App review by Amanda Bindel, Common Sense Education | Updated May 2015
WordPress
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  • Download from App Store
  • Download on Amazon

WordPress

Inviting, customizable mobile blog platform with easy-to-use interface

Get it now
  • Download on Google Play
  • Download from App Store
  • Download on Amazon
Learning rating
See full review
Community rating
Based on 1 review
Privacy rating
Not yet rated Expert evaluation by Common Sense
Grades
9–12
Subjects & Skills
English Language Arts, Communication & Collaboration, College & Career Prep
Great for
Media Literacy, Classroom Management, Instructional Design, Assessment
Price:  Free
Platforms:  Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle Fire, Chrome
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Take a look inside

5 images
Teens can easily post pictures from their device's photo stream.
Teens can manage or post to existing WordPress blogs or create new ones using the iOS or Android apps.
The user interface is easy to navigate and fully featured.
Posting a new blog entry is easy, and voice-recognition dictation can make it even easier.
Kids can approve or report as spam comments from the device.

Pros: Easy setup and activation let students start blogging quickly, and customization options give tech-savvy students the ability to create more elaborate sites.

Cons: Mobile version lacks a few web conveniences.

Bottom Line: Wordpress's app makes it easy to create and edit blog posts, manage comments, and view friends' blogs, and could be an indispensable tool for communication and collaboration if well-implemented.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

If you're thinking about assigning student blogs, you'll want be judicious with this tool: The terms of service specify that users must be at least 13 years old. Also, students trying to manage multiple blogs for different content areas might get overwhelmed. Rather than having students set up individual blogs, you could create a class blog to which students can contribute. WordPress allows up to 35 users to be invited to each blog, so a class could easily contribute to blogs collaboratively in class or from home.

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Standards:

WordPress is a free blogging platform that students can access via this app or online at WordPress.com. Students 13 and up can use the app for the iOS or Android device to create and manage WordPress blogs. Once registered, students can post blog entries with text, photos, or video as well as manage their blog's templates and design, approve comments, and adjust its settings. In addition, students can use the Reader tab to read blogs they follow or search for blogs on subjects of interest. While most of the web-based features are available in the app, there are some notable mobile-only functions, like voice-recognition dictation to post blog entries and one-tap picture posting for images and videos from the device's camera roll.

For teachers creating their own classroom blogs, they can use the WordPress apps on mobile devices to simplify the setup process. Most of the features are actually more accessible (and easier to find) in the app than they are online; typing on the touchscreen rather than a keyboard is the main difference that might slow posting down for students and teachers alike.

An easy way for teens to update their blogs and publish writing for an authentic audience, WordPress is a media production tool that lets students learn online publishing basics and experiment with various forms of digital storytelling and creation. Students can learn to refine their writing by publishing it; over time, they'll hone their skills for effectively using technology to communicate their ideas.

Blogs can give students an easy, fun way to publish their writing as well as get feedback. However, comments may not always be kind or (with the proliferation of spam) relevant. Careful application of safety measures, such as making the blogs private or password-protected, should help. Students can learn to understand the recursive process of writing and continue to revise and edit even after their work is published electronically.

Overall Rating
Engagement

This app lets students and teachers freely share their thoughts on any subject, which should be engaging to most. It has a clean interface, and design can be easily customized.

Pedagogy

Learning depends on implementation, but communicating responsibly online is a critical skillset for students. Comments let students get/give feedback, and interest-driven blogging can spark student creativity.

Support

The interface is easy to use and is well-explained, and blog templates can be as simple or as complex as users would like them to be. There's a vast amount of help out there, but it's a lot to take in.

Common Sense reviewer
Amanda Bindel Classroom teacher
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Key Standards Supported

Speaking & Listening

  • SL.9-10.1

    Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

  • SL.9-10.5

    Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

  • SL.11-12.1

    Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

  • SL.11-12.5

    Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

Writing

  • W.9-10.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

  • W.11-12.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

Writing HS/S/T

  • WHST.9-10.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

  • WHST.11-12.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

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Community Rating

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Featured review by
Devon R. , Classroom teacher
Classroom teacher
Great tool to use for classroom blog!
Overall, I'm pleased with WordPress. They have many free options and help tutorials if you get stuck. It serves as a great host for grade level information. Getting parents to follow the blog is often the biggest challenge. Some get confused, some do not like the emails, or some just aren't interested. Making it easy for parents to learn how to follow and understand the blog is important if you want it to be a successful tool for your classroom.
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