LT2_Act4

Thanks for asking about the different options for a WordPress for your classroom website. I know that our schedules are super busy so I will try to be as brief as possible.

There are two main WordPress options, WordPress.com and Word Press.org. When deciding between the two, you should think about what you want to get out of the site. If you want a simple, straightforward, easy to create, basic site you want to use the .com.

I compare the two to Toyota and Lexus.

WordPress.com is the Toyota. It is the simple, straightforward, easy to create, basic site that gets the job done.

WordPress.org is the Lexus. It is the same site as the .com version with more customizable options.

For the majority of teachers, I would recommend the .com version. This site is simple and gets the job done. It will allow you to choose a theme from limited options, add widgets that allow users to search your site or leave comments. You can even add different pages to your site. To create this site you simply register, select blog name and start posting. It takes about five minutes and the best part is that it is FREE! Since teachers have limited time and money, this is typically the best solution.

For more tech savvy teachers I would recommend going with the .org version. The .org version has all the capabilities of the .com version, but is more difficult to create. This is because it has more options available. With the .org version, you can use any theme you would like. The .com has a few and none of them are geared toward elementary education. You can edit the HTML code to make the site look however you want. But in order to do this, you need knowledge of HTM and PHP codes. For the .org have to have a hosting site that will also give you a domain name and that will you cost about $7-12 per month. However, with .org you can add advertising to help offset the cost.

So it really comes down to one question:

Do you want the Lexus or will the Toyota do?


Here are a couple of articles of you want for information.

http://www.expand2web.com/blog/wordpressorg-vs-wordpresscom-which-one-should-i-use/

http://www.howtomakemyblog.com/wordpress/wordpress-com-org-difference/