First think about why you want to build build and maintain a web site. While it may give you a sense of accomplishment to have gotten material onto the web that everyone can see, that is only the first step—web sites take maintenance: making sure your graphics are not too slow loading; watching for “link rot” (external links that no longer work); responding to emails you may receive as a result of your web site; and, after visiting other web sites, wanting to make yours more interesting and dynamic.

If you are convinced that that a web site can actually make you a better, or at least more interesting teacher, teacher, and that it will help your students and perhaps your colleagues to better understand what you teach, then by all means go ahead. The learning curve can be steep depending on what you want to do, but you will find that you plateau as you go forward, so that the more you do web work, the easier it will become.

Then what? What do you want to provide for your students? Lecture outlines? Practice quizzes? Resource guides such as links to interesting web sites? Tips on how to write or study or take tests? Do you want to have discussion forums, or maybe a chat room where you hold virtual office hours or conversations about what goes on in class? How do you decide what to do? More important, once you have decided, how do you go about putting it together?

The answer is one you will get from experienced, professional web designers: Plan, plan, plan. That means thinking, jotting down ideas on paper, sketching (you don't have to be an artist), visiting other web sites to see what's out there and harvest ideas. Go to various college and university sites, find programs in which you teach and look at other professors' sites. Visit educational sites such as NVCC's Dogwood, the Merlot site and others. Go to distance learning sites for tips and advice—even if you are still teaching in the classroom; many distance principles will apply. Think about what you can do that is different and unique so that you're not reinventing the wheel. Bookmark interesting sites that you, your students and colleagues might find useful so that you can link to them later.

When you get tired of staring at your computer screen, back off and read a bit. Tons of excellent literature on web building, design and usability as well as distance learning exist, and you should get into some of it. (A few uesful volumes can be found in my “Webliography.”) Keep in mind that nobody has the last word on any of this—design issues keep changing, and even the gurus have their critics. Visit Amazon, library sites and software sites like Microsoft, Macromedia and Adobe for ideas. Software companies are aware of the huge market that exists in higher education and have many useful ideas for teachers. Look on their index pages for links to education information. Visit the NVCC TAC Web Site for training tips and related resources.

Go to Borders or Barnes and Noble and browse around in the computer books or education section. Talk to your college librarians—many of them are way out in front on technology issues and have purchased useful materials, and they can guide you to helpful sources.

Then begin by sketching out a basic design for your index and other main pages. Rough out half a dozen or more and go with what seems most useful. Then start putting ideas for pieces of your site on sticky notes and arranging them in a coherent layout, choosing what pieces will go on which pages. Next, decide on a navigation scheme, and here it will help to build a flow chart showing how your various pages and sections with intersect. Once you have decided on some basic things you want to include, draw a sketch of your site, with boxes for each page or group of pages. Make a story board and a site plan or outline. Talk to colleagues about pitfalls. Listen. Doodle. Dream. Build. Dare to be different, but keep usability guidelines in mind.

Take your time. Remember that building a web site is a lot like buying a dog—it's a long-term commitment. Think of the five-semester model recommended by some of the pros. Don't try to construct a huge site all at once. If you teach different courses, start with one, the one you teach most or are most familiar with, so that content decisions will be easier. Try a handful of basic designs, and pay attention to color and size of text. You'll wind up doing most of what you do more than once, so don't try to get it all finished by next week.

Once you have a solid plan in mind, start thinking about the technology. (Every pro will tell you—do not design and plan on the screen. Do it on paper first.) Then:

• Learn enough HTML that you know bascially how it works, then forget it until you can't fix something without tinkering with the code. (Keep a list of HTML tags or a book in a drawer for handy reference.)
• Learn a simple web editor like Netscape Composer just to get the feel of it. You will want to go to something more sophisticated soon.
• Get the latest version of whatever you decide to use—they're getting better all the time.
• Start adding some simple graphics, stuff you can get free from the web or copy from one of those CD's that have thousands of images. Borrow from friends. Eventually you will want to get into editing graphics, but that's a little harder than doing basic web design.
• Start thinking and asking about more sophisticated editors such as Front Page, Dreamweaver, Adobe GoLive.
• Beg, borrow, copy and steal ideas from others (always with credit where appropriate)—people who put stuff on the web aren't trying to keep it a secret. (I am a huge Macromedia fan, but Dreamweaver and its companion products have become quite sophisticated, and an intermediate product such as Macromedia Contribute may be a good in-between product for you if you're new to all this.)
• Fiddle around. Try anything—it might work. (This is my motto for dealing with computers!)

5. When you post anything to the server—from your first page to your latest jazzy update—check it in at least two browsers to make sure everything works. And remember, when you post something on the web, be prepared to see it on the front page of the Washington Post tomorrow morning. That's how public it is.

Here is a link to a page of basic design issues.

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