Web Building & Publishing Basics
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Context (Students)
Factors Related to Teaching & Learning
Technical Aspects of the Web
Web Design
Policies
Context
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Youths aged 13 to 24 spend more time on the Internet
than watching TV 1
For the most part, students’ educational use of the
Internet occurs outside of the school day, outside of
the school building, outside the direction of their
teacher 2
87% of all youth between the ages of 12 and 17 use the
Internet. 3
Of these 21 million online teens:
 78% say they use the Internet at school
 87% say they use the Internet from home
 75% say they use the Internet from someone else’s
house 3
Major Disconnect
“Students’ dependence on
Google or similar search
engines for discovery of
information resources
rather than consultation
of
library Web pages,
catalogs, and databases…”
Scenario 1:
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Brandon realizes that his biology research
project on genetics is due tomorrow. It is
Sunday evening, 6:00 PM. No problem! He
logs on to the Internet, opens his Web browser,
does a quick Google search on genetics, prints
out information from a few dotcom sites, and he
is good to go.
...implications...
Brandon realizes that his biology research project on
genetics is due tomorrow. It is Sunday evening, 6:00
PM. No problem! He logs on to the Internet, opens
his Web browser, goes to his school library web
site, created collaboratively by his library media
specialist and classroom teacher.
Using their suggestions, he finds basic information in
an encyclopedia through Grolier Online and journal
articles and newsletters from the SIRS Knowledge
Source and Infotrac Student Edition. Through the
library’s online catalog, he reads portions of a few
Follett eBooks on genetics.
To finish off his research, he visits a couple of the web
sites suggested in the pathfinder. Referring to the
works cited section of the school library web site, he
soon has his references listed in complete MLA
format.
Factors Related to
Teaching & Learning
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Present material in an alternative manner to
students
Help my students stay organized and informed
about the class and school.
To communicate better with the community
To augment my everyday curriculum
Offer a public outlet for students to publish their
creative output – when appropriate
Act as window into the classroom so that
everyone knows what the students are
accomplishing.
Web-based class support:
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Internet-based, available 24/7
Provide information to students and parents
Post assignments/class notes
Reduce paper
Harness students’ prior knowledge of
technology
Add other technologies to enhance the
curriculum – e.g. online practice tests
or other interactive practice
A “ton” of Academic
Content for
Teacher Web Sites
To develop web links to guide
students’ academic work.
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Explore Noodle Tools
Use Google advanced searches.
Review WebQuests
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Use these resources to develop your websites.
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Or
Other Online Instructional Resources
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Online Library Catalog
Subscription Databases
Reference Collec
Local Links
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Libraries
Local government
Ebooks
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Project Gutenberg
Bartleby.com
International Children’s
Digital Library
Follett eBooks
NetLibrary subject sets
Website collections
•Nettrekker
•MarcoPolo
•WebFeet
Professional collection
•Eduscapes
•Library of Congress
Learning Page
•National Digital
Science Library
Learning and Teaching
Information literacy
skills instruction:
 Search tools and their
effective usage
 Research process
guides
 Citations and ethical
use of information
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Reading
Book lists
 AR lists
 Book reviews
 Online book
clubs/Blogs
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Ask-a-Librarian
Email
 Chat
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Other types of information to
consider for your teacher web site.
School Administration
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Program mission and
goals
Information about
upcoming events
Information about
past library events
Staff
Contact information
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Hours/Policies/
Procedures
Impact studies
Parents’ Page
Link to school and
division pages
Forms
Examples
Examples of teacher-built Web sites:
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Avon Lake, OH –English
teacher
Indianapolis, IN - Science
teacher
Wilmington, VT – Social
Studies teacher
Weston,MA – Math
teacher
Gautier, MS – Spanish
teacher
Cedar Heights, WA –
English teacher
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Bellevue, KY –
Business teacher
Brentwood, CA –
school sponsored
teacher pages
Sunnyvale, CA –
school sponsored
teacher pages
Nashua, NH – Earth
Science teacher
Technical Aspect of The Web
The Web
Upload Web
Pages
Browse the Web
All Web pages reside inside some
designated folder of a Web server
until someone calls for them
externally using a browser.
Web Server
Two choices in building a Web site:
1.
Attach your site to your school’s alreadyexisting Web site.
- This means – if you are not the school’s Web master
– going through whomever currently is.
2.
Build an external site and maintain it
independently.
- This means finding, using and possibly paying for
those resources yourself.
FYI: Professional sites where teachers
build and maintain free Web pages:
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http://www.inspiringteachers.com/commu
nity/webpages.html
http://teacherweb.com/
http://www.schoolrack.com/
http://www.think.com/en_us/index.shtml
http://www.yourhomework.com/
Google Educator Tools – Page Creator
Web Design
Design Principles
 Repetition
 Proximity
 Contrast
 Alignment
http://www.seniortechcenter.org/desktop_publishing/effective_design.php
Good Web Design
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Design consistent with school page?
User-friendly? Easy to navigate?
User-centered wording?
Font readability? Effective use of graphics?
Important information in upper left hand
corner, across, left, and across?
Universally accessible
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Run through Bobby/Watchfire
Components
Text
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Background does not interrupt the text
Text is big enough to read, but not too big
What constitutes a good Web
site?
Navigation: answers the questions
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Where am I now?
How did I get here?
Where can I go?
What constitutes a good Web
site?
Links
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Link colors are clear, both before and after
being visited
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Links colors are consistent throughout the
site
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Links are instantly clear to the visitor
What constitutes a good Web
site?
Graphics
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Buttons are not big and obtrusive
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Every graphic has an “alt” label
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Every graphic link has a matching text link
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Graphics and backgrounds use browser-safe colors
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Animated graphics turn off by themselves
Policies
What policies should you know
about?
Policies with regard to teacher Websites:
 no child’s name or personal info
 no clear pictures of their faces
 no adult personal info
 adhere to your own school’s acceptable use policy
FYI: Copyright issues
http://creativecommons.org/about/
The Creative Commons (CC) is a non-profit
organization devoted to expanding the range of
creative work available for others legally to build
upon and share. The organization has released
several copyright licenses known as Creative
Commons licenses. These licenses, depending on the
one chosen, restrict only certain rights (or none) of
the work.
Rule of Thumb:
When in doubt:
Get permission (preferably in
writing/e-mail) from the owner of
the copyrighted work…
References
1.
2.
3.
http://www.educause.edu/IsItAgeorIT%3AFirstStepsTowardUnderstandi
ngtheNetGeneration/6058#4
The Digital Disconnect: The Widening Gap Between Internet Savvy Students and
Their Schools. Pew Internet & American Life Project, August 2002
Teens, Technology, and School. Pew Internet & American Life Project, August
2005
4.
Net Generation Students and Libraries.
Generation, 2005
Educating the Net