The following are must-haves for a good teacher/class web page:

• your name, school, and position
• information about current assignments, units, activities, and so on for each class or content area you teach. (Hint: Include digital photographs of projects and/or students working on them.) 
• links to Web pages containing class-related resources. You might also want to include online encyclopedias, dictionaries, learning games and drills, and so on. 
• a schedule, list of class rules and procedures, and so on
• general news or notes to parents, including reminders about upcoming school events and important dates or deadlines
• contact information, including your e-mail address

Keep in mind, if you include the optional items you will need to update your page(s) more regularly. 

Another tip to remember is if your page becomes too long, you might consider breaking it into smaller web pages.

And always, always, find out what your school or district's policy is regarding publishing students' and staff members' names, pictures, email addresses, work, etc.

Before you begin to actually create your page, sit down and sketch it out on paper. Have it all planned, including what kind of graphics you might want to include, before you ever turn on the computer.

That's it!

Now get busy planning that page!

Here's a simple, one-page layout that you may consider using as a template.

1. Open Netscape or Internet Explorer 
2. Go to the Web Page that has the image you want to capture or copy (be sure it is a free image and is not copyright protected) 
3. Put in your disk to save the image to or choose a folder on your computer. Remember where you save the image! Write it down if you need to. 
4. Place cursor on top of image you want to capture 
5. Right click with mouse 
6. Pop-up box will appear... Select "Save Image As"
7. "Save As" box will appear... Select "3 1/2 Floppy A" for the Save in ... window 
8. Type a file name in the "File Name" box - be sure to USE ONE WORD WITH NO SPACES for example: teddybear 
9. Click "Save" .

What to Use?

I use Netscape Composer to create the school Web site pages, and I use Microsoft FrontPage for the Web pages on this site. There are other excellent programs to use, such as Dreamweaver and Adobe GoLive, but I'm not personally experienced with those, so I'll just point you to some good tutorials for those programs.

For Dreamweaver, try this resource. For Adobe GoLive, try this one.

I first learned to create Web pages using Netscape Composer, which is a free component of Netscape's browser suite. They have since changed Netscape Composer, and I prefer using the older version of it (version 4.79). Please note that I am only recommending Composer, not Communicator or other parts of that download. To get this version of Composer, try this link:  http://wp.netscape.com/download/0509102/10000-en----_qual.html.

Once you have installed Composer, here are some basic directions for using it. Composer works very much like any word processor, with menus for font style, size, and color, a drop-down menu for alignment, and buttons for images, links, tables, and spelling checker.

How to Add a Background in Netscape Composer

1. Open Netscape Composer
2. Open the file you want to add a background to
3. Put cursor anywhere on background 
4. Select Image on toolbar 
5. Click Choose File 
6. Locate your background image 
7. Click Open 
8. Check box in front of Use as background 
9. Click Apply 
10. Click Close 
11. Save your document 

How to add an image in Netscape Composer

1. Open Netscape Composer
2. Open a new file or the file you have been working on
3. Put cursor anywhere you want to add image 
4. Select Image on toolbar 
5. Click Choose File 
6. Locate your image that you want to add 
7. Click Open 
8. Apply 
9. Close 
10. Resize the image by clicking on a CORNER and dragging it until it's the size you want.
11. Save your document

How to add an Image with Alternate Text

1. Open Netscape Composer
2. Open a new file or the file you were working on
3. Put cursor anywhere you want to add image 
4. Select Image on toolbar 
5. Click Choose File 
6. Locate your image that you want to add 
7. Click Open 
8. Select Alt.Text/LowRes button ( this opens Alternate Image Properties window) 
9. Write brief description of picture (i.e., frog hopping; Wacona logo) in the Alternate Text box 
10. Click OK 
11. Click Apply 
12. Click Close 
13. Save your document

How to Link and use Mailto

1. Open Netscape Composer
2. Open your Web Page where you want to add a link to a Web site 
3. Highlight the words you want to link 
4. Click Link on toolbar 
5. A pop up box will appear -  in  Link To  -  Type the address that you want to link the words to. 
6. NOTE:  If you are linking to an Internet Web site you must have http://  in front of the address.      Example:  http://www.wacona.com
7. If you are linking to one of your own web pages, then you need to write in the link box the exact name that you gave your new web page when you published it.    Example: If I named my new web page "homework.html" then I would write "http://www.wacona.com/teachersname/homework.html" for the name of the link in the box. Your information will vary depending on how you upload your web pages.  Please note: Your link will only work if the name of your page and the name on the link to it match. 
8. Click Apply
9. Click Close
10. Save your document

To create a mail link

1. Open Netscape Composer
2. Open the web page you want to put your email link on
3. Write your email address or the words you want to use as your link (or a graphic to use for email) For example: lmiller@ware.k12.ga.us or just "Email Lori Miller"
4. Highlight your email address or words  or click on the graphic
5. Click Link on toolbar
6. Pop up box will appear.  In  "Link To" type:    mailto:username@yourdomain (all lower case and no spaces)  Example: mailto:lmiller@ware.k12.ga.us
7. Click Apply
8. Click Close
9. Save your document

How to Use Targets

Targets are ways to navigate within a long web page. To see an example click here:
http://www.wacona.com/digicam/digicam.html

1. Open Netscape Composer
2. Open the file or web page you want to add a target to 
3. Put the cursor on page where you want the target to go 
4. Select Target on toolbar 
5. Dialog box opens.  Type a Name for the target (keep the name short & simple, i.e., homework or spelling words) 
6. Click OK 
7. Next Create a Link to your Target
8. Highlight the word or words you want to link to your new target 
9. Click Link on toolbar 
10. Pop up box will appear - Show targets in - Select the same page.  
11. Select the name of the target from the bottom list (this will move the name of the target in the -Link To- window)
12. Apply
13. Close
14. Save your document

I have not yet written my tutorial for using Microsoft's FrontPage. As soon as I do, I will add it here. In the meantime, try this one for some good advice on using FrontPage.

Handouts for making web pages using Netscape Composer, Microsoft Word, and Scholastic.com

To create a mail link

1. Open Netscape Composer
2. Open the web page you want to put your email link on
3. Write your email address or the words you want to use as your link (or a graphic to use for email) For example: lmiller@ware.k12.ga.us or just "Email Lori Miller"
4. Highlight your email address or words  or click on the graphic
5. Click Link on toolbar
6. Pop up box will appear.  In  "Link To" type:    mailto:username@yourdomain (all lower case and no spaces)  Example: mailto:lmiller@ware.k12.ga.us
7. Click Apply
8. Click Close
9. Save your document

How to Use Targets

Targets are ways to navigate within a long web page. To see an example click here:
http://www.wacona.com/digicam/digicam.html

1. Open Netscape Composer
2. Open the file or web page you want to add a target to 
3. Put the cursor on page where you want the target to go 
4. Select Target on toolbar 
5. Dialog box opens.  Type a Name for the target (keep the name short & simple, i.e., homework or spelling words) 
6. Click OK 
7. Next Create a Link to your Target
8. Highlight the word or words you want to link to your new target 
9. Click Link on toolbar 
10. Pop up box will appear - Show targets in - Select the same page.  
11. Select the name of the target from the bottom list (this will move the name of the target in the -Link To- window)
12. Apply
13. Close
14. Save your document

I have not yet written my tutorial for using Microsoft's FrontPage. As soon as I do, I will add it here. In the meantime, try this one for some good advice on using FrontPage.

Handouts for making web pages using Netscape Composer, Microsoft Word, and Scholastic.com

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These pages created by Lori Miller, copyright 2004.

Last updated May 24, 2007.