HIT: Web Page Project

[Gloria Joan Baker <gjbaker@UNIXG.UBC.CA>]

Thanks to all who answered my questions about constructing a web page
with volunteer students.Several T-Ls requested I post a hit. I hope these
answers help others who probably have similar questions about how to start.
                                    \  }
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Based on my own experience I offer the following answers. You may consider
a HIT if you have enough response as this is a very practical set of
questions you've posed.
Q How many students (minimum,maximum) should be involved in the project?
        I opted for a dozen by asking only older pupils in the first
instance (16-18 yrs old), letting the less committed ones fade out and
replacing them with younger kids who had heard and were committed enough to
seek me out. Even then only 5 or 6 work hard at it.
Q  Is this a project that can be done with student volunteers (no class
time)?
These are. Yes it can. We meet one lunchtime per week. I show them html
methods, tell them where to find more themselves (tutorials downloaded to
disk in advance) and indicate further sites to look at for inspiration. In
due course they write their own which are offered to the group for comments
and if they pss muster they get put online.
Q  What is the time line from initiation to completion?
Given my weekly meetings min one week, max months!
Q How much time is involved in maintaining the site?
This entirely depends on the nature of the site. If you aim for
up-to-the-minute news you have to change it daily, if you want to reflect
only important school issues or accumulate lesson plans then it can be less
than monthly.
Q  How does the group come to some agreement as to the content, design,
and layout of the site?
By discussion and agreement. First we talked about what a site would look
like if it were to be successful, and found examples of good sites which we
approved of. Then we downloaded those sites' code with the idea of
like if it were to be successful, and found examples of good sites which we
approved of. Then we downloaded those sites' code with the idea of
incorporating the best bits. Then we moderated our ideals with practical
bog-standard code to which we attached a few fancy bits where appropriate.
Everyone's page has to pass the collective approval test.
Q  How much knowledge of web page construction should the teacher have?
Real competency. You should have trodden the path they will tread. You
should have pages up and running and have suffered when they don't connect,
the code is wrong, the graphics the wrong size ... Then you can sympathise,
explain and finally let them make their own mistakes. Within weeks they
will have overtaken your skills - but you got them there, and that's your
achievement!
Q  How do you decide which of the many Internet sites are worthy to be
noted under your curricular links?
My list was always personal because no-one else understood what I was
doing. Now I wish I'd vetted them more for quality. If you view my pages
you'll see that the Hinchingbrooke Hotlist is structured one way, Dunks
doing. Now I wish I'd vetted them more for quality. If you view my pages
you'll see that the Hinchingbrooke Hotlist is structured one way, Dunks
Jump Station another way. Decide which is best and go for it!
Incidentally most of my pupils pages are on a separate server fromthe main
home pages (for reasons to complex to explain) and are at the moment of
writing lost in space, but go to the address below and look at what I'm
talking about. These were the main primary pages to hich pupils work was
attached.
Now I'm off to try to unravel the attachments!
Best of luck
Duncan
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_/ Duncan Grey, Head of Resources | Hinchingb-pess@ bbcnc.org.uk      _/
_/ Hinchingbrooke School          | http://www.worldserver.pipex.com/ _/
_/ Huntingdon  UK  PE18 6BN       |          nc/Hinch/hinchhome.html  _/
