Workshop Resources Assignments Setting up your Public Directory Hiding or Removing Files Home   Credits		Workshop 1: Teaching and Technology: how and why Pre-workshop Assignment: After you (1) become familiar with the Web and computer terminology in section I below, (2) take some time to look at course sites within your field. Consider the following questions: Which course site is your favorite? Why is it your favorite? Which site is your least favorite? Consider the site's goals, its appearance and its ease of use.   (3) Now post to the newsgroup. Please introduce yourself, state your expectations for these workshops, and discuss what type of experience you have with the Web. What You Should Bring: A syllabus in MSWord format on a 3 1/2" pc formatted diskette. Workshop Goals:   We begin by learning to publish a web page using Netscape Composer 4.7.  Participants will then critically examine existing course sites in their fields and become familiar with the basic features of course site layout and development.  Workshop Outline: I.  Introducing You to the Web      A.  What is the Web:  Answering Some Basic Questions      B.  What is the Web Good For:  Its Importance to You II.  Finding Your "Path" to Publishing on the Web:  Your Artsci Account      A.  Touring Your Account      B.  Saving Your Path      C.  Publishing Practice III.  Converting Your Syllabus into HTML Format      A.  Editing Your Syllabus      B.  Publishing Your Syllabus IV.  Planning Your Project     A.  What is a Course Site?      B.  A Closer Look at Course Sites V.  Creating a Draft of Your Own Course Site VI.  Thinking about Content: Finding Course Resources on the Web      A.  An Introduction to Search Engines      B.  Search Engine Exercises      C.  Saving Site Locations and Images VII.  Homework

I.  Introducing You to the Web

A.  What is the Web:  Answering Some Basic Questions

What is the Internet?
The Internet is a set of computers connected to each other through a network.

Where did the Internet come from?
The Internet technology and networks were originally developed by the United States Department of Defense to provide a robust system of communication between researchers.

What is the World Wide Web?
The World Wide Web is a user interface to the Internet.  Take a look at the definition of the WWW provided by SiteServing.com.

What is a Web Page?
A Web Page is a file that people everywhere can look at via the WWW.

What is HTML?
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language and is the programming language of Web pages.

What is Netscape Navigator?
Netscape Navigator is a browser, a computer program designed to allow users to gain access to documents and other information available on the WWW.  It downloads text pages coded in HTML, interprets the HTML codes, and displays those pages.  Another browser is the Microsoft Internet Explorer.

What is Netscape Composer?
Netscape Composer is an editor that allows you to edit current web pages or allows you to create one from scratch.  Netscape Composer is useful because it allows you to work on web pages without having to edit an HTML program directly.

Where can I find out more?
Click here for a small table of other important terms.

B.  What is the Web Good For:  Its Importance to You

1.  Communication

In general, the WWW is often used for communication via email.  As a teaching assistant, this provides you with a means to communicate with your students and your professors.

2.  Information Retrieval

The WWW allows access to public domain information, bibliographic databases , libraries , and entertainment services .  This aspect of the WWW can assist TA's in their research and in their teaching.

3.  Presentation of Information

Any organization connected to the WWW can provide access to its own information to millions of people world-wide.  Individuals can develop and provide their own information packages via their own home pages.  As we will see in this series of workshops,  this feature of the WWW expands the teaching tools of TAs by allowing them to create their  own course site or to reach a broader audience.  It also provides another way for doctoral students to go about their job search and conduct interviews.

II.  Finding Your "Path" to Publishing on the Web:  Your Artsci Account

A.  Touring Your Account

Because all of the information you publish onto the Web is stored in your own artsci account, we will show you how to create and then locate the publication "path" in your account.  This defines the directory where files in your artsci account are publicly viewable by other servers.

1. Insert your disk into the disk drive and close all running applications.
2. At the bottom left corner of your desktop click on "Start"  and select "Run".
3. **Open "Telnet" by typing telnet artsci.wustl.edu and clicking on "OK".
4. Now open your artsci account by entering your login name and password at their respective prompts.
5. **Instead of typing pine,as you would in order to read your email, type chmod a+x public_html and hit enter.
6. Now type chmod a+r public_html and hit enter.   (these two steps set your "permissions" to allow other users the ability to look inside the public_html directory)
7. Next type cd public_html (This changes the directory you are in to public_html)
8. **At the prompt, type in pwd

The path following this prompt is very important, it is necessary to publish anything you create onto the Web!

