Using Netscape Composer to Create a Portable Browser Start Page

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Using Netscape Composer to Create a Portable
Browser Start Page

• Presenters
• Teddy Pitman and Amy ElliottSherman ISD

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Web Address for Materials

• Sherman ISD Web Site
• http//www.shermanisd.net
• Instructional Resources
• Technology Integration
• Presentation Materials
• E-mail Addresses

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What is a Start Page?

• A portable start page is a web page that isnt
  loaded on the Internet
• It is created in a Web page composer
• It is the first page you see when you open your
  Internet browser

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Why Have a Start Page?

• Have instant access to favorite Web pages
• Personalize the page with graphics and links
• Give students access to favorite activity sites
• Give younger students the ability to access the
  Internet (K-1)
• Give students access to pre-evaluated research
  links
• Carry Web links with you to any computer with
  Internet access

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To Open Page Composer

• Open Netscape
• Go to Communicator on the Menu Bar
• Choose Composer
• To work off line
• Go to Start
• Programs
• Netscape Communicator
• Netscape Composer

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Getting Started

• Composer opens with a blank page
• Use the toolbars at the top to create your page
• Name your page
• Save your page
• Find clip art to use on your page
• Begin creating

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Naming Your Page

• Go to Format on the Menu Bar
• Choose Page Colors and Properties
• Click on the General tab
• Type the Title for your page
• (Our Class Start Page or My Start Page)
• Click OK

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Saving Your Page to a 3 ½ Floppy Disk (A)

• Click the Save button
• Insert a 3 ½ Floppy disk
• Click the down arrow next to Save in
• Choose the 3 ½ Floppy (A) drive
• Next to File Name, type start page
• Click Save

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Saving to Your Hard Drive (C)

• Click the Save button
• Click the down arrow next to Save in
• Choose the (C) drive
• Then choose My Documents
• Click the Create New Folder button
• Name the folder Start Page
• Double-click the folder to open it
• Next to File Name, type start page
• Save

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Saving Your Page Tips

• Save all of the page components in the same
  folder
• Include all html pages
• Include all graphics
• Your page wont work if everything isnt together
  in the same folder

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Clip Art Sites

• GRSites.com
• http//www.grsites.com
• Bellsnwhistles
• http//www.bellsnwhistles.com
• Free Graphics
• http//www.freegraphics.com
• About.com
• http//webclipart.about.com/internet/webclipart/
• Discovery School
• http//school.discovery.com/clipart/index.html
• Classroom Clipart
• http//classroomclipart.com
• Clip Art Searcher
• http//www.webplaces.com/search

• Your page should be designed so that it is
  pleasing to read
• It should be updated regularly
• Use clip art sites to find buttons, images,
  icons, and backgrounds

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Saving Images on the Internet

• Find your image
• Right-click on the image
• Choose Save Image As or Save Picture As
• Save In Choose where you want to save it (the 3
  ½ floppy disk or the folder on your hard drive)
• File Name Rename it something you will recognize
• Click Save

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Adding a Background

• Go to Format on the Menu Bar
• Choose Page Colors and Properties
• Click on the Colors and Background tab
• Under Background Image, check Use Image
• Click the Choose File button
• Click the down arrow next to the Look in box
• Choose the drive where you stored your image
• Click on the file you want to use
• Click Open then click OK

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Working with Text

• Center the cursor with Alignment button
• Type a title for the page (Our Class Start Page)
• Change font style
• Change the font size
• Change the font color if desired
• Use the Bold, Italic and Underline features if
  desired

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Aligning Text and Images

• In order to line up text or images next to each
  other
• Create a Table with rows and columns
• Put text and images in separate cells
• Hide the table borders
• Images and text will line up correctly

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Creating a Table

• Go to the Menu Bar
• Choose Insert, Table, then Table again
• Choose the Number of rows and columns
• Under Table Alignment, choose Center
• Deselect Border line width click OK
• Click and drag to select all cells
• Use the Alignment button to center your text or
  graphic in each cell

