Now that the users, articles, and menu links have been created for your site, it's time to consider the layout of the front page and adding features that will extend the functionality of your site.  Content can be displayed in boxes surrounding the main body articles on your site.  This is similar to the process of newspaper page "mock-up", where content boxes are shifted around from location to location.  On your website, these boxes are called modules.  In this step, you will publish and move module content.

Examples of modules frequently published on school websites include weather boxes, search boxes, Upcoming Events lists, and Image Rotators.

Before you can begin choosing module positions, you need to know the available choices for your site's template.  Visit our Template Selection page and click on the "Module Positions" link for your template.  This will show you all the available module positions for your template.  If you do not know what template your school site is using, log into the administrator area of your site and click on Extensions → Template Manager.  The template with a yellow star icon is your site's current default template

Assigning Existing Modules to Template Positions

Let's begin by publishing the Login Module to a new position as an example:

1. Click Extensions → Module Manager. If the Login module is not in this list click 'New' then 'Login', give it a title of 'Login' then 'Save'.
2. Click the checkbox next to the 'Login' module then click 'Edit'.
3. Ensure the Login module is 'Enabled' (3rd option on the left).
4. Select a new 'Position' by referring to the module positions document you found on the Template Selection page.
5. Click save.
6. Preview your website changes by clicking the 'Preview' text in the top-right corner of the Administrator area (next to the 'Logout' text).

Suggested Modules

Obviously, we recommend publishing the 'Login' module. We also recommend publishing the JCal Pro Latest Events module and the Simple Image Rotator (to showcase student work, school pictures, etc.).

Creating a Custom Module

You can easily add your own content, either text or picture, to a module position on your home page.  Follow these steps:

1. Click Extensions → Module Manager
2. Select "New".
3. Select "Custom HTML" and click "Next" in the top right corner.
4. Give the module a name that the public will see.
5. Ensure the new module is 'Enabled' (3rd option on the left).
6. Select a 'Position' by referring to the module positions document you found on the Template Selection page.
7. Scroll to the empty editable area at the bottom and type your content or insert an image.  This is done in exactly the same way as content is created in an article.  Review this process here if you need a refresher.
8. Click save.
9. Preview your website changes by clicking the 'Preview' text in the top-right corner of the Administrator area (next to the 'Logout' text).

Tricks

You may not want to publish a module to every page on your website. To assign a module to only a certain page(s):

1. Click Extensions -> Module Manager.
2. Double click on the module title you wish to edit.
   
3. Under 'Menu Assignment', click 'Select Menu Item(s) from the List' then highlight (hold CRTL to select multiple) those menu items which should have the module appear in them.
   

Note: Some modules will not appear when assigned to certain positions (i.e. Toolbar often fails to publish any module other than menus). Simply re-assign the module to another available position, Save & refresh your preview to see changes.