SchoolSite Web Communications System The…

          SchoolSite Web Communications System
               The Website Software Model
             Originated at Hilltop High School
                  www.hilltoplancers.org

                    HTML is a four-letter word

                      By Rick Lakin and Chris Cherry

   Within a comprehensive high school there are a number of separate
communities. Members of each of these communities send and receive large
amounts and varied formats of information through many different media.
The school administration disseminates information through memos,
bulletins and meetings to the other groups. The staff facilitates this
communication by formatting and distributing much of the important
information. Faculty members facilitate communication to students and
share ideas with other faculty members through collegial communication.
Students receive information from all of these sources and share it in many
ways. Parents, Alumni, and the Local Community also exchange
information by mail, phone calls, attendance at school functions and
indirectly from students and from the media.

    In November of 2002, Rick Lakin, a technology teacher, and Chris
Cherry then a junior in the Academy of Information Technology had the
opportunity to begin this project as editor and programmer/designer
respectively of the Hilltop High Website. Since then, they have developed
the website software and design into SchoolSite, Web Communications
System a comprehensive web-based content authoring system that
streamlines communication among all of the groups who are a part of a
comprehensive High School.

   SchoolSite consists of a number of components including:
       AutoStory ­ This application allows a user to quickly post a
        headline and text that might include HTML formatting to one or
        more sections on the website with a number of formatting options
       AutoAssign ­ Teachers can easily post assignments by date and
        period with information and web links.
       AutoPhoto ­ Used with AutoStory, this application allows the user
       to post photos, captions and bylines within the story.
       AutoCal ­ Calendars are posted to various sections that include
       time, event and more information.
       AutoSite ­ User-based system that allow users to post to specific
       assets as well as Virtual Home Pages.
       Alumni Registry ­ This application collects information about
       alumni and allows the alumnus to post their name and e-mail to
       share with classmates on their Class Of page
       AutoPoll ­ A question and answers can be posted and answered by
       users who then look at the cumulative polling statistics.
       User Administration ­ Allows administrator to add users and
       assign assets where the user can post.
       Asset Administration ­ This application allows the administrator to
       add pages or sections where AutoCal events or AutoStories can be
       displayed
       Virtual Home Pages ­ When a user is added a VHP is created
       where the user can post assignments and AutoStories.
       Network Communications - Publish our website information and
       subscribe to outside information using Real Simple Syndication
       (RSS)
       AutoLink ­ Teachers and Authors will be able to create Hotlists
       with links and information that is useful to readers.
       (Implementation: Fall 2004)

   Before November 2002, Ms. Susan Head, the Library Media Specialist,
did an excellent job providing interesting and valuable information using
Netscape as the authoring tool and uploading to the server. When Cherry
and Lakin took over, they began by updating and standardizing the look. It
was felt that since the goal was to provide content that a simple standard
design throughout the site would be most efficient. Improvements included
an updated menu and directory structure and included LancerLinks along the
right column that provide links specific to each section.

   In the beginning of 2003, Chris Cherry converted the site from HTML to
PHP code. PHP is a programming language that is run on the server before
the HTML is interpreted. There was a need for a calendaring system and the
solution was called AutoCal. The first iteration was based on many
individual files that were read in by the PHP code and that version served
the site for over a year. During the first quarter of 2003, Chris Cherry also
learned and implemented the use of MySQL a server-side database system.
This system allowed content to be stored as a part of a database, the creation
of story archives, and other types of data collection such as the Alumni
Registry and a Feedback system. AutoStory was the most important
outcome, allowing the administrator to publish stories to any section without
having to edit a file using a text editor. One request from an administrator
was the collection of data on Hilltop Alumni. The Alumni Database that has
grown to over 500 members to date. When an alumnus registers, their name
and e-mail immediately appear on the Class Of page and their data is stored
for use by site personnel to contact alumni, plan activities, and do
fundraising. Other applications allowed by MySQL include AutoPhoto,
AutoPoll, and a system wide Hit counter to measure the use of our website
and each of the sections.

    The fall of 2003 saw the migration to a multi-user system. Up to that
time, only one user could post stories or author content. Upon
implementation of the AutoSite system, many users including
administrators, teachers, counselors and coaches as well as student reporters
began to post information to any section for which they had permission.
Cherry also created Virtual Home Pages for teachers. These pages allow
teachers to login, author text information using AutoStory and post
Assignments for students by using AutoAssign. Mr. Jared Phelps, our Latin
Teacher and other teachers are using this on a routine basis. Phelps gave us
valuable feedback for AutoStory and it has grown into a mature system that
is easy to use with many robust features. The most recent application to
receive an update is AutoCal, which is a now multi-user and databased
allowing user to add events and maintain a number of calendars. AutoCal
has much promise and through use and upgrade will include many more
features.

   In March 2004, we began serving the second SchoolSite at Granger
Junior High (http://gjh.suhsd.k12.ca.us). This expansion will bring many
challenges and much promise. The biggest challenges for expansion are
improving portability, implementing the software within various site
designs, and maintaining and upgrading software on multiple servers and
platforms. The promise lies in the possibility of networked content and
better cross-site communication.

  The future of SchoolSite is promising. Current projects include
AutoLink and AutoQuest. These two applications will allow teachers to
build hotlists for students to use at home and in the lab to complete
assignments. AutoQuest will follow Bernie Dodge's WebQuest model and
allow teachers to effectively build WebQuests on their own pages without
having to program using HTML. Other projects on the horizon include
SportSked that will allow coaches and team members to post timely
information about their Athletic Teams. We intend to expand Virtual Pages
to support clubs, organizations and athletic teams and allow students to act
as reporters.

     With the implementation of multiple sites running the SchoolSite system,
it is our goal to focus and improve the quality of Networked
Communications. The authors have begun that implementation with the use
of Real Simple Syndication (RSS). RSS is an emerging technology that
allows sites to publish their pages in a barebones data format to which other
sites can then subscribe. The Hilltop Site currently publishes our main page
and our athletics page. We subscribe to a number of sites on our News and
Links from Everywhere page. The future plans include SchoolSite News
Network where users post information on one site and it shows up as an
AutoStory or AutoCal event on other sites. Stories may appear in local
sections or there might be a separate section for Network News.

    Our most current project is to implement AutoLink, a method of
managing hyperlinks throughout the site. Teachers who wish to create a
hotlist for students attending class in a computer lab requested this project.
The promise of AutoLink will be to ease the handling of hypertext through
out the site, especially in the LancerLinks column. The future promise is
that teachers will be able to quickly produce project-oriented assignments
similar to the WebQuest model developed by Bernie Dodge and Tom March
at San Diego State University.

    Al Rogers of the Global SchoolNet Foundation said, "Students will write
when they have a sympathetic, interested audience and something to say."
The SchoolSite Web Communications System will facilitate improved
communication as teachers, administrators, counselors, coaches, parents and
district personnel as well as students share information to a sympathetic and
interested audience.

Rick Lakin, author of this article, teaches mathematics, web design, and
video productions at Hilltop High School, Chula Vista, California and is the
"netitor" of the Hilltop High Website as well as collaborator with Chris
Cherry on the Design and functionality of the components of the SchoolSite
Web Communications System

Christopher Cherry, co-author, is a 2004 graduate of Hilltop High and was
a member of the first graduating class of the Academy of Information
Technology at Hilltop High School. Chris has completed professional
quality products on various media including web, video, and print and has
programmed the components of SchoolSite using HTML/CSS, JavaScript,
PHP, Flash, and MySQL. Chris is currently beginning a career as a web
programmer and consultant and can be contacted at chris.cherry@cox.net