Designing Pages with a Purpose: Creating a Strategic Approach to Online Searching Presented by: Catherine Nelson – Media Specialist Great Falls High School & Kim Isiminger – Media Specialist Wagener Salley High School

Goals of Presentation Discuss an interactive library web page that guides and directs student searching Pages that keep students focused, undistracted

Discuss an interactive library web page that guides and directs student searching

Pages that keep students focused, undistracted

Web Page Creation Software Text editor (word pad) & html Netscape Composer Publisher Front page Dreamweaver Microsoft Word Claris Etc.

Text editor (word pad) & html

Netscape Composer

Publisher

Front page

Dreamweaver

Microsoft Word

Claris

Etc.

Design Basics Audience Alignment / Proximity Repetition Contrast

Audience

Alignment / Proximity

Repetition

Contrast

Audience Consider the use of Appealing colors and appropriate clipart Font size Amount of text vs. buttons

Consider the use of

Appealing colors and appropriate clipart

Font size

Amount of text vs. buttons

Proximity / Alignment Items too close suggest relationship Make organization purposeful  Use tables to help align

Items too close suggest relationship

Make organization purposeful 

Use tables to help align

Repetition Repeat some aspect of the design to tie the parts together for internal links: Same heading style (font, color) Same background Same divider Same footer Graphic (school or library logo)? Navigational line

Repeat some aspect of the design to tie the parts together for internal links:

Same heading style (font, color)

Same background

Same divider

Same footer

Graphic (school or library logo)?

Navigational line

Navigation Provide an obvious navigational base Back (button or word) Hyperlinks of all connected pages reappearing on each page. (Example) Library Home ~ Student Resources ~ Teacher Resources ~ Subscribed Databases ~ Internet Links ~ Subject Sites

Provide an obvious navigational base

Back (button or word)

Hyperlinks of all connected pages reappearing on each page. (Example)

Library Home ~ Student Resources ~ Teacher Resources ~ Subscribed Databases ~ Internet Links ~ Subject Sites

Page Layout Page name Title Body of Information Author if not same as contact Contact: name & email Date updated Location

Page name

Title

Body of Information

Author if not same as contact

Contact: name & email

Date updated

Location

Suggested Internal Links Teacher Sites Student Sites Special Projects/Thematic Topics (History Day, Black History, etc.) Long range lesson plans / curriculum mapping School (District, feeder schools, PTO or PTA) Community Interest Sites Library Specific Sites (DISCUS, subscribed services)

Teacher Sites

Student Sites

Special Projects/Thematic Topics (History Day, Black History, etc.)

Long range lesson plans / curriculum mapping

School (District, feeder schools, PTO or PTA)

Community Interest Sites

Library Specific Sites (DISCUS, subscribed services)

Teacher/School Sites South Carolina Teacher Site ( www.scteachers.org ) State & National Standards Profession Affiliations NEA NCTM School Board Association South Carolina Administrators Lesson Plan Resources State & Federal Departments of Education District Page Professional Online Journals

South Carolina Teacher Site ( www.scteachers.org )

State & National Standards

Profession Affiliations

NEA

NCTM

School Board Association

South Carolina Administrators

Lesson Plan Resources

State & Federal Departments of Education

District Page

Professional Online Journals

Students Sites Ensure age appropriate Subject specific links Reading program quiz list Fun sites Publishers Puzzles Magazines, Teen Lounges Post high school websites SAT / ACT Testing Financial aid College websites Career websites Resumes Occupational Outlook Handbook

Ensure age appropriate

Subject specific links

Reading program quiz list

Fun sites

Publishers

Puzzles

Magazines, Teen Lounges

Post high school websites

SAT / ACT Testing

Financial aid

College websites

Career websites

Resumes

Occupational Outlook Handbook

Special Projects/Themes History Day DAR Science Olympiad Multicultural Sites Holiday Sites School-wide observances Dr. Seuss’s Birthday 100 th Day of School Teen Read Week Banned Books Week

History Day

DAR

Science Olympiad

Multicultural Sites

Holiday Sites

School-wide observances

Dr. Seuss’s Birthday

100 th Day of School

Teen Read Week

Banned Books Week

Community Interest County/city government websites Community interest sites Newspapers Chamber of Commerce

County/city government websites

Community interest sites

Newspapers

Chamber of Commerce

Library Sites DISCUS Subscribed Services ProQuest Electric Library SCOIS Vendor sites Renaissance Learning (Accelerated Reader) Sagebrush/Follet Book Vendors Professional Affiliations ALA, AASL, IRA SCASL SC State Library Library of Congress Union Catalogs

DISCUS

Subscribed Services

ProQuest

Electric Library

SCOIS

Vendor sites

Renaissance Learning (Accelerated Reader)

Sagebrush/Follet

Book Vendors

Professional Affiliations

ALA, AASL, IRA

SCASL

SC State Library

Library of Congress

Union Catalogs

General Program Information Staff Hours Services provided Policy & procedures Promotional activities This information does not need to be the FOCUS of your site.

Staff

Hours

Services provided

Policy & procedures

Promotional activities

This information does not need to be the FOCUS of your site.