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Gloria, I will answer these questions as best I can.  My answers will be in
CAPS for easier reading, not because I am shouting.  I hope this helps.  Ruie
  How many students (minimum,maximum) should be involved in the project?
    YOU CAN HAVE AS MANY AS YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE MANAGING.  ANY STUDENT CAN
SUBMIT SOMETHING, BUT YOU PROBABLY WOULD WANT TO HAVE A CORE GROUP OF 5
OR 6
AT THE BEGINNING, SORT OF LIKE EDITORS FOR A PAPER.
>  Is this a project that can be done with student volunteers (no class
time)?
        YES, YOU COULD DO IT THIS WAY, IF YOU HAD INTERESTED STUDENTS, BUT
THEY ARE LEARNING LOTS OF SKILLS, SO WHY NOT HAVE IT BE PART OF A LANGUAGE
ARTS CLASS? OR ANY OTHER CLASS FOR THAT MATTER, SORRY WE ARE VERY
INTERDISCIPLINARY AT OUR SCHOOL, SO THAT IS WHY YOU GET THIS ANSWER.
>  What is the time line from initiation to completion?
? Help       M Main Menu  P PrevMsg     - PrevPage    D Delete      R Reply
>  What is the time line from initiation to completion?
        A HOME PAGE IS NEVER DONE! IT IS LIKE DOING LAUNDRY, ALWAYS
SOMETHING MORE TO DO.  I SPENT AT LEAST 60 HOURS THIS SUMMER GETTING MINE
INTO SOME SEMBLANCE OF ORDER.  THIS DID NOT INCLUDE THE TIME I SPENT IN A
CLASS LEARNING HTML.
>  How much time is involved in maintaining the site?
        THIS IS TOUGH TO ANSWER. ONCE YOU GET IT UP PROBABLY AN HOUR OR
SO A
WEEK MIGHT DO IT.  UNLESS YOU ARE DOWNLOADING NEW SECTIONS.
>  How does the group come to some agreement as to the content, design,
>    and layout of the site?
HAVE YOUR GROUP VISIT A LOT OF SCHOOL HOME PAGES.  THEY WILL FIGURE OUT
WHICH ONES ARE GOOD AND WHICH ONES DO NOT MEET THEIR NEEDS.  STUDENTS HAVE
GOOD TASTE FOR THE MOST PART. SOME STAFF PERSON SHOULD HAVE THE FINAL
APPROBAL THOUGH, REMEMBER YOU ARE REPRESENTING YOUR SCHOOL AND YOUR SCHOOL
DISTRICT, YOU WANT TO DO IT WELL.
>  How much knowledge of web page construction should the teacher have?
THE MORE KNOWLEDGE THE TEACHER HAS, THE EASIER IT IS. BUT YOU AND YOUR
STUDENTS CAN LEARN TOGETHER.  AGAIN THE STAFF PERSON SHOULD BE THE ONE WHO
HAS FINAL APPROVAL FOR WHAT GOES ON THE PAGE AND FOR ACTUALLY GETTING IT
THERE.
STUDENTS CAN LEARN TOGETHER.  AGAIN THE STAFF PERSON SHOULD BE THE ONE WHO
HAS FINAL APPROVAL FOR WHAT GOES ON THE PAGE AND FOR ACTUALLY GETTING IT
THERE.
>  How do you decide which of the many Internet sites are worthy to be
>    noted under your curriculuar links?
>MY LINKS WERE ALL MY OWN PERSONAL CHOICE.  I HAVE JUST DISCOVERED THAT SOME
OF THEM ARE NO LONGER WORKING. I NEED TO CHANGE THEM. THOSE NEED TO BE
MONITORED REGULARLY.
>I would appreciate hearing from those who have constructed a web page
>using student help.
YOU CAN VISIT MY HOME PAGE AT THIS ADDRESS:
http://198.247.136.12/Metro1/Metro1.html
We are one of many.
Good luck!!!

Metro High School
1212 7th Street SE
Metro High School
1212 7th Street SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
319-398-2193 or 319-398-2117 (fax)
rchehak@mail.cedar-rapids.k12.ia.us
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\  I'm working with a group of students to create a web page for our school.
It shouldn't take too long to create a basic page.  I created my own in less
than an hour...and I didn't really know what I was doing!
  I have several students in the Club who know more about the net then I do.
They will be running the show with me keeping them from going totally off
the track.  We plan on putting the student newspaper out on the web as our
first project.  I already spoken to the editor of the paper and he will give
me the paper on disk.
  We have invited any student who is interested to join us.  We have only
begun and have ten students presently involved.  I'm sure the number will
grow once we actually have the page started.
  Good luck!
Barbara Gottlock
bgottloc@j51.com
School Teacher Librarian
Clarkstown South High School