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Website Content

Below are listed some different options for creating content for your website

Webpages - HTML

Options to create a webpage:

• Blue Wrench (can be combined with other kinds of websites - for example, if you have a Moodle course and want an easy way to post homework assignments, you can use a BW page and link to it from within your Moodle course)
• Create using a layout program
  • NVU - a FREE, simple layout program
  • Microsoft FrontPage
  • Macromedia Dreamweaver
  • Adobe GoLive
  • file extension is .htm or .html
• SAVE AS webpage or html from another program - common option used in office programs. If the webpage contains graphics, the program will usually save the graphics files in a separate folder. This folder must be uploaded to the website in addition to the webpage for the graphics to work properly (this option is not available for Blue Wrench web sites).

Document files

You could upload a .doc or .xls file and create a link directly to that file.  The user must have appropriate software loaded on their computer to open the file format and different versions of software and files can create incompatibilities. This solution is not recommended for the majority of information disseminated through webpages but could be useful for:

• templates
• worksheets

PDF files

A .pdf file is a format type designed by Adobe Acrobat. The user requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to be installed (and this is generally the case in 2005). The advantages of pdf:

• Output looks exactly like source document
• Document can easily be printed on any kind of printer - webpages often print funny on different printers - especially useful for forms
• Document cannot be altered

You must have special software to create a pdf file - Adobe Acrobat (NOT Reader but the full version) or a pdf creator program such as the FREE PDFCreator.  Some software packages now come with pdf create features built in (like OpenOffice) so you can export as pdf.

You can also use a scanner to create a PDF file but the file size tends to be much larger. This may be a good solution for documents that you cannot locate an electronic source.

PowerPoint on the Web

Options to putting a Powerpoint Presentation on the web are:

• upload the .ppt file and create a link directly to it - this requires the user to have the PowerPoint software loaded on their computer
• SAVE the presentation AS a webpage
• Create a PDF file

ClipArt & Photo Graphics

Sources of Graphics Files:

• Clip Art share sites (see website resources section)
• Graphics from other websites
  • Respect COPYRIGHT! - check for permissions or ask
  • hover mouse over graphic, right-click mouse and Save Picture As
• Photos from digital cameras
• Scanned photos, artwork, text - try to scan using a resolution < 100 to keep the file size low.
• ClipArt or Photo CD-ROMS - check copyright but usually personal and education websites are ok.

Output Newsletters or Projects as Graphic

Sometimes the best way to get an existing file to display well for a webpage is to output the page as a graphic file. This option often works best for KidPix, Kidspiration/Inspiration, PrintShop, MSPublisher and similar programs. The way to create the graphic file depends on the program - sometimes it's a SAVE AS command and sometimes it's an EXPORT command. You are looking for a .gif or .jpg file type since these are the graphics formats used by webpages. Sometimes there is an option for both file types - usually I try both and see which is smaller in file size and still readable. To publish, you then display the graphic file on a webpage.

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