On the Web: Web Authoring

On the Web: Web Authoring features popular sites that offer information about assistive technology, file transfer protocol, HTML, images, software options for designing websites, cool classroom sites, and web design and usability. Sections are listed alphabetically. If you know of a site that is missing from this collection but is would provide helpful information to teachers, please contact us.

Assistive Technology || FTP || HTML || Images || Teaching Related || Software Options || Cool Classroom Sites || Web Design & Usability

Assistive Technology Related Sites

Center for Applied Special Technology
CAST, a non-profit educational research and development organization, works to make education more flexible and accessible through the use of technology. CAST provides an on-line book on Universal Design for Learning, Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age. CAST developed Wiggle Works and Thinking Reader, two multimedia reading programs reviewed in this chapter.

Color Blindness
Vischeck offers links to a simulation of color combinations that are hard to discern by people with color blindness. This web site also provides a check for web site compatibility.

Media Access Generator (MAGpie)
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) has developed a program, called the Media Access Generator (MAGpie), to assist developers in creating captions and audio descriptions for digital media.

Sign Smith Studio
Sign Smith Studio has been purchased by Vcom3D where you can find information about this product. This software translates English text into American Sign Language or Signed English files that can be incorporated into many different multimedia programs. Sign Smith Studio has been recently upgraded to 3.0. Read about the new features that have been added at the company blog.

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
This International World Wide Web Consortium develops web standards, and guidelines to promote long-term growth of the Web. Read about the activities of W3C at this page.

FTP and SFTP Options for Mac and Windows

Cyberduck
Cyberduck is an open source FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and SFTP (SSH Secure File Tranfer) browser that allowMac OS X users to easily work with their remote files.

Core FTP Lite
Core FTP Lite is an open source FPT client for Windows users that allows the uploading and downloading of files and folders, pluse SFTP (SSH Secure File Tranfer) and much more.
FileZilla
FileZilla is an open source FTP client for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linus users that allows the upload and download of files and support SFTP (Secure File Transfer).
WS_FTP
WS_FTP makes file transfer simple, secure and easy to manage. You can download a free trial to experience the software but there is a charge for this well-known program.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) Basic coding

WebMonkey
This site has a abundance of tutorials including a HTML Cheatsheet. If you want to see the basic tags, here's a great place to look.

HTML Goodies
The author of this site suggests that if you know nothing about HTML, this is where you start. There is an introduction to HTML, tags, linking, images, and much more.

Free Images, sounds, Fonts, Music

Art Explosion by Nova Development
This site offers art collections for Mac (including Mac OS X), and Windows using teachers and students. High quality images for use in presentations, reports, web pages and much more for a very low cost in these collections. Found here are facts about the company, the products, licensing, support, downloads, resellers as well as availably to their store and contact information.

FindSounds
This site provides sound effect, music and sounds. There is a free search tool provided to allow searching for more.
Fonts and other resources for teachers
Developed by Gail Lovely, a former classroom teacher, this site provides many resources including cool fonts for all grade levels. There is so much great information provided at the site that it's worthwhile to see it all but the fonts are found here.
Freeplay Music
This site provides high quality and copyright free music for presentations. Use this friendly site to locate musical selections or use the search feature at the site.

Free Software Options (Web_based tools for Designing Websites)

There are a number of free options for the creation of web pages. These web-based tools no longer require technical skills as in the past. Such tools allow users to work in an environment similar to a word processor. Free options are great for the budget but currently are limited on features.

Google Sites
Offered by Google, this free tool allows making and sharing a website easy. There is no HTML necessary to create the page. Custom look. Try this new tool out. There are examples provided.

Moodle
Moodle is a Course Managment System (CMS) that is similar to Blackboard with the exception that it is free. Websites may be created in Moodle for use with students. Moodle contains a wiki.
PBWorks
Commonly throught of as a wiki tool, PBWorks (formerly PBWiki) hosts simple, secure classroom workspaces. While this tool is developed for collaboration, teachers may use it to create a classroom website.
Weebly
Weebly provides free domain hosting for building websites with space limited to 5 MB. Space for 100 MG can be purchased at the rate of $2.99/month with a 2 year subscription. This web-based tool has a drag and drop interface and requires no technical skills. Many professional designs assist the creation of professional looking websites. This tool has a blog feature that allows teachers to communicate with parents and students.
Wikispaces
Although Wikispaces is a wiki, it can be used to create websites.

