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May 15, 2002
Web Building Made Easy
By Ben Trefny
Here, the latest tools for making schools' online gardens grow.
For the longest time, beautiful Web sites were the exclusive domain of well-financed graphics companies and deep-pocketed corporations that could hire the best code writers. But in recent years, there has been a flowering of tools that don't require "hard-core" Web development skills. Today, even novice site builders can create moving-image presentations, make animated scenes that used to require sophisticated Java coding, and play slide shows and movies on their Web sites.
Whether your school or district seeks flashy animated presentations or utilitarian HTML pages, the latest generation of Web editors and graphics software can help. Keep in mind that bundled programs often cost less on balance, making them a smart buy for cash-strapped schools. Also, when purchasing, be sure to ask about education discounts.
Web Editors
Adobe GoLive 6 takes the Java code that drives Web design and places it behind the scenes. As users manipulate objects on their screen to create a page, the program writes the script. GoLive comes with a CD-ROM offering numerous tutorials specifically designed for educators. $89 bundled with Adobe LiveMotion 2 (see "Graphics Programs"). (800) 833-6687
Teachers using Apple HomePage get a variety of basic Web-design features. They can post lessons for a unit or semester, or share class projects online, including videos created with iMovie. In addition, they can upload documents and forms to a public folder so parents can access assignments, permission slips, or other items. Free with an iTools account sign-up. (800) 800-2775
A simple yet fully functional site generator, Knowledge Adventure SiteCentral features more than 10,000 "Web-ready" images and animations, and can be integrated with HyperStudio stacks. Specifically designed for educators, SiteCentral ships with 100 premade page templates, plus a Java applet tool that enables the addition of music, slide shows, sound, and special effects. The $99 teacher edition includes two licenses. (800) 545-7677
Macromedia Dreamweaver 4.0's new split-window environment allows a simultaneous view of the code and the page being created or altered. An integrated code debugger, asset manager for checking out all of your site's media, site reporting feature to find common and specific programming problems, as well as other integrated features, make this an all-in-one Web design tool. $99 for educators. (800) 457-1774
Part of Microsoft Office, Microsoft FrontPage 2002 Academic Edition is designed for people comfortable with code as well as those who prefer WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) to figure out what's going on. An automatic Web content feature enables updates from MSNBC. Other features include discussion boards, online surveys, format-ready hyperlinks, customizable link bars, and even speech and handwriting recognition technology. $79.95. (800) 426-9400
Designed for grades 2-8, Sunburst Web Workshop 2.0 enables teachers and students to build and post Web pages through the use of familiar drawing tools and templates. Web Workshop Pro, which caters to grades 6-12, offers more sophisticated editing tools and supports a wide range of multimedia formats. Either costs $99.95 for a lab pack of 10. (800) 321-7511
For educators seeking simplicity, Ulead MySite 2.0 may just be the way to go. The program helps you construct a robust site through a WYSIWYG drag-and-drop feature and completely code-free construction. Built-in publishing allows easy upload to a Web site, plus Ulead handles the page hosting for one year at no extra cost. $49.95. (800) 85-ULEAD
Graphics Programs
The latest version of Adobe LiveMotion 2 allows users to create animated images and set them in motion using an integrated time line. The program features a split-screen workspace: a time line on one half, and a drawing board on the other half. Adobe's group product manager Mike Ninness estimates that it takes about a week of regular practice to get up to speed. $89 bundled with GoLive for educators. (800) 833-6687
Balthaser:Fx boasts the ability to make it easier for newbies to develop their own animated Web sites, offering a collection of premade Flash-style effects that can be applied to existing text and images. A drag-and-drop object library, timeline for cueing object placement, and scene manager make sure everything looks the way you want it to look. $299. (415) 395-2800
The CorelDRAW 10 Graphics Suite includes three programs bundled together: CorelDRAW 10, Corel PHOTO-PAINT 10, and Corel R.A.V.E. Together, they bring most any modern graphic application to your desktop, enabling blends, photo effects, Web image optimizers, Flash, plus exports to animated AVI, GIF, and MOV files. $549, with discounts available through education channels. (800) 772-6735
The comprehensive Flash animation authoring program iMedia Builders FlareWorks Professional 1.1 helps you create libraries of templates of animated objects, effects, and paths. FlareWorks simplifies animation by allowing the user to set a beginning and initial speed, location, and time, and then let the program take it from there. A more advanced feature of FlareWorks allows creation of movies, including sound importing and transitional video effects, among other features. $99. (800) 758-DISC
In Macromedia Fireworks 4, a bitmap-editing feature enables large-scale photo altering. Vector editing, text handling, and live animation control as well as button and pop-up creators, drag-and-drop rollovers, and other features make this a strong tool for sophisticated designers. Can be bundled with other Macromedia products to make a comprehensive Web-design package. $99 for educators. (415) 252-2000
Macromedia Flash MX allows users to create low-bandwidth graphics, user interfaces, and animation with audio and video playback for Web sites. Program features include tabs that allow users to customize their workspace, as well as educational templates and training tutorials. Beginners or professionals can use this program to create content viewable by more than 98 percent of the computer-using audience. $99 for educators. (800) 457-1774
Ransen Gliftic Version 3 comes with a design wizard to help even the worst artist create vivid images. All it takes is a general object description, a color scheme, and layout directions to set Gliftic in motion. The program is useful for page backgrounds, borders, and bullets that can automatically become Web-ready tiles. $29.95. (888) 545-8616
SWiSH 2.0 provides for complex animations that include text; images; graphics and sound; built-in effects such as explode, vortex, and 3-D spin; plus motion paths, lines, and the rest of the basic graphic features that designers want. A frame-by-frame preview and new 100 percent WYSIWYG feature allow fine-tuning of Flash presentations before showing them off to the rest of the world. $49.95. 52-086-041-812 (Australia)
Ben Trefny is a contributing writer for an educational textbook series on great literature and works as a freelance writer and radio journalist in San Francisco.
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