B.  Saving Your Path

Because your path is so important, you will save it on your disk using "Notepad".

1.  In the "Telnet" window, highlight your path.
2.  From the drop-down menus, select "Edit", "Copy" to make a copy of this path.
3.  On the taskbar go to "Start" and select "Programs".
4.  Under "Programs", select "Accessories", "Notepad".  A blank "Notepad" window should appear.
5.  From the drop-down menus in the "Notepad" window select "Edit", "Paste" to paste your path here.
6.  You should notice your path appearing in the "Notepad" window.
7.  From the drop-down menus in the "Notepad" window, select "File", "Save".  This should bring up the "Save" menu.
8.  In the "Save in" field, make sure it says "3 1/2 Floppy (A:)".
9.  **In the "File name" field, type publishpath and click on "Save".  Your path is now saved onto your disk.
10.  Close the "Notepad" window by clicking on the "X" in the upper right hand corner of the window.
11.  **Log off of your artsci account by typing logout
12.  Click on "OK" at the prompt and close the "Telnet" window.

C.  Publishing Practice

Now you will use the "path" you have just found to publish a very simple document onto the Web.

1. Open up your Netscape browser from your desktop by double clicking on its icon.
2. From the drop-down menus select "File", "New", and "Blank Page". You should now see a blank  "Composer" window.
3. **Type This is my first attempt to publish something onto the Web.
4. Now you must save this file before publishing it, so from the drop-down menus select "File", "Save".
5. You are going to save this file onto your disk, so make sure it says "3 1/2 Floppy (A:)" in the "Save in" field.
6. **In the "File name" field, type practice and click on "Save".
7. The computer will ask you to enter a title for the page.  "Practice" will do as a title, so click on "OK".
8. From the drop-down menus select "File", "Publish".
9. Since we decided to title this page "Practice", leave that in the "Page Title" field .
10. Note that the name of your file in the "HTML Filename:" field is what you saved it to your disk as (it should say "practice.html").
11. **In the "HTTP or FTP Location to publish to:" field, type ftp://artsci.wustl.edu   and then hit "Ctrl  V". This command should have inserted your path after edu.
12. Insert your artsci username and password, make sure the "Save Password" box is not checked, and click on "OK".
13. The computer should return a prompt saying that the file was uploaded successfully; click on "OK".
14. Close the "Composer" window by clicking on the "X" in the upper right corner.

1. **Under "Location" at the top of the screen and in Netscape Navigator type in http://artsci.wustl.edu/~your_artsci_login/practice.html

III.  Converting Your Syllabus into HTML Format

A.  Editing Your Syllabus

You should not have any windows open at this point.   You are going to open your syllabus in "Microsoft Word" and save it as an HTML document.

1. Go to "Start" and select "Programs".
2. Under "Programs", "MSOffice2000", open "Microsoft Word".
3. From the drop-down menus select "File", "Open".
4. Make sure the "Look in" field says "3 1/2 Floppy (A:)".
5. Double click on the icon next to your syllabus. Your syllabus should now appear in the "Microsoft Word" window.
6. From the drop-down menus, select "File", "Save as".
7. In the "Save as" menu that appears, make sure it says "3 1/2 Floppy (A:)" in the "Save in" field.
8. In the "Save as type" window, select "HTML Document (*.htm; *.html)"
9. **In the "File name" field type Syllabus.html. Make sure that there is an "l" at the end of the file extension and then click on "Save".
10. Now close the "Microsoft Word" window by clicking on the "X" in the upper right hand corner.
11. Open "Netscape Communicator" by double clicking on its desktop icon.
12. From the drop-down menus select "File", "Open Page".
13. When the "Open Page" window appears, make sure "Open location or file in Composer" is checked.
14. Click on "Choose File" and make sure it says "3 1/2 Floppy (A:)" in the "Look in " field.
15. Double click on the icon next to "Syllabus.html", this should pull up your syllabus in the "Composer" window.

