Introduction
Some courses require students to install Blog Templates. Blog templates are pre-formatted themes with content areas. A Blog Template contains a specific look and layout of the site with content items already in place; All you have to do is edit the existing areas to add content. Blog Templates are different than Themes. You can change your Theme without creating a new site. If your instructor requires a Blog Template; ask them if it's ok before changing your theme.
If this is your first-time login, follow these directions first.
Additional Site
Blog templates are installed only on new sites. This means in addition to your existing Hawksite, you will create a new Hawksite and choose a blog template. The image below illustrates an additional blog that appears in the My Sites menu.
Adding a new site
To add a new site, log in to hawksites.newpaltz.edu. On the dashboard, select My Sites, then select Add New.
Required New Site Information
A new site requires a web address. Your address will be hawksites.newpaltz.edu/yoursitename.
Site Name suggestions:
- Courses you are taking: Use your initials+term+course name or number. Example: hhfall19eng170
- Courses you are teaching: Use the term+course ID+ any other course identification. Example fall19ENG1701
- For portfolios, clubs, research projects, academic work; name accordingly. Example: hhdigitaldesign, hhlaserexperiments,
- Do not use nondescriptive names, special characters or spaces
Site Title suggestions:
- Courses you are taking: Use your Name+term+course name or number. Example: Hugo Hawk's Eng170 Course Work
- Courses you are teaching: Use the term+course name or number + any other course identification. Example: Fall 19 Eng170 Section 1
- For portfolios, clubs, research projects, academic work name accordingly. Example: Hugo Hawk's Digital Design Portfolio
- Use descriptive titles. You may use special characters and spaces.
Additional Settings
Blog Selection
On the bottom portion of the new Hawksite creation page, remember to select a specific course template. If no template is selected, the default New Paltz Blog Template will be your template and cannot be changed. If you choose the wrong template and create the site, you will have to re-create a new site with a variation on your original web address and then choose the correct template. Make sure to check your site template before you add content or you will have to start over from the beginning with the new site and correct Blog Template.
Security/ Privacy Selection
This setting is based on your Blog focus. For moderate privacy Select Visitors must have a login - anyone that is a registered user of SUNY New Paltz Sites can gain access. This is suggested for internal academic use.
For privacy descriptions see this article. You can change these settings later after the blog is created.
Final steps
Select the Create Site button when done.
Site Processing
Setting up
Wait until the site setup process is complete before navigating away or closing the window.
Setup complete
You will see this screen notification when the site is complete. Select the site name link or the web URL link to access your new blog.
Your new Hawksite
Finding your new site
Your new Hawksite is found on the Hawksite Dashboard >> My Sites >> Your new site
Your new site is ready to add content by returning back to the Hawksites Dashboard. Support requests and Support documentation may be built into your Hawksite on the right-hand side of the page.