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Inserting Text

• Click above the table or in a cell
• Type your text or copy and paste text from your
  word processor
• Can click and drag to select the text in all
  cells
• Format as desired
• Choose a font style
• Change the font size
• Bold if needed

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Inserting an Image

• Click in a table cell
• On the Menu Bar, choose Insert, Image
• Click the Choose File button
• Click on the file you wish to use
• Click Open
• Click OK

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Removing Table Borders

• If you havent already removed them
• Click somewhere within the table
• On the Menu Bar, choose Format, then Table
  Properties
• Click on the Table tab
• Deselect Border Line Width (remove the ?)
• Click OK

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Creating Links

• After creating the text, you need to create the
  links to the various Internet sites
• Select the text you want to link
• On the Menu Bar, choose Insert, then Link
• Click in the bar where it says Link to a page
  location or local file, then
• Type an http//address to link to a page on the
  Internet or go to the site and copy and paste the
  address into the bar
• Click OK

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Changing Link Colors

• On the Menu Bar, choose Format
• Then choose Page Colors and Properties
• Click on the Colors and Background tab
• Click on the color button in front of Link Text,
  Active Link Text and Followed Link Text
• Change the colors to match your page
• Click OK

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Testing Your Links

• Save your changes
• Go to the Menu Bar
• Choose File, then Browse Page or
• Click the Preview button on the Standard Toolbar
• Your page opens up in your default browser
• Click each link to test the address

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Making Your Page the Home Page in Netscape

• Open Netscape
• Go to Edit, Preferences
• Click on Navigator on the left
• In the Home Page section, click on the Browse
  button to find your page
• Click the down arrow next to the Look in box
• Choose the drive where your page is located
• (3 ½ Floppy or C My Documents, Start Page
  folder)
• Click on the start_page.html file
• Click Open and then OK

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Making Your Page the Home Page in Internet
Explorer

• Go to File on the Menu Bar, choose Open, Browse
• Click the down arrow next to the Look in box
• Choose the drive where your page is located
• (3 ½ Floppy or C My Documents, Start Page
  folder)
• Click on the start_page.html file, click Open, OK
• Go to Tools on the Menu Bar, then Internet
  Options
• On the General tab, in the Home Page section
• Click the Use Current button
• Click OK

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Short Term Use Netscape

• Open Netscape
• Go to File, then Open Page
• Click the Choose File button
• Choose the 3 ½ Floppy (A) drive
• Click on start page.html
• Click Open
• Click on Navigator next to Open location or file
  in
• Click the Open button
• All page links are now fully functional

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Short Term Use Internet Explorer

• Open Internet Explorer
• Go to File, then Open
• Click the Browse button
• Choose the 3 ½ Floppy (A) drive
• Click on start page.html
• Click Open, then click OK
• All page links are now fully functional

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Changing Your Page

• Change your page as often as you wish
• Open Composer
• Open your start_page.html file
• Make your changes
• Save
• When you open your browser, it will automatically
  show the changes

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Some Ideas for Your Page

• Change your graphics to fit the season
• Group your links into categories such as Games,
  Research, etc.
• Add links for reference materials such as a
  dictionary or thesaurus
• Put links for search engines that are geared
  toward your students age level

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Some Ideas for Your Page (continued)

• Find the links ahead of time that you want your
  students to use on a project and group them on
  your Start Page
• Have older students create their own Start Page -
  could add their own photo
• Create a personal Start Page with your most used
  teacher links

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Notes

• Animated Graphics are OK
• Will cause the green light to stay on if you use
  a floppy disk
• No problem-just annoying
• Wont happen if saved to the hard drive
• Hide the toolbars at the top of your browser for
  more viewing room
• Gives younger students fewer buttons to click

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Examples

• The following slides show examples of various
  pages
• Generic Page using Valentines Day Graphics
• Second Grade Easter Page
• Space Study Page

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Start Page Example (1)

• Valentines Day Graphics

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Start Page Example (3)

• Simple Second Grade Easter Page

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Start Page Example (4)

• Space Links

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