Creating Web Pageswith FirstClass 11

Your FirstClass E-mail account will enable you to easily create, update, and maintain Teacher (Class) Web Pages that are accessible on any Internet-connected computer. These web page services are provided by your Technology Department to facilitate teacher-student and teacher-parent communication. The intent is to enhance instruction and off-hours communication with students and parents.

Creating Web Pages with FirstClass 11

Login to FirstClass

Login to FirstClass 11 in the usual way.

About your Web Publishing folderThe Web Publishing folder on your Desktop is the place to put material (web pages) that you want others to view using their web browsers. FirstClass publishes the contents of Web Publishing on the web.In addition to regular web pages, you can publish:

• uploaded files (basic web pages)• blogs (Online diaries)• podcasts (audio or video tracks)• links• calendars

You can organize your pages into folders, and you determine the order in which pages appear.

The left pane lists the contents of your Web Publishing folder in a tree view.

The right pane displays the web page that is selected in the left pane.

About your web site's structureThe left pane list, the tree view, in your Web Publishing folder controls the structure your web site will have. All objects directly under Web Publishing (as opposed to inside a folder) will be displayed in a navigation bar on your home page. Their order in FirstClass is the same as their order on your web site.

To change the order, simply drag the objects in the tree view. You can also drag objects into and out of folders.

Your home pageThe first object in the tree view that isn't a folder or a link is automatically your home page.

Changing your web site's appearanceYour web site's general appearance (colors, navigation bars, and so on) is controlled by a template. To see what your web site looks like by default, click View in Browser. You can give certain objects that you create for your web site a difference appearance.

To change your web site's overall appearance:1. Click Appearance.2. Select the template you want your web site to use.

To see what your choice looks like, click View in Browser.

Hiding unfinished pages

If you are working on a web page and don't want it visible on your web site until you are finished, you can hide it from visitors to your web site. To do this, unapprove it.

1. Highlight page on the left pane list2. Under the File Menu, select Get Info…

This page won't show up in your web site's navigation bar.When you are ready to publish this page, approve it.

Accessing Your WebSite:When you view your web site by clicking View in Browser, your web browser's address field displays your web site's URL.www2.newton.k12.ma.us/~first_last

Getting Started… Creating a Web Page

1 Click once on your Web Publishing folder to highlight it2 Go to File > Get Info3 Name your Web Publishing folder and click OK

4 Open your Web Publishing folder5 Open the folder in which you want this page, if necessary.6 Click New Web Page.7 Select the template you want your web page to use.8 Add and format the web page content.

(Please save early and often: File > Save )9 Click Save and Close when you are done.

You will be asked to supply a web page name.Before you close the web page, you can give it a name (to appear in the navigation bar) and a title (to appear in the title bar), plus keywords to assist someone doing a site search.If you have changed your mind about the folder in which you want this web page, choose File > Save As. This allows you to specify a location as well as a name.

To check your web page on the web, click View in Browser with the web page selected.

Adding Content to your Web Page

You have all the tools you would normally have when you are writing an email message. You can use all the FirstClass editing tools to enhance your content.

Create a Background

From the Format Menu, select Format Background

Click on the “Use Color” box and select a background color. CLICK OK

If you would rather have a photo as your background, do not select “Use Color”, but rather select “Use Image” and browse to the photo or image you want. Select a file and CLICK OK.

Inserting a table

1. Click on the Insert pull-down menu and select Table.2. Select the number of rows and columns you would like and it’s alignment.3. Select the percentage of width for your table (100% would go from one edge of the page to the other.) Visually, a table looks best at 80% or less and centered.

4. Click in a cell to begin entering text or pasting a graphic image.5. To format the alignment, borders, and background color of the individual cells6. Double click on the cell to highlight it

7. From the Format menu, select “Format Cells...8. To format the table:

* highlight the entire table* from the Format menu, select “Format Table...”

Insert Images:

Copying Graphics to the Clipboard and Pasting Into Your Web Page

You can use graphics created or displayed in an application and move them into your web page by copying the graphics to the clipboard. Once there, they can easily be pasted in your web page.

• You may edit your images, including size and appearance. • Double-Click on the image to highlight it and bring up the Format Image window.• Here you can resize your image, select it’s alignment, or the amount of white space surrounding it (Padding).

ClipArt and Graphics Resources:These clip art sites are available for you to use for personal, home and school use only, subject to and in accordance with the Terms and Conditions on the individual sites.  Please acknowledge (site) these websites by giving them credit on your webpage.DK Clip Artdownload DK's famous photographs for school projects or just for fun!http://uk.dk.com/static/cs/uk/11/clipart/Awesome Clipart for Educators and Kidshttp://www.AwesomeClipartForEducators.com/Classroom ClipartA Source for Free Clip Art, Pictures and Illustrationshttp://classroomclipart.com/

Mirosoft Office Free Cliparthttp://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?lc=en-us

About.com (educational for children)- A list of clipart sites. Be sure to read and adhere to the copyright terms:-)http://webclipart.miningco.com/od/msub64aa/

Add a Link

One of the most powerful features of creating web pages is the ability to create links to related content items. Linking pages is easy to do using the FirstClass web creation tools.

URL In Text Links

If you place a URL (Internet address of a web page) directly in the document window of your web page, it will automatically be ‘hot’ (linked to an external page) when accessed from the Internet.

Linking Text and Graphics

Text items can be linked without typing the URL directly into your web page. The actual Internet address won’t show up on the web page.

Add text, (such as The Adventures of Herman in the sample below) to your web page. Click and drag over the text to select it. With an image, you simply click on it to highlight it.

