Did you realize that creating web page is not much harder than creating word documents? Contrary to what you may believe, you do not need to know HTML, (Hyper Text Markup Language) to create web page that are interesting, attractive and informative.
In these lessons, you will learn the basic skills to get started on the road to web site development. Specifically, you will learn how to do the following:
Here is my plan of attack: we will go through the demonstration portion of the lesson and you will watch the projection screen at the front of the room as I explain each step. You will then have the opportunity to practice that element of the lesson on your computer before we go on to the next page of the lesson. After we complete the entire lesson, you will have time to work in your groups to put your web site together.
I decided to use MS Word for this activity because I knew it was readily available to most of you. If you are familiar with Word functions, these lessons will be easy for you. Word is not the best software for creating web page, however, it is a good place to start because the skills you learn are applicable to more sophisticated web authoring programs such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver. If you want to learn how to use either of these programs, I have included links to sites with FrontPage and Dreamweaver tutorials. Florida Gulf Coast University offers tutorials for FrontPage as well as other MS programs. The Dreamweaver tutorial was created by Bruce McVicker, who was an instructor here at CSUS in the Educational Technology Master’s Program.
Now, here is some exciting news: as a student at CSUS, you can purchase FrontPage 2002 for PC for a mere $15.50 from the bookstore. Make sure it is compatible with your computer by asking one of the nice people in the computer area on the second floor. You might also ask them for a list of other programs available to you at bargain rates because you are a student. For example, the latest version of MS Office XP Professional is available for $17; this program includes Word, PowerPoint and more.
Another option is to download Dreamweaver for a 30-day trial for free! If you like it, you can buy the program by itself or you can buy the Web Design Studio version that includes 4 integrated programs – Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks and Freehand. Visit the Macromedia web site for more information on their products. http://www.macromedia.com/software/. They also offer training online which I have found quite useful.
In terms of other resources, if you really want a good book on how to create web page, I highly recommend, The Non-Designer’s Web Book by Williams and Tollett. This is a user-friendly book for people who know very little and want the basics presented in a succinct, understandable manner. I love this book and, again, have found some of the tips very useful. It makes you realize, it is possible to explain something that seems complicated in an understandable format.
One final resource is a link to another web site created by Bruce McVicker, on Web Authoring. If you click on the “images” link on this site, you will find links to many images that are available online for free. The other benefit to this site is access to a Dreamweaver or FrontPage tutorial.
OK, enough wisdom, lets get started by clicking the link below.
Go to the first page of the lesson.