Web+Page


 * Instructions for Posting a News Flash on the PHMS Web Page **


 * 1) Log in at this web page: []


 * 1) Click on the **Modules** tab and pull down to **News Flash.**


 * 1) Find your school or web page in the list and double-click to open it.


 * 1) Click on the **Add Item** button.


 * 1) Select **Starting On** and **Stopping On** dates.


 * 1) Type a **title** in **headline form** (as in a newspaper headline).


 * 1) In the **Lead In** text box, type your message (up to 255 characters).


 * 1) In the **Full Text** box, **copy and paste** your message from the **Lead In** box, adding additional words beyond the 255 characters if desired.

10. Click on the **small triangle** to see **more options**, including the addition of a **photo** and a **web address**, if desired.

11. Scroll to the top of the page to click on **Save and Publish**.

12. Go to your web page to see if the news post looks okay! =Adding News Flash= Modules News Flash PHMS Add Item Use Firefox. =Adding Documents to our Web Pages= =**Deconstructing the new interface**= September 21, 2009 A number of people asked exactly how I put together**our new interface**.
 * 1) Save document as PDF
 * 2) Go to the wb page and type the title of the document
 * 3) Create a link from that text to the Document (folder icon)
 * 4) Navigate to the location where you want the document stored. ex. Prairie Hills Middle School>Social Studies>7th Grade Social Studies>Legislative Unit
 * 5) Add Document
 * 6) Upload Document
 * 7) Choose file
 * 8) Save and Publish
 * 9) Name article
 * 10) Save
 * 11) Choose action
 * 12) Copy link
 * 13) Title Document
 * 14) Type: Document
 * OK
 * 1) Save

Though I really resist sharing this site as a model--it is still //very// much a messy work in progress--I do think it may be valuable to share what I learned as I built it.


 * The really important stuff:**

I learned two critical building concepts when all this 2.0 stuff started:

1. Most of the growing number of available apps play super well together. It's all a kind of jigsaw puzzle. But in this particular puzzle, all the pieces //want// to want to fit into each other. And so, the //completed// puzzle can morph in a myriad of beautiful ways. Unlike other jigsaws, this one has no one right configuration. You can create anything with your pieces. This is called **[|a mashup]**. 2. A number of handy-dandy parking lots not only allow you to park your media, they also give you the lovely gift of embed code, so that you can park your media //anywhere else// for free. (See number 1.) These parking lots are called **[|//the cloud//]**.

In creating **our Virtual Library**, I used the following pieces:
 * **[|Wikispaces for Teachers]** is my current building platform. I chose to use a wiki over a blog for my main canvas because I wanted a stable front page for my interface, one that wasn't continually superceded by newer content. **[|Wikispaces for Teachers]** is free and ad-free for K12 purposes.
 * I am using **[|Glogster]** for our image map. (Recently, I spoke with Jim and Andrew of Glogster and they whispered that exciting enhancements are coming very soon for their K12 users.)
 * I am using the super-easy **[|PollDaddy]** for my genre polls. You may want to choose any of a number other **equally effective polling tools**. In fact, I am using **[|Google Forms]**for our **[|Current Awareness]** service and for our **[|Materials Suggestion form]**.
 * I used a **[|Google Docs template]** to create our **[|September newsletter]**.
 * I used **[|Picnik]** to create that little snapshot logo in the left corner of the wiki.
 * I mentioned in a recent **[|blog post]** that we are using **[|Wordle]** for our genre posters.
 * To create our database widgets, I used these links:
 * **[|EBSCO Searchbox Builder]**
 * **[|Gale Widgets]**
 * **[|Gale Publication Search Widget]**
 * **[|Facts on File Widgets]**
 * **[|Alternate Facts on File Widgets (works better on wikis and blogs)]**
 * **[|ProQuest Search Widget Creator]**
 * **[|JSTOR Search]**

//For advanced users//: I really wanted to change the background color on my wiki homepage space to match the background of the photograph I chose for our **[|Glogster]** image map. This is not an obvious Wikispaces edit. I found a way to do it **using code on an FAQ page** written by **[|NeilSunderland]**.
 * Our **pathfinders** now come in two different flavors. Some are **[|wikis]**. I've chosen to create individual wikis to accomodate multiple pages as our pathfinders grow. (Some of the links on the nav bars are pages; others are links to other related wikis within our site.) The more newsy of our pathfinders are **[|PageFlakes]**. I wanted to use these pathfinders for more dynamic subjects, so I could aggregate the many newsfeeds our students don't even know they need. You might also choose **[|NetVibes]** for this purpose. (For more **personal information portal options**.)
 * I chose the**[| Washington Post TimeSpace Widgets]** for its dynamic, visual news feed.**Many other news feed options** are available. I also chose a local feed.
 * I've played with both the **[|Twitter Profile Widget]** and **[|Twidget]** to make library announcements.
 * I am using both **[|FlickrSlider]** and **[|Flickr's]** own very easy RSS functions to embed image sets and groups from our **[|Springfield Life]** and **[|Art Galleries]**.
 * If you dig really deep down on our pages, you'll see that I've used **[|Slideshare]** to embed PowerPoint lessons, my own and those of others.
 * I use a variety of **[|Nings]** to park video and grab embed code for our **News Broadcasts**and **online lessons** and **book trailers**. We also use Nings to host class discussions and lit circles and our OneBookOneSpringfield events. (Sorry, many of these are protected.)
 * And many of our archived student projects were created using **digital storytelling tools** like **[|Voicethread]** and **[|Animoto]**. Nearly all of these new tools offer that lovely embed code.

I suspect there are a zillion different new ways to put a library website together. Take a look at **New Tools Workshop**, my page on **Assorted Widgets**, and these **examples of effective practice** for MANY other ideas.

//**Update**: Modeling works. Today the seniors went a little// //embed crazy, selected all sorts of widgets and feeds to add to their own research wikis!//

Hope this helps! Please share more ideas in Comments.

Posted by **[|Joyce Valenza Ph.D]** on September 21, 200