Click on the link icon:

Your text will turn into an underlined hyperlink, and the following window will pop up:

Simply type in the URL (Internet address) for your link in the space marked Target URL, select if you wish to use new window or not, and click OK. When you view it on the web - you can click on the link and go directly to the website.

Internal Links

Internal links are easily accomplished by dragging the page icon from the Home Page Folder to the page you are working on. By placing the cursor to the right of the new link, you are able to type a name for your link.

Listing Folders

Create a folder for files you want parents or students to downloads(.doc, PDF, photos, worksheets, etc) or have access to.

1. Click on Web Publisher Folder (top folder in list)2 Click New Web Page3. Click on Listing Folder, and OK4. Click on folder and view in browser. You will see that it has a different appearance and no files listed. Select an appearance type.5. To give it a new name, select Get Info… from the file menu (properties on a PC)6. With folder highlighted in the tree listing, click on the Upload icon.7. Navigate and select file(s).

Photos in Thumbnail format

1. Click on Web Publisher Folder (top folder in list)2 Click New Web Page3. Click on Listing Folder, and OK4. Click on folder and view in browser. You will see that it has a different appearance and no files listed. Select an appearance type.5. To give it a new name, select Get Info… from the file menu (properties on a PC)6. With folder highlighted in the tree listing, click on the Upload icon.7. Navigate and select photos.8. The photos are listed in text format. To see the thumbnails:

• Place your curser in the white space below the list of photos• Hold down the control key, and click the mouse button (right click on a PC).• Scroll down the pop-up menu and select Select Fields• Scroll down the list of Available fields and select Thumbnail• Click on the Add -> button • Use the Move Up button to move the Thumbnail field to the to of the Display Fields in this order box.• Click OK

9. Your photos can now be view in thumbnail view – and when you view them on the web, you can see the full size photo.

FirstClass Web Page Calendar

You can create a FirstClass-type calendar for your web site. You add calendar items just as you do to your personal calendar.

You must add calendar items using the calendar in Web Publishing. The version on your web site is read only.

To add a calendar to your web site:

1 Open Web Publishing.2 Open the folder in which you want your calendar, if

necessary.3 Click New Web Page.4 Select Web Calendar.5 Open the calendar.6 Click View in Browser to see the default appearance of your

calendar.7 Change the appearance, if desired.

Click Appearance, then select the template you want your calendar to use. You can view your choice by clicking View in Browser.

8 Change the default calendar name, if desired.Open the calendar's properties to do this.

Creating blogs

A blog is an online diary to which you add dated entries. You first create a blog to hold your blog entries, then you create blog entries inside it.To create a blog for your web site:

1 Open Web Publishing.2 Open the folder in which you want your blog, if necessary.3 Click New Web Page.4 Select Blog.5 Open the blog.6 Click View in Browser to see the default appearance of your

blog.7 Change the appearance, if desired.

Click Appearance, then select the template you want your blog to use. You can view your choice by clicking View in Browser.

8 Change the default blog name, if desired.Open the blog's properties to do this.

How others can access your blog

FirstClass blogs support RSS feed readers, so others can subscribe to your blog. FirstClass RSS support does two things on your blog page when viewed on the web:

• adds a subscribe buttonPeople who have a browser that displays this button can simply click it to subscribe to your blog.

• adds an XML button.Some browsers can't display the subscribe button. People with one of these browsers can hover their cursor over the XML button. This displays the URL to use for accessing your blog.

To create an entry in your blog:1 Open the blog.2 Click New Blog Entry.3 Add and format the entry's content.

You can choose File > Save whenever you want to be sure your work is saved.

4 Click Save and Close when you are done.You will be asked to supply a name for your entry.

(Before you close the entry, you can give it a name. The entry is automatically dated today. You can click the date if you want to change it.)

To check your entry on the web, click View in Browser with the blog selected.

Creating podcasts

A podcast is a collection of audio or video tracks or clips (episodes). You first create a podcast to hold your episodes, then you create your episodes inside it.

To create a podcast:1 Open Web Publishing.2 Open the folder in which you want your podcast, if necessary.3 Click New Web Page.4 Select Podcast.5 Open the podcast.6 Click View in Browser to see the default appearance of your

podcast.7 Change the appearance, if desired.

Click Appearance, then select the template you want your podcast to use. You can view your choice by clicking View in Browser.

8 Change the default podcast name, if desired.Open the podcast's properties to do this.

Providing more information about podcastsFirstClass podcasts support RSS, so that they can be served to the iTunes Music Store. You can add more information about your podcast, such as album art, a copyright statement, and update frequency, that can be used by the iTunes Music Store. To do this:1 Select the podcast.2 Click Edit Podcast Details.3 Update the Podcast Details form.

To create an episode for your podcast:

1 Open the podcast.2 Click New Episode.3 Add the audio or video content.

Drag an audio or video file to the Podcast Episode form.You can record directly instead, just as you do when attaching a recording to a message, if your computer is connected to a microphone. To do this, click Record Episode.

4 Update the fields on the Podcast Episode form to identify the

episode.To check your episode on the web, click View in Browser with the podcast selected.

Further hints

It would be best for you to use FirstClass - version 10. If you don't have the appropriate version, you can download it from http://www.firstclass.com. If you use a lower version - even once - to work on your webpage - you may loose all your formatting.

Teacher Web Pages are stored on a separate Web Server with minimum capacity so space is at a premium.

Teacher FirstClass Web Pages are ideal for classroom communications, such as:

HomeworkClass AnnouncementsClass Policies

Sites should have a minimum of non-text components - i.e. - graphics, sounds, videos, etc.

Teacher Web Pages must be in compliance with the Newton Public Schools Web Publishing Policy.