WebClassroom:  Week #3

This week's topics:

Announcements

Setting Up a Working Folder

Graphics From the Web

Netscape Communicator Handout

"Instructional Focus Page" Assignment

This Week's Reading Assignment and the Discussion Area

Deadlines

Announcements

On Wednesday evening there will be an OPTIONAL online social gathering in The Dragon's Head from 9:15 to 9:45 PM Central Standard Time.

The major focus of this week's work will be the creation of your first web page for this course.  This page may or may not be on the same subject you have in mind for your major project.  This first page is intended to help get people's "feet wet".  If some of you are already experienced in this process feel free to ignore any of the startup directions that I offer. 

 

Setting Up a Working Folder

When starting a web project it is essential that you set up a folder/directory in which to store and organize all associated files.  There are some real annoying consequences if you are not careful where you are saving/storing your files.   To create a new folder/directory:

    Macintosh:  Find the location on your computer at which you would like to create your folder (for example, on the Desktop or the main level of the hard drive).  Pull the FILE menu down to NEW FOLDER and release.  Immediately start typing and give the folder a name (keep it simple, please--no blank spaces, no capital letters).  Make note of the name and location of these folder...make sure everything you create gets saved in here!

    Windows 95:  Find the location on your computer at which you would like to create your folder (for example, on the Desktop or the main level of My Computer).  Click the right button on your mouse.  Pull down to NEW and then to FOLDER.  Immediately start typing and give the folder a name (keep it simple, please--no blank spaces, no capital letters).  Make note of the name and location of these folder...make sure everything you create gets saved in here!
 
 

 Graphics from the Web

Next week we will examine ways to create your own graphics for your web pages.  This week we will introduce ways to get ready-made graphics off of the web.  It is quite easy to take almost any image off of another web page and save it for your own use (though it might not always be legal):

    Macintosh:  Click on an image and hold down the mouse button (a menu will pop out of nowhere).  Select SAVE IMAGE AS and release.  Make sure the image is being saved into your project folder and click SAVE.

    Windows 95:  Click on an image with the right mouse button and hold it down(a menu will pop out of nowhere).  Select SAVE IMAGE AS and release.  Make sure the image is being saved into your project folder and click SAVE.

Any graphics that you save in this way will be waiting for you in your project folder--ready for you to add to your page.

If you do a search with the key words "free" and "graphics" you will be led to a fairly large number of sites that have archives of graphics for you to use on your pages.  Each site has its own policy on images use:  some ask for a link back to the archive site, some ask that the graphic be attributed to them...read the fine print before you use the images.  Do not ever use someone else's graphics without their permission!  It is a violation of copyright laws.  Imagine how you would feel if you had created a cool graphic yourself and had someone use it on their site without your permission.

 
 
 
 

Netscape Composer (built into Communicator) Handout

Netscape Communicator has a web page editor built into it (Netscape 3 Gold had one as well).  It offers you a working interface that is much like a word processor.  Behind the scenes, however, Netscape is writing the HTML tags needed to reproduce the page when transferred over the internet. I have created a handout that describes how to use many of the features in Netscape Communicator's composer.  I would suggest that you print that document out for your reference.
 

Instructional Focus Pages

(Some of this is repeated from last week)
The World Wide Web is filled with vast wonders--and vast quantities of useless sludge.  There are many occasions when we want students to experience the process of searching the expanse of the web for information on various research topics.  There are other times when we would like to streamline the process for other instructional purposes.  On one document an instructional focus page provides the learner with:

    Background information/introduction. What information does the learner need to know ahead of time?  What are the objectives or goals of the activity?

    Directions of what to do. Step by step guidance to let the learner know how to accomplish the objectives you have set out.

    Links to quality online resources that support the instructional activity. On your instructional focus page, provide links to web sites that provide information on the topic of the instrcutional activity.

Last week I asked you to take a look at a simple example of an instructional focus page.  Now, jump in yourself and create one of your own.  Your page can be wildly different than my example.  At the minimum it should have: an introduction, some directions, a graphic of some sort, and at least 3 links to external sites.

When you have your page ready, go ahead and put it on a webserver it you have access to one (you may need to contact your local system administrator for instructions on how to do this).  If you do not  have access to a webserver just let me know by email---I will set up a section for you on mine and provide you with instructions on how to proceed.
 

This Week's Reading Assignment and the Discussion Area

This focus of this week's discussion area is NOT necessarily the reading assignment.  This week's discussion is to be purely functional--discussing your ideas for instructional focus pages and any problems/questions you may have.  This week's reading was primarily to provide different ideas of ways to utilize web capabilities in instruction.  Feel free to post ideas, questions, problems, comments as they come up.  In addition, don't hesitate to email me directly:  pdl@pluggers.esu8.k12.ne.us.

Week 3 Discussion Area
 

Deadlines

All Week 3 work and discussions should be concluded by 12:01 AM Central Daylight Time on February 23.  Week 3 materials and assignments will be up by 12:01 PM Central Daylight Time that day (Feb 23).