1. From the drop-down menus select  "File", "Publish".
2. In the "Page Title:" field type in a different title if you don' t like what appears.
3. In the "HTML Filename:" field it should say "Syllabus.html".
4. In the "HTTP or FTP Location to publish to:" field your path should still be there.
5. Insert your artsci username and password, make sure the "Save Password" box is not checked, and click on "OK".
6. Again the computer should return a prompt saying your files were uploaded successfully, click on "OK".

Let's all check to make sure that our syllabi were successfully published to the Web:

1. Closing the "Composer" window should have made the window for "Netscape Navigator" re-appear.
2. **Under "Location" at the top of the screen type in http://artsci.wustl.edu/ ~your_artsci_login/Syllabus.html.

IV.  Planning Your Project

A.  What is a Course Site?

The online syllabus we just published is a resource that students can constantly access.  An even more comprehensive teaching tool is a course site:  an online catalog of information and links for and about your course.  There are no rigid guidelines for creating a course site; it can be as simple as an online syllabus, or as complex as a series of interconnecting pages and links.  Before you make your own site, it helps to first get a feel for what is out there by looking at existing sites.  The following sample of sites will give some idea of the different ways course sites can enhance learning:

• Africa:  Peoples and Cultures
• General Chemistry
• Violence in 20th century avant-garde european literature
• Organic Chem II

B.  A Closer Look at Course Sites

1.  Evaluating Sites.

For homework you became familiar with existing course sites in your discipline.  Spend a few minutes browsing this list of course sites .  Then pick a site to evaluate.  Note at least two things you like about the site, and two things that you would do differently.  You may want to use this evaluation form to help guide you.

2.  Discussing Site Features.

Looking beyond your discipline may help give you new ideas and insights into planning your own course site; therefore, spend a few minutes sharing the site you evaluated with other workshop participants.  In your group:

• share your observations about what you like and do not like about a particular site.
• list the five best features of a course site.

Now that we have seen and evaluated different sites, you have seen first-hand some of the ways in which the Web can enhance learning:

• Improves Communication
• Expands Resources
• Student-Centered

Now that you have seen several existing course sites, you are better prepared to make your own site.  It is a good idea to sketch out your ideas on paper before starting to compose it online. The planning template you receive as homework will help you to set the parameters of your project by requiring you to consider a few questions focused on the particular needs of your course.  When you are sketching your site, a few key questions will help keep you focused:

• What are the goals of my course?
• In what ways can technology help me achieve these goals?
• How much time will the Web elements of my course demand from me and my students?
• Will I include room for student input on my course site?
• Will I be the only user of this site, or will other instructors take over next semester?

VI.  Thinking about Content: Finding Course Resources on the Web

So far today, you have seen quite a few course sites and have thought about what your site might look like when you begin drafting it. Since tomorrow will focus on creating your actual course site, you will need to include online resources related to your course. As you know, links to other important Web sites in your field are key elements of a course page. Images also help make a course site more interesting. We will now take a look at Web search engines and see how to find resources such as images and site locations (also called URLs).

A.  An Introduction to Search Engines

Search engines are programs that you access from your browser to help you find information on the Web.  All search engines are different, but most consist of two main elements:

• keyword search - After you type in your keyword(s), a search engine scans its databases for corresponding sites and provides you with a list of its findings.
• subject directories - Most search engines also have a directory, which will then let you refine your search by choosing sub-categories, then sub-sub categories, etc.

- Google produces search results based on how many links exist to a page from other pages. This produces search results sorted by the page's "popularity" on other pages, that is, how often other pages link to the page being searched for.  Google also has an "I'm Feeling Lucky" button which will automatically take you to the number one search result.  Go ahead, make your day.

-Yahoo! has a comprehensive list of categories that enable you to search for general topics, such as American newspapers or St. Louis weather. Yahoo! also has search engines for Germany , Spain , Japan , Italy , Denmark , Hong Kong , and more. Yahoo! works in conjunction with AltaVista, so if its databases don't find any information, it will return with information from their search engine.

AltaVista  - This is one of the oldest, most established search engines and is run by the Compaq Corporation.  AltaVista is helpful, because it edits your search.  This means it searches for your topic under related names--kind of like a built-in thesaurus.  For example, if you enter in "Admissions Tests," AltaVista also searches under related topics, such as "SAT" and "GRE." AltaVista also has a German search engine.