WordPress.org
This takes you to the sign up page for WordPress, a free, open source and easy tool for creating a blog and publishing platform for websites. WordPress can serve as a place for a website and provides 3 G of space on their server.
Commerical Software Options for Designing Websites

Dreamweaver
This page links to more information about the latest version of Dreamweaver. This web editor, formerly a Macromedia product is now owned and marketed by Adobe. Download a free trial.

Microsoft SharePoint Designer
This program has replaced MS FrontPage which has been discontinued. Read about MS SharePoint Designer and download a free trial.

Teaching Related

How to Develop an Inquiry-Based Project
This site offers a step by step model to determine the Inquiry Process that assists teachers how to incorporate Internet-based inquiry in designing projects through the four steps: Pose Real Questions, Find Resources, Interpret Information and Report findings.

Project, Problem, and Inquiry Based Learning
This site provides resources about Project Based learning, Problem-based Learning and Inquiry Based Learning.

Cool Classroom Sites

A Teacher’s Guide to School Web Sites
A Teacher’s Guide to School Web Sites developed by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology at South Florida University presents an excellent outline of information for a school to consider when designing or revising the Web site that will represent the school.

Classroom Site: Molecules in Motion
Travel to Molecules in Motion, hosted by kindergarten teacher, Jeffery Riley at Arlington Science Focus School to see a great example of ways that teachers can use the web to communicate what's happening in their classes. A link to a student section is offered as well. At this site, a classroom BLOG offers insight into what is happening in this classroom with young learners.

Cool Classroom Pages
Eduscapes [Annette Lamb] presents this informative page and allows teachers to actively connect to schools and teachers that are using technology as well as the projects that technology using teachers are involving their students in active learning. Find the outstanding teachers in your state at the Milken Foundation.

Mr. Leahy's Class
This exemplary classroom site, developed and maintained by 4th grade teacher and technology facilitator, Dave Leahy, spotlights student projects, featured pages, as well as suggested curriculum links. The quality of this site is shown by the numerous awards collected. The school page Jacob Wismer Elementary http://www.beavton.k12.or.us/jacob_wismer can be reached from this site.

Mrs. Nelson's Class
This kindergarten teacher's site is full of great information for her students, parents, teachers and other visitors. There are curriculum units, an on-going section for teacher resources, classroom news and page which bios this outstanding teacher. The resource categories include Literacy Centers, Play Centers, Class Management, Themes and Units and teaching resources. It's not wonder that this teacher has captured numerous awards.

Mr. S. Smith's 5th Grade
Visit this unique classroom site developed at this Science Technology Magnet Elementary School in Kansas. The classroom site has been featured at Eduhound and is truly a wonderful example of teachers and students in action. There are archives at this site as well which features four major sections for news, pictures, students and links

Web Design and Usability

History of Web
This site gives and interesting discussion of the history of web development beginning with scientists that wanted to share research documents quickly.

Jacob Nielsen’s Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design
This well-known expert on usability, shares design mistakes that are common, yet disasterous for the reader.

Research Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines
This site presents over 50 Web design and usability guidelines for planning and designing web sites that follow design principals. Each guideline is supported by research and shares the supporting information.

Web accessibility guideline
This web site, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, offers links to information on web accessibility and resources for web authoring.

Web accessibility Tips
This web site links to 10 quick tips for designing accessible web pages offered by the Web Accessibility Initiative, an organization that provides strategies, guidelines and resources to make the web accessible for people with disabilities.

A Brief History of Web Design
This site, presented by Ezine Articles, discusses the history of web design and much more. You will find current information on web design issues including where to find free fonts, information about color and a web site checklist that includes unprofessional and frustrating ways to make sure a visitor leaves your site. A great find for new and seasoned designers.

Web Style Guide
This book written by Patrick Lynch and Sarah Horton presents timely information about web design and access to most of the information can be found on the web.