Websites with Weebly are

easy!

Easy Website Creation with Weebly

Making your library media center’s web presence current and effective

Holly Frilot, Library Media SpecialistCollins Hill High School, Suwanee, GA

What is Weebly?

• Weebly is a free website creator.

• It is very easy to use. If you feel comfortable

creating documents with pictures and text, you can

make a website!

• Weebly was one of Time Magazine’s 50 Best

Websites and has won education awards as well.

• Weebly will make you look good.

I have computer skills, but no time…

• Current websites are vital components of

library media centers.

• Start slowly and know it will never be

“finished.”

• In the long run it will save you time.

My principal says…

…every teacher/department website has to

look exactly the same.

• Try showing examples sites and how

extensive your support for teachers and

students can be with a little freedom.

Ok. I’m in. How does Weebly work?

Sign up for your account by creating a username, password, and your email address.

Click on “Create a Site.” You will then be prompted to name your site.

Later, you will use these buttons when you want to edit your site or see your statistics. (They provide great stats!)

The next screen will prompt you to choose your URL address.

Enough admin stuff.

Can I be creative now?

YES! Time to choose your theme. There are many to choose from using the Design tab at the top of the editing screen. Notice the categories off to the left.

Design items to consider…

• Do you want a header image?

• What menu style and placement is best for you?

• What would your principal/teachers/ students like best?

• Never fear – changing your theme does NOT mean you have to recreate your content.

The Elements tab at the top enables you to add content to your page. Simply drag-and-drop each element you want to add to a page.

Once the element is added to the page, click to edit. Type titles and paragraphs, and click the image box to upload an image you would like to include.

Use the Publish button frequently to update your changes! Saving is automatic otherwise.

I can do that!

Tell me…

What else can Weebly do?

The “Custom HTML” element allows you to enter your own HTML code. If you create a slideshow or a widget that provides HTML code, drag-and-drop this box on your website to add that slideshow or widget.

Notice I changed the left-side menu from “Basic” to “Multimedia.” Here you have more elements to add to a page, like a photo gallery, slideshow, file, Flash file, or YouTube video.

To add pages to your website, click on the pages tab at the top, then click “New Page.” You can then name your page, choose if it shows up on the main menu, and edit that page.

This page also allows you to put your pages / menu in the order you want. The pages shifted over to the right are part of a drop-down menu. The way your menu appears is dictated by your theme choice.

Ooooh…cool.

Now I’ve got the basics. Show me the tips and tricks please!

It’s easy to add links and files!

The header image can be different on each page, and Weebly has built-in editing tools to make the picture fit the space given.

Let’s see what others have done…

• http://smithslatin.weebly.com/

• http://mrsadean.weebly.com

• http://www.collinshillcounseling.com/

• http://www.chhsmediacenter.com/

• http://nhdexample1.weebly.com/index.html (student project example for National History Day)

Weebly Pro: $39.95 per year

• The 5 MG file uploading space limit is upgraded to 100 MG.

• Pages can be password protected. • An easy-to-use video player.• An easy-to-use audio player.• 10 sites per account. (Free allows for 2)• More stats.• Weebly footer removed.• Embed documents on your pages.

Weebly for Education

• http://education.weebly.com• Has added features geared toward

teachers, such as form submissions• Students can create websites too (up to

40)• Teachers can sign students up and

password protect pages• You can create a blog with moderated

comments

As a teacher, you can create a class, and best of all, with one click you determine if the student sites are public or private.

Teachers can add students by name, as well as give them a username and password to access their accounts – no student emails required!

Students log in with the information you gave them at http://students.weebly.com. Then they can create their own sites. They can choose their web address.

If you choose to password protect your students’ sites, you will get this message when you type in the web address:

You can have a blog with Weebly that contains only moderated comments. Just click on “New Blog” on the Pages tab to get started.

Your blog will look like a page of your website, but have the functionality of a blog and the normal Weebly tools. To approve or deny comments, choose the “More” function after logging in.

Live demo time!

• I’m hoping this works. I want you to see website building in action.

• http://www.weebly.com

• Off we go!

Wrapping Up

• Questions? Please ask!

• Remember – start small. Set a goal for your first five pages to be done by…

• This presentation is located at http://www.chhsmediacenter.com/tutorials.html

Works Cited

“About Us.” Weebly. Weebly Inc., 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.

“Features.” Weebly. Weebly Inc., 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.

Surprised Kid. Examiner. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.Surprised Woman. Gedok Berlin. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.Thumbs Up. Being Nessasary Blog. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.“Weebly for Education.” Weebly. Weebly Inc., 2011. Web.

16 Feb. 2011. Woman Thinking. ShowMeLinks. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.