Synthesis: About Web Pages

To learn to make web pages is one of the reasons that I select this course. Before registering for this course, I consulted the syllabus online which may be used before and found that making web pages was included in this course. I guessed we would make ours too. In “Preface,” Dr. Dawson mentions it’s important for us to have a big picture of creating web pages and use some principles to make “good” web pages.

Making web pages is not as hard as I thought before I set about doing it but it is also not as easy as I feel once I kick it off. I was exposed to HTML and FTP when I used FrontPage and DreamWeaver to update a journal web when I was studying for my Master’s. However, it is not a web page created by me. Anyway, I began to know making web page is not a myth.

Having visited the recommended classroom home pages, I’m impressed well by these teachers’ fancy stuff on their web pages. Because all the pages are served as a class expansion to provide more information for students and parents, the content on these web pages is similar, including homework, projects, call for parents, upcoming events at etc as listed in “Introduction” by Dr. Dawson. Still, there are some unique features.

1. Content

a. Mrs. Bogucki’s 5th Grade Class: “Class Web Pages” and “Student of the Week” are designed especially for students. In “Class Web Pages,” each student with a pen name has his/her own page with self-introduction and school achievements. “Student of the Week” is a space for “outstanding student” of each week. It’s a good idea to make students involved in the web construction. Instead of information resource, the web is also a home online for the whole class including the teacher, the students and their parents.
b. Mrs. Healey’s 1st Grade: I like “The 1H Bookstore,” in which Mrs. Healey posts books of each month related to their learning themes in class. All the books’ jackets are present and parents can use the links to order the books online directly. Students can always be informed of recommended books and parents have an access to know what the students are learning and reading.


2. Design

Before knowing “CRAP,” I thought a well-designed web should be logically and systematically presented with clear content and some fabulous pictures and graphics. It’s the first time that I realize there’s much knowledge about layout of the graphics, headers, navigation. In introducing the concept of “proximity” on the layout page,(http://library.albany.edu/imc/webdesign/page2.htm), I really didn’t find anything wrong with the example on the right, except the navigation frame seems too close to the line below the header. Comparing with the revised one, I really feel that the basic principles of “CRAP” really make sense. It’s good to know the principle before I start my page.
As for the styles of classroom web pages, students’ ages should be considered. For elementary school students, most pages are characterized with cartoon images (e.g. Mrs. Bogucki’s 5th Grade Class & Mrs. Healey’s 1st Grade).
Some pages’ appearance looks very neat and clear. (e.g. Mrs. DeCosa’s web & Governor’s School Chemistry). I really don’t like the pages with redundancy contents, overwhelming popups and pictures. This kind of style is distracting and hard for visitors to locate and focus.

3. Graphics

While browsing these web pages, I feel so excited and want to make my own. Some graphics used are very attractive. Since the issue of “copyright,” I’ m really not sure what graphics I can use and what I can’t. On Mrs’ Healey’s page, she provides a clue for the cute graphics used on her page (http://www.mrshealeysclass.com/NewFiles/generalpages/likemygraphics.html)I wonder if there are other good web sites for downloadable graphics?

4. Students’ privacy

In some classroom pages, class photos and students’ names are showed there. In Mrs. Bogucki’s web page, the students’ names appear as pen names. Instead of real “persons,” some cartoon images are showed to indicate the students and the teacher. Mrs. Bogucki states on the web: “In consideration for both the privacy of my students and the expressed wishes of their parents, as well as guidance provided by the Technology Division of Stafford County Virginia, I will not use the actual names or include photographs of my students on any of our classroom web pages” (http://mrsbogucki.com/aemes/class/web/default.htm). Students’ privacy should be a concern in making classroom web pages.
Some teachers provide students’ self-portraits accompanied with their self-introductions. It’s creative to make the students’ pages more interesting and protect students but without losing personalized flavors. Mrs. Healey’s 1st Grade is a good example. (http://www.mrshealeysclass.com/NewFiles/generalpages/meetfamily.html)

In presentation, Dr. Dawson strongly recommends Williams & Tollett’s The Non-designer’s Web Book. I’d like to read it. It is said in this book that “Anyone can learn the mechanics of making a web page. And anyone can make an ugly web page. Lots of people do. But the only reason so many people make bad web pages is that they don’t understand the very basic design principles.” With the general idea now, I plan to make a class web page for my teaching next semester.

I always want to make a web page but fail to make a good starting. I always feel it’s a systematic and time-consuming project. I’m not sure where to start. Also, I was distracted by this and that and didn’t really make a plan for that. I tried one and put online through my university’s server. But I just put some photos and simple words there without any further efforts on it. Undoubtedly, it’s bad and ugly web page. :-( Finally, making a “real” web page is only my dream. I know, I’ve got to start now. This course has been a good beginning. Hopefully, well begun is half done.:-)