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Creating a Classroom Web Page Using FrontPage

Electric Teacher FrontPage Tutorial | |Creating Effective Teacher Web Pages 1| |Workshop 2|
[Great Student Web Pages]
Why a Teacher Web Presence?
Getting Started
Planning Your Web Site
Successful Teacher Web Pages Online
Opening Your Web in FP2000
Beginning With a Template
Linking | Graphics | Sounds
Grades Online Using Making the Grade
Adding a PowerPoint Presentation to your page
Adding pdf Files to Your Page
Dumb Things that Make Us Nuts
Adding Sound to your page
Places to Get Help
Advanced Tools
PUSD Requirements

 

 

 




 

Why a Teacher Web Presence?

"Finally, a teacher who has entered the 21st century."   This was one of the nicest compliments that I ever got at a "Back to School Night".   In a world where people can bank, order groceries, shop for a home, "instant messenger"  friends around the world, and see exhibits from the Louvre online - I can understand why parents are coming to expect more information about their child's progress online.  

Even more importantly,  our students live in an ever growing "cyber-based world".  The rich, interactive and authentic web sites that are out there, make us, as teachers, criminal if we don't get our students on them in meaningful ways.

 A teacher's web site allows us to address these and many, many other needs  to better prepare our students for their futures in an ever more technologically based world.

 

Getting Started

To begin your own PUSD web page, you will need a mini web on our server.  Email Diane Barilotti, she is on the global email list.  Ask her to set you up with a mini web, and give her a password that you will not forget.  She will email you within a few days to tell you your URL, or web page address.  She will also attach some handouts which will help you to plan your web site.

You will need FrontPage on your computer.  It is part of Office 2000 or you may already have FrontPage 98.  See your site tech if you are unsure of what you have available, or need help with installation.

 

Planning Your Web Site

As stated in the hand-out that Diane has sent, it is very important that you define the purpose of your web site before you begin working on your first page.  Ask yourself the following.......

  • Who is this for?
    • Students, parents, colleagues, administrators?
  • What components are most important  to include?
    • Record of Assignments
    • Class notes, organizers or worksheets
    • Class calendar
    • Grades
    • Student display of  work
    • Reports of events
    • Links for students and parents to use
    • Online assignments for students
  • How much time will I put into creating it?
    • 2 hours, 5 hours, 10+hours?
  • How much time can I spend in updating it regularly?
    • Daily, weekly, quarterly?

     

Successful Teacher Web Pages Online

"God gave us eyes to plagiarize."  That saying is very true in the design of your web site.  Look at other teachers pages to see what you would like to include on yours.  Look at other web sites for ideas on design and graphic placement.  Though you can't actually steal graphics and such, other people's pages will give you ideas.

  • Russ Bird, techno-wizard.  Russ has a page "to die for".  He has included assignments, grades, web cam and more.  Look here to see what can be done.
  • Denise Hogan  Components that give me the best results for my students and parents are the assignment calendar, online assignments, grades, student work and photo album.  Just for fun, there is a joke student feedback, and About Mrs.Hogan.
  • Elaine Bailey  This site is regularly updated, has information that is highly useful for students and has a nice clean look. (Check out her cool IPAC info.)
  • Steve Bass  A wealth of information for students and parents.  Steve has many online projects and assignments for 8th grade on his page.

 

Opening Your

Go to "file", "open web". 

The first time that you use FrontPage on your computer, you will need to type in your URL into the window that will appear at the bottom that asks for "Folder Name".  Dianne Barilotti will email you your URL.  This is usually http://pusd.info/teachers  then your first initial and last name.

If you have already started to work on your web page on the same computer, you will see your URL listed on the top right side.  Just select it, and that will ask you for your user name and password.  Then you can get started.

OR another cool way to edit a page that you have already built is to look at it in Internet Explorer (your browser), and then click on the "edit" button (which is that same FrontPage 2000 icon that you have seen before - a white arrow inside a blue circle.)  This will open FrontPage in the page that you want to edit, and will prompt the password menu.

Beginning With a Template

FrontPage web pages are organized as a series of tables.  You can make your own tables to fill in, or make life much easier by beginning  with a template.

Find the templates with three steps; go to "file" "new", then "page".  As you select the different templates, a preview will be shown in the window on the right.  Chose one that has the set up that would be most useful for you.  Remember, you can make background, color, graphics changes - it is only the organization of the page that you are using.

Linking

One of the coolest things that we can do from our web page is to direct students to other sites, to our email, or to add other pages to our home page with additional information.  The "hyperlink" button is on the top right side of the standard toolbar.  It looks like a globe with a couple of links from a chain on the bottom of it.  

First, you have to highlight with your mouse some text (or an image) that you want to link from.  Then go to the "hyperlink" button described above.  A pop-up menu will appear which gives you lots of choices.  

  • If you want to link to a web page, you can type the URL into the window that says "URL".  Or you can select the first  button next to the URL window to have the web browser record the site that you want to link to.  To do this, you select that button, which looks like a globe with a magnifying glass, and then go to the browser window on your bottom tool bar.  Navigate to the site that you want and minimize the page (hit the minus sign in the top right hand corner).  FrontPage will put the URL in the window for you.
  • If you want to link your name to your email address, you will highlight the text that you want to link and select the "hyperlink" button.  A pop-up window will appear and you will select the button that looks like an envelope in the right bottom area.  Another pop-up window will open and you type in your email address.
  • To link from one of your pages to a new page that you will write,  you will highlight the text that you want to link and select the "hyperlink" button.  A pop-up window will appear and you will select the button that looks like a blank page.  This will create a new page for you.  

