Never before in history has it been possible for any individual, group, or community to self-publish worldwide on par with the world's greatest governments, universities, and corporations. The ease of authoring web pages and the increasing variety of multimedia capabilities create the opportunity for anyone, of any age, to make a worldwide impact through sharing their accumulated knowledge.
CONTEXT:By following simple instructions and literally filling in the blanks, many web sites let you create and post your own personal web pages, online courses, online businesses, and much more.
You should be aware that the number of free web-authoring sites is increasing, with innovative new capabilities that make it easier and easier for you to create more and more powerful web sites with less and less time and effort. The activities presented below begin with very easy first experiences, create fun web pages, and offer you opportunities to build your skills, one step at a time.
Lesson Goals
Keep the following general goals in mind as you work through hands-on exploration of the activities and resources presented in this lesson. A selection of the web resources referenced in this lesson is printed in the pages following the text of the lesson and elsewhere in this guide.
- Learn How to Create Web Pages Using WYSIWG web editors (easiest)
- Review a Few of the Best Tutorials for Web Authoring
- Review Extensive Web Authoring Resources
Suggested Hands-on Learning Opportunities
- Go to http://www.bluemountain.com and design and send a musical animated greeting card to yourself via email. This demonstrates how easy multimedia self-publishing can be. (Optional if you've done this before.)
- Create a resume web page using Netscape Composer (or other web authoring software on your computer) with text, graphics, and animations you've either created or saved from the web, and hyperlinks to at least six quality resources of your choice. Use an image as background. Note that there is a tutorial in the Help menu for Netscape Communicator/Composer with step-by-step instructions. In your handbook is a shortened version of this tutorial "Creating a Web Page with Netscape Communicator"
http://lone-eagles.com/netscape.htm .
- Email Your Instructor
verifying you can post a web page with text, images, and hyperlinks. Send a web address with a simple first web page with a simple biography and listing of your current computer, Internet, and mentoring skills and experience. Or, send your web page as a file attachment via email - to the instructor, but not to the class listserv. Include an evaluation of how this lesson went for you.
If you are having problems - don't panic. There are likely to be some little things you still need to learn which can be resolved by sitting down with someone locally, or patiently asking questions via email.
The Vision
Creating web pages can be very easy, particularly when using free online services. You will need to develop your hands-on understanding of how easy this can be and the various ways you can create a web page, particularly for Ecommerce. Self-publishing globally is a profoundly new capability and understanding thoroughly the many available features and the potential applications is essential to any Ecommerce effort.
Creating Your Own Web Pages
A. An Easy Way to Create Web Pages
The WYSIWG, (What You See Is What You Get,) method of web authoring is very much the same as using a word processor. What you create on the screen will be how the final web page will look. Most modern wordprocessors allow you to save any document as a web page (Select File/Save As HTML.)
If you don't already have web authoring software available, install Netscape Communicator and Netscape Composer on your computer. You might prefer to install Frontpage Express if you prefer to use Internet Explorer. (Optional if you already have a web authoring program.) Most modern word processors allow you to create web pages, too.
Netscape Communicator/Composer is recommended.
Selecting the "New" and "Blank Page" options give you a clean slate upon which you can create your own web page using common desktop publishing and wordprocessing features. Selecting "Insert Graphic" and "Insert Link" options allow you to insert graphics, animations, and hyperlinks with great ease. To view a web page with your browser that you've created on your computer, select "File/Open."TIP: Hyperlinks and animations won't function in Composer mode, but must be in Browser mode to work properly. It can be confusing jumping between Composer to edit, and the Browser to view, but with practice, this will become much easier.
Create a web page using Netscape Composer (or other web authoring
software on your computer) with text, graphics, and animations you've either created or
saved from the web, and hyperlinks to at least six quality resources of your choice. Use
an image as background. Note that there is a tutorial in the Help menu for Netscape
Communicator/Composer with step-by-step instructions (select "content").
