Websites

=**Class Websites**= Class websites can be a wealth of information for students and parents. Many tools can be used on your class website including photo sharing, interactive calendars, podcasts, vcasts, presentations and much more.

Bad Practices

 * Don't overuse big images and especially animated GIFS.
 * Try to refrain from copying from MS, Word, Power Point, Publisher or Excel into your we editors. (brings in a lot of underlying JUNK Code that slows down your site) CONTENT IS YOUR KEY-DESIGN IS SECONDARY.
 * Don't embed images from other sites. (upload- don't copy/paste : it creates a link to THEIR site)
 * Check your links regularly to make sure that they have not "died the death" and are broken.
 * Don't use a "busy" background image. It's hard on the eyes and harder to read.
 * Do not EMBED musin in pages unless you have controls. Give your visitors control over whether or not they want to hear the music.
 * DO NOT USE ALL CAPS.
 * Don't bold everything becasue bolding is meant for emphasis.
 * Do not underline ANYTHING! Links are usually underlined. If you underline normal text, your visiters will think it is a link.

Good Practices

 * Content, content, content! in web sites, content is King. Design and styles are secondary.
 * When linking to your uploaded file, it is best to select the "target" as "new window".
 * Do the same for external websites.
 * Make sure to re-size your pictures **BEFORE** you upload them to your website. (May want to use Microsoft Office Picture Manager)
 * Keep your page length reasonable.
 * Learn some HTML. Sometimes you have to edit the HTML directly.
 * Your website frontpage is your "welcome mat". It is a good idea to change this page regularly to keep it fresh. (Vision statement and schedule can be on a different page.)

**Using a Table Design**

 * layout your page first to get ideas of table size.
 * Use pixels or %.

GoogleDocs

 * Create Google account- to create google docs
 * Presentations
 * Document
 * Forms

Acrobat.com

 * Create [|Acrobat account]
 * use "publisher" to create a newsletter
 * convert your publication to a PDF
 * upload your PDF to acrobat.com
 * Link or embed the PDF

Confevert Files to PDF (use file print)

 * [|PrimoPDF]
 * [|PDF995]

**PHOTO SHARING**
Examples:
 * [|Animoto]: create music videos with your images and pictures
 * [|Flickr]: Upload and share images.
 * [|Shutterfly]:Develop your digital photos into prints and create online photo albums and personalized gift.
 * [|Picture Trail]: An online photo sharing and image hosting website.
 * [|Slide]: Download pictures to create slideshow.
 * [|Moblyn]:create slideshows, videos and share your pictures on line
 * [|Picaso:] free photo editing software from Google
 * [|Photostory 3]:free software from Microsoft to bring your digital photos to life
 * MORE TO EXPLORE...
 * 1) [|5th Grade Washington D.C. Trip (Moblyn)]
 * 2) [|Character Dress Up Day (Picaso)]

Examples
 * Interactive Calendars**
 * [|Assignaday]
 * [|Google Calendar]
 * [|Google Calendar Templates][|Lindero Middle School]
 * [|Scholastic Calendar]
 * [|Yahoo Calendar]
 * [|Doodle] (group polling and scheduling)
 * [|Airset]
 * [|Cozi (offers widgets too!)]
 * [|30 Boxes]
 * [|Localendar]
 * [|BrownBears]
 * 1) [|Bethel's Main Calendar (Google)]
 * 2) [|Media Center Calendar (Localendar)]
 * 3) [|Computer Lab Calendar (BrownBears)]

**Surveys**
Examples:
 * [|PollDaddy] (Joyce's pick)
 * [|Polleverywhere]
 * [|SurveyMonkey]
 * [|Viewlet Poll]
 * [|Stellar Survey]
 * [|Zoomerang]
 * [|Zoho Polls]
 * [|Response-o-matic] (for websites)
 * [|StrawPollnow]
 * 1) [|Media Center Student Survey (Survey Monkey)]