These are illustrations from the pages created using the applications described. You can see the actual pages by clicking on the pictures - but remember that these are pages being developed as this is being written so they may change or the authors may have changed their addresses.
To get started click on either the Pageflakes or Protopage links.
Strange to think that you can just make a web page without lots of specialied training or expensive software? Well, follow these instructions and you'll be surprised . . .
Start at the Pageflakes web site and create an account. Because your site address on the web will feature your login name it is a good idea to keep that simple, ideally a single word and with some relevance to its content. Don't be too specific, though, because you will find that you can use the same login for lots of pages and others may relate to different units or topics perhaps.
You will then have a blank start page to which you need to add what they call flakes (but which I refer to as panels).
There are literally hundreds of panels available but initially you will find that these ones will do all you need.
Note
Use this panel for simple text - a bit like this section. It can be as long as you like and you can copy and paste text into it. Ideal for an introduction or short notes.
Web note
This is better for text that you'd like a little larger and is more suitable for longer notes. The font size, style and colours can be changed. The main thing about this panel is that you can have a collection of notes here. Write the first one and Save it with a sensible name. Then Create new notes and save them and you will see that each name then gets added to a list accessible under Open note.
Timetable / Calendar
The Timetable and Calendar panels provide options to set out a weekly schedule, for instance, and future important dates. The timetable is editable so you can change the spread of times and enter details in each box. In the Calendar you can display basic titles but further detail will appear when users hover over a date.
Top Links
The TopLinks panel is ideal for a selection of recommended links to other resources. Edit the panel and replace the four default links with your choices.Add Feed (not Flake) to bring onto the page a panel of your Web log headings or choose from a selection of general interest or subject-related ones available.
Layout
All the panels can be dragged around the page and will lock in to appropriate available positions.
They can also be set as either open or closed by clicking on the little icon top left. To change the title of a panel, just click on the title text and retype it. (It will be displayed in capitals.)
To edit any panel, click on Edit and it will open to show the options available. Don't forget to save any changes! This can be used to Add More TopLinks to a links panel as you may find that you need more than four.
The Page Title will initially be My New Page which, of course, you will wish to change. That is easily accomplished by clicking on the little arrow to the right and that pane will also give you the choice as to who can see it - with options to make it public or restrict to a group, with or without a password.
Your RSS Feed
To add your web log content to the page, use the Add Feed link as mentioned previously. Then use the ADD YOUR OWN section and the address to put in the box will be your Blogger web log address. Pageflakes will check that it is available and you should select the Atom option.
Alternatively, add /atom.xml to your http://yourtitle.blogspot.com address.
Normally you will find that just displaying headings or titles of posts works best but there is an option for a few lines of introduction to be displayed. Choose to open entries in the RSS Reader rather than Source or Original and your posts will be nicely set out by the internal feed manager, including pictures!
This is a very nice feature and effectively gives you the facility to have lots of your own resources on hand in one place - and when you update them they will automatically be updated here too!
Your site address
The address of your web site will be something like this:
http://www.pageflakes.com/yourtitle.ashx
These links will take you to the various applications used as well as examples of the completed samples and other ILT ideas. These links can also be accessed from the sidebar.
Dunstable College Library
Some more advanced web design here but an illustration of a simple alternative to traditional VLE software. Several links from the Courses link, however, go to pages created using these or similar free applications.
Blogger sample Q5
The new version, which has many new features.
Pageflakes Q5 sample
Protopage Q5 sample
Two of the free applications used to create web pages.
Q3 and Q4 have illustrated guides to Blogger, Pageflakes and Picasa.
Picasa
An excellent image management tool from the Google stable
Google accounts
A must these days for access to many exciting and free applications
Staff ICT Skills survey
The popular Excel tool that can be used on-line or printed and circulated
Scheme of work / lesson plan tool
Fill in one sheet and get all your course documents in one go!
Free on-line surveys
CoffeeCup software
Lots of great web tools which were made available free for use by the author and students - currently offers available that might apply to your institution too.