AVOID: Music Repeat visitors tire of it Frames Unable to bookmark Distorts true look of page inside the frame Welcome Home Page1

Music

Repeat visitors tire of it

Frames

Unable to bookmark

Distorts true look of page inside the frame

AVOID: Cutting Edge Web design Not many k-12 schools have hardware or software that support it The average k-12 teacher (and some students) don’t understand or recognize it! Web Page Novelties Tools that require plug-ins Flash Java applets

Cutting Edge Web design

Not many k-12 schools have hardware or software that support it

The average k-12 teacher (and some students) don’t understand or recognize it!

Web Page Novelties

Tools that require plug-ins

Flash

Java applets

AVOID: Scrolling Text, Marques, Blinkers, constantly running animations Hard to read, distracting, downright annoying Complex URLs Keep them simple and lowercase Very few students know what a tilde is (~), ever use it, or know where it is on a keyboard Spaces in web names become underscores that do not get easily recognized in a hyperlink (that is underlined as most are)

Scrolling Text, Marques, Blinkers, constantly running animations

Hard to read, distracting, downright annoying

Complex URLs

Keep them simple and lowercase

Very few students know what a tilde is (~), ever use it, or know where it is on a keyboard

Spaces in web names become underscores that do not get easily recognized in a hyperlink (that is underlined as most are)

AVOID: Long Pages to Scroll Users dislike it Users are more willing to navigate if targets are present Link to internal pages instead Non-standard link colors Make the background compliment the links, not vice versa When link colors are changed from the standard, they are harder to find

Long Pages to Scroll

Users dislike it

Users are more willing to navigate if targets are present

Link to internal pages instead

Non-standard link colors

Make the background compliment the links, not vice versa

When link colors are changed from the standard, they are harder to find

AVOID: Long Download Times Use less clipart and smaller, compressed images Consider thumbnails as links to larger images Note html editors that tell download time Dead Links Check your links and pages often and edit out dead or lost links

Long Download Times

Use less clipart and smaller, compressed images

Consider thumbnails as links to larger images

Note html editors that tell download time

Dead Links

Check your links and pages often and edit out dead or lost links

Instead, use: Color balance Backgrounds that are easy on eyes Tables where applicable Simple fonts Limited pictures/use thumbnails Clarity, consistency and conciseness Site map

Color balance

Backgrounds that are easy on eyes

Tables where applicable

Simple fonts

Limited pictures/use thumbnails

Clarity, consistency and conciseness

Site map

Disclaimer: Sites Used The following slides list library pages (hyperlinked) viewed in the presentation. Not all have every recommendation made in the presentation. Each was chosen for some value or merit. None are from our state (to save anyone embarrassment), with the exception of our own pages.

The following slides list library pages (hyperlinked) viewed in the presentation.

Not all have every recommendation made in the presentation.

Each was chosen for some value or merit.

None are from our state (to save anyone embarrassment), with the exception of our own pages.

High School Examples Mahtomedi High School -- Mahtomedi, MN Craig High School – Janesville, WI Burnsville High School – Burnsville, MN Manchester Memorial High School – Manchester, NH Spring Lake Park High School – Spring Lake Park, MN Mercy High School —San Francisco Springfield Township High School Virtual Library – Erdehenheim, PA

Mahtomedi High School -- Mahtomedi, MN

Craig High School – Janesville, WI

Burnsville High School – Burnsville, MN

Manchester Memorial High School – Manchester, NH

Spring Lake Park High School – Spring Lake Park, MN

Mercy High School —San Francisco

Springfield Township High School Virtual Library – Erdehenheim, PA

Middle School Examples Sashabaw Middle School – Clarkston, MI Bedford Middle School – Westport, CT Thomas Jefferson Middle School – Teaneck, NJ Holton Middle School – Holton, KS North Junior High School, Boise, ID

Sashabaw Middle School – Clarkston, MI

Bedford Middle School – Westport, CT

Thomas Jefferson Middle School – Teaneck, NJ

Holton Middle School – Holton, KS

North Junior High School, Boise, ID

Elementary School Examples Brookhaven Elementary School – Rockville, MD Washington Elementary School – Cloquet, MN Greentown Elementary School – North Canton, OH Fielder Elementary School – Katy, TX

Brookhaven Elementary School – Rockville, MD

Washington Elementary School – Cloquet, MN

Greentown Elementary School – North Canton, OH

Fielder Elementary School – Katy, TX

Your Presenters’ Web Pages Great Falls High School created by Catherine Nelson Wagener- Salley High School created by Kim Isiminger Tips Brochure - saved as RTF

Great Falls High School created by Catherine Nelson

Wagener- Salley High School created by Kim Isiminger

Tips Brochure

- saved as RTF

Contacting Us! Catherine L. Nelson Great Falls High School (Chester County Schools) Great Falls, SC (803) 482-2210 [email_address] Kim Isiminger Wagener-Salley High School (Aiken County Schools) Wagener, SC (803) 564-1100 [email_address]

Catherine L. Nelson

Great Falls High School (Chester County Schools)

Great Falls, SC

(803) 482-2210

[email_address]

Kim Isiminger

Wagener-Salley High School (Aiken County Schools)

Wagener, SC

(803) 564-1100

[email_address]

The End!