Chapter Outline

INTEGRATING THE WORLD WIDE WEB (WWW) INTO THE CLASSROOM

I. Web Page Creation

1. Web page creation allows users to express themselves, and Web pages have become extremely popular.
2. Programs such as Web Workshop, Web Workshop Pro, Site Central, PageMill, Claris Home Page, and Microsoft Front Page let users create a Web page, as though they were viewing it through a Web browser,with no HTML knowledge necessary.
3. More advanced programs for Web-page creation by the professional are Dreamweaver and Adobe GoLive Studio.
4. HTML editors are available as shareware programs, such as HTML Editor, Hot Dog, and PageSpinner, that can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of other Web-page creation programs.
5. Word processing programs such as WordPerfect and Microsoft Word and Web browsers such as Netscape and Internet Explorer have HTML features built into their programs.
6. Web sites such as Yahoo Geocities with Page Wizard and Page Builder help the user to create Web pages.

II. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

1. HTML makes the portions or elements of a document appear with a distinctive format, when accessed by a Web browser.
2. HTML allows the author to insert tables, create forms to get user information, style text, embed graphics, and create Hyperlinks, by enclosing orders in brackets or tags, for example, <TITLE>.
3. Beginners' guides and helpful Web sites provide information on learning and using HTML. See pp. 192-194.

III. Some Guidelines for Creating a Web Page

1. To create an attractive Web page, the user should follow nine steps.
2. An example of a good Web site is alive at
   http://www.cellsalive.com/.

IV. Java

1. While HTML is a document display format that is constantly being changed to make it accomplish more, Java is a full-blown programming language.
2. Java was developed in the early 1990s by a team at Sun Microsystems, as a way to write programs for consumer gadgets such as televisions and pagers.
3. Java was modeled after the programming language C++ and is a cross-platform programming language.
4. Java can be used to write a program that will work on any computer that can run a Java interpreter, which is built into the majority of browsers today and can be found embedded in HTML documents on the WWW.
5. Java is typically used for creating games that run in a browser window, interactive web graphics, and stand-alone applications.
6. In 1996, Sun started selling stand-alone software applications written in Java.
7. Java can be used to create applets, or small computer programs, that provide a specific function such as displaying a scrolling or ticker tape message, a clock, or calculator and can be embedded in a web page or stand-alone application.
8. Java is an important, promising new software technology, as it could power a new generation of devices that might make today's desktop personal computers obsolete. I. Java is not to be confused with JavaScript, a scripting language developed by Netscape communications for publishing on the World Wide Web.

V. Web Utilities

1. Web utilities such as WebWacker, Webzinger, and WebPrinter, help the user to organize and save Internet sites, using bookmark managers, off-line browsers, seekers, printers, and security filters.
2. Filtering software such as CyberPatrol and CyberSnoop help ensure a safe on-line experience by not allowing access to inappropriate sites and focusing students on desirable sites.

VI. Opening Web Pages

1. All Web pages displayed in the chapter were opened using Netscape, with other browsers working in a similar way.
2. If the user cannot open a site with a given URL, the user can sometimes modify the URL to get the page desired.

VII. Search Engines

1. Search engines are software programs that help the user to locate information in a database on the Internet, with millions of searchable pages on the World Wide Web.
2. Search engines locate Web pages on a subject or locate a specific page when the user lacks the URL.
3. Search engines can be used by typing a word or phrase called a keyword or search term in the search engine's text box.
4. Search engines return results in the form of links to relevant sites.
5. Search engines that are well-known are Excite, Google, HotBot, Yahoo, Lycos, Magellan, and AltaVista, with the kind of search site chosen dependent on the information needed.
6. Search engines in general automatically send spiders, or automated electronic software programs, out on the Web to collect the text of the Web pages and put all the text into one database, which the user searches when using the site.
7. Metasearch engines do nothing but search other search engines, with two excellent examples as Infind.Com and Metacrawler, which simultaneously bring the user results from many search engines.
8. A list of popular search engines is found on pp. 198-199. I. To use a search engine creatively, the user must have the mind of a detective, think creatively, and follow five rules.
9. Searching can be incorporated effectively into classroom use. See the lesson described on pp. 200-201.

VIII. Searching the Internet without a Computer

1. A television set such as WebTV or Internet appliance such as NetPliance's I-opener are less expensive alternatives to using the computer to search the Internet, send e-mail, and other features.
2. Alternatives will probably not replace the computer but are low cost, faster, and easier to use for simple features.

IX. Web Site Evaluation

1. The user must be able to distinguish a quality Web site from one that is mediocre and be cautious about the information on a Web page. See the Web site rating scale on p. 203 and Transparency Master 9.1.

X. WebQuest

1. Bernie Dodge, a San Diego State University Professor of Educational Technology, created WebQuest 1995. He coined the term WebQuest while teaching preservice teachers.He coined the term WebQuest while teaching preservice teachers.
2. Tom March, while working as a fellow for Pacific Bell, developed the first WebQuest.
3. WebQuest can be a single lesson or month-long unit of study and requires creativity and problem solving.
4. Students divide their labor among groups to answer questions.
5. Lessons consist of materials selected by teachers and students who use the resources.
6. The user must be able to design a Web page with links in order to create a WebQuest, with plenty templates available on the Web.
7. A WebQuest has six important components.
8. WebQuest is used at the university level by teachers, curriculum specialists, and teacher educators.
9. Thousands of teachers have created WebQuest lessons on the Web.
10. WebQuest is invaluable for integrating the Web into the classroom.

XI. Integrating the Web into the Classroom

1. Many Web sites are especially useful for classroom teachers, covering all curriculum areas and presenting an excellent collection of lesson plans.
2. See pp. 206-218 for a variety of ways to integrate the Web into the classroom.