. But, with your WordPress install in place, you can follow along with the book. We will return to some of these files in the last class day.	WordPress codex
3	Understanding and Creating a "Child Theme" Is your child theme organization specific, or do you hope to publish it through WordPress? Load a different WordPress theme and see how it affects the file structure and the database entries. Examples of how your choice of themes will affect what you can do without reprogramming. Find out what you can change in the Dashboard first! Understand what technologies might show up in new themes or plugins. Why shouldn't you "hack the core"? What is a .htaccess file? - understanding not to delete or overwrite this file - understanding that other technologies on your site may also be using this file - understand how to use this file for SEO when converting a static website to WordPress Starting your child theme - Creating the folder - Copying style.css and setting the comment - Uploading - Activate your theme	A Plain English Introduction to .htacess A Technical Look at .htaccess from Apache
4	CSS for WordPress Note: this is not a CSS course. While we will discuss some CSS basics that you need for this course, I recommend an additional CSS class Review website scenarios where you may be installing WordPress and how the install steps are different What is a CSS style? Three types of CSS styles and composite styles WordPress styles have their own system to some extent - Required style sheet - Additional style sheets - Look at the page source to match the output with the styles in the style sheet - Look at the page source to see styles that don't make sense Looking at the Zenlite style.css files - zenlite imports its own style sheets into the required style.css file What should be done in the dashboard - try changing the page background color in the style sheets Start customizing the child theme Suggested Reading: Chapter 5: Choosing the Right Theme - I have seen WordPress child themes have to be replaced because the wrong theme was chosen. This often happens because there is a lack of communication between the client and the developer or the client's ideas change.	Suggested Reading about CSS
5	CSS for WordPress Look at how WordPress changed the .htaccess file when Permalinks are turned on Three places to look for styles - Style sheets - Page source - PHP files Comparing the CSS for two WordPress themes
6	Understanding "the Loop" A brief introduction to the syntax of PHP and how it fits into the WordPress structure The basics of what makes "the loop" work and how the same programming can be used for all the pages. - the "loop" is really different, depending on which version of WordPress you are using How changing functions.php is different from changing styles.css Look at how to delete the existing banner images from TwentyTen or TwentyEleven as an example	What is "the Loop" from the Codex What is "the Loop" by The Computer Gal An example of overriding a function in a child theme