- This is a search engine which allows you to do highly defined searches. This can be helpful or annoying, depending on the nature of your search and the amount of time you have. Hotbot is especially user-friendly in refining searches. Like Yahoo! and AltaVista, Hotbot is connected to Lycos , so if your search is unsuccessful on HotBot, you can perform the same search in Lycos with the click of a button.

- Northern Light organizes your searches into folders for you.  This makes it easier to narrow your search to find what you are looking for.  For example, a search of "Shakespeare" yields standard search results and folders such as "Shakespeare Festivals" and "Shakespeare's Comedies."  Clicking on the folder will give you the best results within that category.

Dogpile - Dogpile is a meta-search engine.  It searches multiple search engines and provides the results.  Dogpile currently searches more than ten different search engines and may add more in the future.

Ruth Lewis at Olin Library has developed a very helpful segment within her page "Incorporating Web Resources into your Teaching and into Your Course Pages" on searching and search engines on the web . It contains information strategies for searching the web, including tips on Boolean seaches.  There is also a lists of links with more information on searching.  For more help on conducting searches, you can also visit the University of California Berkeley's useful tutorial for finding information on the internet, especially their section on individual search engines .

B.  Search Engine Exercises

If you are not familiar with search engines, we encourage you to learn some of the basics. Each search engine has tips on how to perform searches or you can read our short tutorial on how to search for sites and images.

C.  Saving Site Locations and Images

1. Saving Site Locations

When you find a site that you would like to include on your own course site, save it!  Since you will be collecting sites that you will be putting on your course sites tomorrow, you want to make sure that they are saved onto your disk. We are each going to save a different address to our disks.

1. Perform a search for a web site at one of the search engines of your choice. If you do not know how to search for sites and images, see our directions on simple and advanced web searches.
2. Choose a site from the list of results and click on the link.
3. Once the site has loaded, highlight the URL with your mouse.
4. From the drop-down menus, select "Edit," then "Copy" to make a copy of this URL.
5. Hold the mouse down on "Start" in the lower left-hand corner.  Under "Programs," select "Accessories," then "Notepad."  A blank "Notepad" window should appear.
6. Now select "Edit," then "Paste" from the drop-down menus in the "Notepad" window to paste the URL.
7. You should see the URL appearing in the "Notepad" window.
8. In order to help you identify the site you have just saved, type in a keyword or phrase above the URL, such as "World Cup 2002."
9. Make sure to save your "Notepad" to your disk often. From the drop-down menus in the "Notepad" window, select "File," then "Save." This should bring up the "Save" menu.
10. In the "Save in" field, make sure it says 3 1/2 Floppy (A:)."
11. In the "File Name" field, type the word resources. This will help you identify this URL tomorrow, when you will be adding links to your course site.
12. Now click on "Save." The text document is now saved to your disk.

2.  Saving Images

Like the URLs you find, it is important to save images to use on your course site. These images can be saved on the same disk as the URLs. A basic image useful for any Wash U developed course page is a Wash U logo. Let's save to disk a Wash U logo from the Style Guide for Web Publishing.

1. In the location field type "logo.wustl.edu." Scroll down and click on "University and School Web Logotypes."
2. Choose a logo type.
3. Place your cursor over the choosen image.
4. Right-click your mouse, then click on "Save image as."
5. In the "Save in" field, make sure it says "3 1/2 Floppy (A:)."
6. Under "File name," the pre-set name of the image will appear.  You may change this if you want.  Click on "Save."  The image is now saved to your disk.

Now you have the skills to search for resources on the Web and you can save these resources for later use in developing your own course site.

VII. Homework

As you (1) fill out the planning sheet handout , think about the advantages and disadvantages of building a web site for your course.  (2) As you are sketching out your course site, what are your thoughts about how your course site might add to the what you could do in a traditional classroom? Post a message outlining your thoughts to the newsgroup. (3) Using the planning sheet handout you received in Workshop 1, create a draft of your course site on paper. (4) Copy two images and four site locations (URLs) onto your floppy disk to be used in creating an online course site.

You will need to bring the following to Workshop 2:

• your paper draft of your course site.

• two images and four site locations on your PC formatted floppy disk.