In your handbook is a shortened version of this tutorial "Creating a Web Page with
Netscape Communicator" http://lone-eagles.com/netscape.htm
B. The Most Flexible Method of Creating Web Pages (Optional HTML Coding Method)
HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is a method of creating web pages which requires only a wordprocessor. While the actual code of a web page can look scary, it is amazingly easy to learn.
You are welcome to skip this activity for the moment, but be aware you might find the need for light HTML editing in the future.Using your browser with a web page loaded, select "View" and then "page source" or "document source" to see the HTML code which all browsers interpret to display web pages. Most people who learn the HTML method of creating web pages strongly prefer it because they have total control over the creative design process for web authoring. Those who use WYSIWG web authoring programs typically need to make changes in the HTML code when their program won’t allow them to make changes they desire. It can be very important to understand how to make minor HTML pages, but extensive HTML knowledge is generally not necessary. See Required Assignment #2 above for details on your short HTML assignment for this lesson.
To view a web page with your browser that you've created using HTML, select "File/Open" from your browser menu. Your browser can only view files with web page or image filename extensions such as .htm .html .jpg .gif etc.
Create a simple web page using the HTML activity "Creating a Resources Page using HTML" in your handbook using any wordprocessor and any web browser http://lone-eagles.com/html.htm. Take a serious look at a few of the great, easy, "HTML Tutorials" listed at http://lone-eagles.com/webdev.htm.
C. Without a Doubt, the Easiest Way to Create a Web Page
Use one of the many free services that allow you to simply fill in the blanks with your information and it automatically posts your web page for you. For greatest flexibility, however, you'll want to know how to create your own web pages independently.
Take a thorough look at some of the many great web authoring resource sites at http://lone-eagles.com/currtour.htm and at http://lone-eagles.com/webdev.htm. Ecommerce free web sites are listed at http://lone-eagles.com/entrelinks.htm.
Review the tutorials for the Eight Multimedia Levels of Web-Based Instruction at http://lone-eagles.com/media.htm.
D. Posting Your Web Page(s) on the Internet
Typically, when you pay an Internet provider for an Internet account you receive an email address and space on their web server (which is connected to the Internet around the clock) for posting your own web pages anytime you like. Typically, once you get set up, you can update existing web pages or post new web pages very, very easily! Once you get properly set up, that is!
You will need to call your Internet provider and tell him or her what web authoring program(s) you have and ask how to get your web pages posted. There is information your provider must give you, such as where to send your web pages and the basic URL for your web pages. Have your provider talk you through the exact "set-up" steps or find someone who knows how to do this. With Netscape Composer, once you've entered in this location, you can post any web page you want by simply naming your web page and then clicking on the "Publish" button. Be persistent getting the help you're already paying for! It is easy, once you're set up
E. Starting Your Electronic Portfolio Resume
Visit Mt. Edgecumbe HS and review their student electronic portfolios http://www.mehs.educ.state.ak.us Note that the students have provided a tutorial and resources to help you create your own portfolios. (Click on Student Electronic Portfolios.) More at http://www.electronicportfolios.com.
F. Exploring Animation Libraries: Time for Fun
Search for "animation AND directories" and explore the many animation directories! Search for 'clip art' and experiment with other search phrases related to web page images.
G. Conclusion
It is very important by the time you finish this lesson that you feel as comfortable creating simple web pages with text, images, and hyperlinks as you do using a word processor. These skills are fast becoming commonplace. It will be to your advantage to know how to post web pages at your own web site whenever necessary. This is very easy once you've had someone help you get set up, such as your Internet Service Provider.
Checklist
___I know how to create a simple web page with text of any size, font, and color
and save it to a dedicated folder on my computer.
___I know how to include images, animations, and background images.
___I know how to add hyperlinks to both external web pages and to the
other web pages I've created.
___I know that I should keep all images and associated web pages in the same folder
on my computer when I'm first learning about web authoring.
___I have learned how to post my web pages on my own web site, either through my
own paid account with a local Internet Service Provider, or
through one of the
many free web-hosting services, easily and at any time.