Last summer, I stumbled upon a class of ten- and eleven-year olds making Web pages, and it occurred to me that knowing HTML (the language of the Web) is the hallmark accomplishment of computer literacy today. A Web page written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) can be created with any text editor or word processor, if you know the HTML codes. Here are my recommendations to get you started.
Through the use of text input forms, this very clever interactive tutorial allows you to test your new found HTML skills within your browser, without having to create files in a separate text editor. To take advantage of this interactivity you will need at least version 2.0 of either Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. This complete tutorial will take you from ground zero (what is HTML?) to uploading your page to the Net. Advanced topics such as adding sound and using frames are covered in a separate section.
Joe Burns, a college professor from Southeastern Louisiana University, gives us seven tutorials for seven days. When you complete The Basics, you're awarded a diploma, and can progress to primers on image maps, buttons, forms, or any of the dozens of HTML Goodies topics. The only thing that strikes me odd is that Professor Hunt call HTML tags (you know those commands that start with "<" and end with ">") flags. If you can live with this, HTML Goodies truly has something for everyone.
This straightforward ad-less guide to HTML covers all the basics in twelve chapters and two concept reviews. Many HTML students, after learning the tags for text, graphics and links, get stuck when they get to tables. Learning HTML for Kids dedicates two chapters to HTML tables, and they are excellent. Before tackling the subject though, get a clear picture in your head of horizontal rows and vertical columns. Remember: a row is wide (from left to right) and a column is tall (from top to bottom.)
"My name is Lissa. I started this site when I was eleven years old because there were no other Web sites available for kids to learn how to make their own site." If you thought HTML was only for nerds, Lissa is here to tell you otherwise. Full of bright colors and jump-in-your-face graphics, visiting Lissa Explains is like walking into a girl's bedroom. Take time to wander around, and you'll be rewarded with explanations of advanced Web design topics (including frames, CSS, and Javascript); a forum for asking HTML questions; and several good resource lists for Webmaster tools such as HTML validators, and CGI scripts.
"Ready to make your own Web site and send your weird ideas out into the world? Then you're in the right place." These fab lessons take you from basics to fun with gizmos like guestbooks, counters and animated graphics. After the lessons, you can tackle projects such as a slide show or a birthday invitation. Teachers will appreciate the lesson plans and everyone will find something of value in Tools (a guide to free downloadable utilities.) Web Monkey for Kids is my pick of the day!
The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
Barnes & Noble UniversityHTML Basics for Kids | TeamWeb: Learning to Publish |
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