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Plugin Packages

Manage a Site

The Commons bundles some commonly used plugins together into a package to make it easier for members to quickly activate the plugins they need. To see our plugin packages go to Plugins > Plugin Packages (circled below):

When you activate a package, you can easily deactivate an individual plugin in the package if you decide you don’t need it.

The following packages are currently available:

Multimedia Plugin Package

This package is designed for site admins who want to extend the graphic capabilities of WordPress. Included in this package are:

  • NextGEN Gallery (Image Gallery)
    • Allows users to collect and display images in a gallery (thumbnail, slideshow, list)
  • Embed GoogleMaps (Map Embed)
    • Allows users to display maps created using “My Maps” in Google Maps
  • Imsanity (Media Maintenance)
    • Limits the file size for uploaded photos, preserving space on your site
  • Knight Lab TimelineJS (Timeline Building)
    • Allows users to embed Timeline JS timelines into a post on the Commons (must have free but separate TimelineJS/Google account)
  • Youtube Embed Plus* (Enhanced embedding)
    • The YouTube Embed plugin allows users to embed a responsive video, YouTube channel, sidebar playlist gallery, or live stream

*Any Youtube URL will display directly on a Commons site

Teaching Plugin Package

The  “Teaching Plugin Package” contains plugins teachers commonly use to streamline organization and course management functionality on their course site.

  • Authors Widget (Student List)
    • Creates a widget to list users designated as “authors” ( students) in the sidebar of the site; when “author name” is clicked, it links to a list of all posts by that author
  • Category Sticky Post (Post Organization)
    • Allows a single post from a category to “stick” to the top of the category archive
  • Google Docs Shortcode (Document integration)
    • Allows Administrators to embed and display Google Drive contents such as docs, sheets, and slides directly on their Commons site
  • Hypothesis (Social Annotation)
    • Allows users to annotate posts, pages, PDFs (on public sites) or articles on the live web via an annotation sidebar
  • Imsanity (Media Maintenance)
  • Reckoning (Student work summary)
    • Organizes, counts, and displays student posts and comments in the dashboard, easing summative assessment
  • WP Accessibility

Digital Tool Package

The “Digital Tool Package” adds a suite of commonly used digital tools to your course site. See below for tool descriptions.

  • Anthologize (Post Exporting/Publishing)
    • Allow users to “export” (by tag or category) and “publish” posts in a book-like format as a PDFs, ePub and other file formats
  • FeedWordpress (Post Aggregation)
    • Allows Admins to collect posts from other sites on the Commons into a singular “motherblog” roll
  • Embed Google Maps (Map Embed)
    • Allows users to display maps created using “My Maps” in Google Maps
  • Hypothesis (Social Annotation)
    • Allows users to annotate posts, pages, PDFs (on public sites) or articles on the live web via an annotation sidebar
  • Knight Lab TimelineJS (Timeline Building)
    • Allows users to embed Timeline JS timelines into a post on the Commons (must have free but separate TimelineJS/Google account)
  • Google Docs Shortcode (Document integration)
    • Allows Administrators to embed and display Google Drive contents such as docs, sheets, and slides directly on their Commons site