{"id":14,"date":"2026-03-29T01:34:38","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T01:34:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/ocejo-spring-2026\/?page_id=14"},"modified":"2026-03-30T02:42:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T02:42:06","slug":"how-to-use-openlab","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/ocejo-spring-2026\/how-to-use-openlab\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use OpenLab"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em><strong>Page designed and created by Charlotte Thurston, Macaulay TLC, and adapted for this site. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to share your reflections and reports, you must first be a member of this site, and in order to be a member of this site, you must have an eportfolio account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that there\u2019s a difference between joining OpenLab, the Macaulay-wide website-building platform, and joining a\u00a0<em>particular<\/em>\u00a0OpenLab course. You should only have one OpenLab login, which you\u2019ll use to join and access individual eportfolios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need help with any of these steps, please\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/mhctlc\/support\/\">schedule a meeting with TLC support<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Joining Openlab<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By this point, you may have an OpenLab account from a prior semester. If you simply forgot your password, just try to log in and follow the steps for having forgotten your password. But if you\u2019ve\u00a0<strong>never created an OpenLab<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>account<\/strong>\u00a0before, follow the steps below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/register\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>&nbsp;to create your OpenLab account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Return to this page and complete the steps for joining this Openlab site below.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Posting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Log in to OpenLab<\/strong><br>Go to Macaulay\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\">OpenLab<\/a> page, click \u201cLog In\u201d at the top, and log in. This will take you to your Dashboard.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Select this Site<\/strong><br>From your Dashboard, move your cursor to \u201cMy Sites\u201d in the top-leftmost corner of the screen. Click on this site from the dropdown.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>+ New<\/strong><br>Click \u201c+ New\u201d at the top of the page. This will take you to the \u201cAdd New Post\u201d page.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Write Your Post<\/strong><br>In the \u201cAdd New Post\u201d screen, you write the post you want to create. Enter the appropriate title and any text you want in the post. You can add images as well by clicking the plus sign in the top-left corner and selecting the \u201cimage\u201d block. From here, you can upload images from your device.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Choose Your Category<\/strong><br>Before publishing your post, make sure you choose the right category or categories for it. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Publish!<\/strong><br>When your post is ready, click \u201cPublish.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve already made posts, but forgot to categorize them, please go back and edit them to select the right category. This makes sure that they show up in the right place, and it ensures that you get credit for having done your assigned posting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Discussion\/Commenting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To participate in a discussion about a given post, click the post\u2019s title, then scroll down on the post page to see the comments section. As long as you\u2019re a signed-in member of this site, you can post a comment of your own and respond to others\u2019 comments, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Post<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the dashboard, from the menu at the top, click \u201c+\u201d and click \u201cPost\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/freeman25\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-05-at-1.34.27-PM-1024x438.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-71\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Write Your Post<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the \u201cAdd New Post\u201d screen, you write the post you want to create. Enter the appropriate title and any text you want in the post. You can add images by clicking the plus sign in the top-left corner and selecting the \u201cimage\u201d block. From here, you can upload images from your device. You can also embed media, create image galleries, etc, through the Block menu on the left. Feel free to explore! Just make sure to do the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-100 has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#009952\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\"><strong>Add a Featured Image<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the right hand side, under \u201cPost,\u201d select \u201cSet Featured image\u201d and upload\/choose an image<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Choose Your Category<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before publishing your post, make sure you choose the right category or categories for it. Look for the categories on the right hand side, under \u201cPost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Add Alt-Text to Images<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alt-text is the description of an image used by screenreaders for people who are blind or have vision impairments. It\u2019s good for accessibility to add a brief description of any images for that reason (\u201cA grey striped Siamese cat is curled up on a duvet, tail in front of his body, paw over one eye, one blue eye staring at the camera\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Click Publish<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When your post is ready, click publish! You can also Save as Draft as you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-background has-large-font-size\" style=\"background-color:#799534\">Be sure to have what you want to write and add saved <strong>elsewhere <\/strong>before uploading\/copying it here<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile has-background\" style=\"background-color:#9a38a1\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/freeman25\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-05-at-1.40.19-PM-1024x606.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-74 size-full\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-base-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e47219053a4a2485f713a5e39863bc05\"><strong>Visual references for<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-base-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fc0257e27cb89aed291da65735509d99\">How to put a post in a category<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-base-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-244b977f5821c6674bc9c56de414bef3\">How to upload a featured post<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More Advanced Post Options<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Within each block, you have options to further tailor how your post looks (size, borders, colors, etc).Under settings, you can choose to edit the block, rather than the post. Then, you can change either \u201cSettings\u201d and \u201cStyles\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-3 wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large has-custom-border\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"91\" src=\"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/freeman25\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-05-at-1.58.27-PM-1-1024x479.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"has-border-color wp-image-91\" style=\"border-color:#008eb7;border-width:5px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large has-custom-border\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"90\" src=\"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/freeman25\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-05-at-1.58.34-PM-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"has-border-color wp-image-90\" style=\"border-color:#008eb7;border-width:5px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large has-custom-border\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"92\" src=\"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/freeman25\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-05-at-1.58.47-PM-1-384x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"has-border-color wp-image-92\" style=\"border-color:#008eb7;border-width:5px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sample Blocks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-100 has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#004d26\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">Below, I used the <strong>Cover <\/strong>block (image + text) and used the <strong>Duotone <\/strong>filter under the <strong>Styles <\/strong>tab to alter the image<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover wp-duotone-rgb07738-rgb1702550-2\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-705 size-large\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/yurick26\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/133\/2026\/02\/Shpitz-being-ridic-1024x768.jpg\" style=\"object-position:52% 0%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"52% 0%\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#907c68\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\"><strong>Cover <\/strong>block + <strong>Duotone <\/strong>effect<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Page designed and created by Charlotte Thurston, Macaulay TLC, and adapted for this site. In order to share your reflections and reports, you must first be a member of this site, and in order to be a member of this site, you must have an eportfolio account. Note that there\u2019s a difference between joining OpenLab, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"portfolio_post_id":0,"portfolio_citation":"","portfolio_annotation":"","openlab_post_visibility":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-14","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/ocejo-spring-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/ocejo-spring-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/ocejo-spring-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/ocejo-spring-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/ocejo-spring-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/ocejo-spring-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/ocejo-spring-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14\/revisions\/36"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/ocejo-spring-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}