Welcome to those of you thinking of building a website or to others who want tips on improving existing pages. I believe that a classroom website is a valuable tool for students, parents, and teachers. It does take time and effort, but the rewards are well worth it.
I began my first website in January 2001 without any knowledge of how to create a site. Little by little, I learned more and more. My students became actively involved, and their parents were overjoyed. By September, I had created two websites, a webquest, and helped my students and other teachers with webpage creation. I hope that this page will serve as a tool for your own website construction.
Before beginning a website, you must do a few key things. Most importantly, believe in yourself and be patience. It will take time for you to learn everything you want. I'm still learning new things all of the time. You are going to want to pull your hair out at times because things aren't working the way you want. Don't! You are going to want to give up on the whole thing because you're overwhelmed. Don't! Remember to take things slowly. Your site should be very simple at first. You can add to it gradually. Get a solid grasp on things before trying to grab for more.
PLAN. This step is critical. I know it isn't the thing we always want to do, but it's well worth it. Some people like to plan every detail of their site prior to beginning. Personally, I like to have an idea of what I want to accomplish. I decide on who the website is for, what information I'll provide, how I'd like it organized (different pages, charts, etc.), what graphics I'd like to use, and what links I plan on sharing. I usually sketch out a generic plan to help me visualize what I want the final product to be like. Most of the time, I end up changing things before I'm finished. However, my original plan allows me from driving myself crazy. Visit other teachers' sites to get different ideas for developing your own. Make sure you also discuss your district's internet policy when planning. This will provide you with crucial information regarding the posting of student photos and work as well as a support system for your ventures in cyberspace.
Believe it or not, you are ready to get started. You'll need to determine which server will host your site. In other words, where will you get web space to store your site, graphics, and other files. Your district may have a server that you can use or you can choose from a variety of free servers on the web. Check out the following.
Now you're ready to build. You will need to learn HTML. It's the language used by computers to create your page. There are wonderful sites on the web that provide tutorials. These pages will show you the how-to's and much more.
Adding graphics is not only simple, but it's a wonderful way to add pizzazz to your site. When using graphics produced by someone other than yourself, ALWAYS give that person credit and provide a link to his/her site. They usually have logos for you to paste on your page to give the deserved credit and link. Check out the fantastic graphic sites below.
The above links and tips are great starting points. Check back here in a few weeks for updates including specific html codes and a 'How Did I Do That?' section. If you can't wait until then, feel free to contact me by clicking on the email link below. Good luck with your endeavors!
Special thanks to:
for the wonderful web graphics!