 

 

Graphics

  • To copy a graphic from a website in your browser (which is not copyrighted), right-click on the graphic then "copy".  Place your curser in the spot where you want it on your page and then right-click and "paste".
  • To take an image from a disk (as from a digital camera), place your curser in the spot where you want it on your page.  Then select the "insert picture from file" button.  This button is on the top tool bar, to the right of the "hyperlink button".  When the pop-up menu opens, select the button for a file (which is a file with a magnifying glass over it).  Select your image.
    • Since you will probably need to reduce the size of your digital photo, select the photo by clicking on it.  You will see little squares in the corners and each side of the photo when you do this.  Then drag the photo from one of the CORNERS to make it smaller.  If you drag from a side, you will skew your photo.
    • When you have the photo the size that you need, "resample" your photo to make it a sharper image.  The "resample" button is on the pictures toolbar that will open when you have an image selected.  (It looks like a picture of a mountain with arrows pointing in from the four corners. )

 

Here is a list of resources for graphics for your web page.

 

Sounds

 

 

Grades Online Using Making the Grade

 Link here to the fully illustrated Getting the Grades Online the First Time.   I would be happy to help you do this, call ext.2202.

Getting the Grades Online the First Time, Quick and Dirty Handouts: 

This link will take you to the directions that are written up by Russ Bird of Mesa Verde Middle School.  (Currently, there is one error - when importing grades into FrontPage, be sure that you add them into the root directory, at the top, not in the "grades" folder. )  

Once you have your grades online, it is much easier to update them. Refreshing Your Grades Online, Quick and Dirty  

Adding PowerPoint Presentations to your Page

Link from here for an online PowerPoint Tutorial about how to link your PowerPoint to the Web.

Start in your PowerPoint presentation and save as a web page in the pull down menu choices.  At this point you can change the title of the file, making it shorter and without spaces, if you'd like.  You will also see a button to "publish", click on it, and you will get this interesting pop up menu:

Select which, or all slides for your presentation, whether or not you'd like speaker notes, select Microsoft 4.0 or higher.  In the bottom section, "Publish a copy as", use the browser button to save your  PowerPoint file somewhere where you can easily find it in a few minutes (I save on my desktop).  Then click on "Publish" on the bottom.

Shazam!  You now have a copy as a web page.  The very weird thing is that you have a folder with lots of goodies in it and a single html file (with the little e on it for Internet Explorer) outside of the folder. This little file is very important.

The final part of this process is to open FrontPage.  Import the folder that you have as well as the html single file. Make a link on one of your pages and attach the file (not the folder) to your hyperlink. 

 

 

PDF Documents

This is a very cool way to allow students or parents to be able to view and print the material that you have word-processed, such as class materials needed list, an outline for a chapter, etc.  ( the list could go on-and-on).  If you are interested in getting this on your page, contact Stacey at ext. 2040 to order it for $26.  It is very, very easy to use.  

To work this magic:

  • Open the document that you want to convert, press the icon that reads "Convert to Adobe PDF"
  • Then, open FrontPage, import the file (in pdf format) by going to file, import, add file 
  • Link it to one of your pages.  Use the same link button that you use for all other kinds of links, but select the icon that looks like a file folder instead of the web link (globe) or email  (envelope) or new page (blank page). 

 You may also want to include a link on your page for the user to download the free PDF reader online.  

 

Dumb Things that Make Us Nuts (or that I get emails about)

  • To single space, hit the shift button and then enter.
  • To insert a horizontal line to divide things on your page, go to "insert" and then "horizontal line".

 

Places to Get Help 

District Resources

  •   Denise Hoganext.2202.   (I am currently in a 1/2 time middle school TOSA position.  Teacher web pages are one of my primary goals.)
  • Stacey Campo, ETIS Applications Specialist.  Stacey knows it all.
  • Linda Foote, ETIS Elementary School Curriculum Specialist.  Linda knows it all too.

 

Advanced Tools

  • Website Abstraction
    Free JavaScripts, tutuorials, DHTLM & CSS
  • Webmonkey
    Need some tips on advanced Web topics: Java, Cgi, Dynamic HTML?  This site is loaded with ideas.  Brought to you by Hot Wired
  • CNET
    Not only toys and bells, but tips on the hardware as well.
  • webreference.com
    A great reference to all the advanced lingo.
  • Project Cool
    Super site for information and don't miss the Cool Site Of The Day.

 

PUSD Requirements
Classroom Web sites should follow these simple guidelines.

  • Provide a link back to the school site and Poway Unified District Office Web site.
  • Provide an email address that allows for feedback.
  • Provide a school address and phone number.
  • Be courteous by contacting other sites that you link to or borrow graphics from.
  • Follow the school guidelines for posting student images and names on the web page.
  • Design sites to be displayed on 640 x 480 screen resolutions.