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Hello. I am ____, this is ____, and we are known as The Diction Divas. Welcome to "Birth of a Website," a multimedia presentation about educational website development.

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Today's presentation is divided into two sections. First, we'll show you our internet-based project, The Diction Domain, and what we offer at the website.

Then, we'll share some ideas about developing web-projects, and what you'll need to get started.

As you view our presentation, keep in mind that everything you see and hear today can be done on a website. We have deliberately used the same tools and techniques we use when creating pages for the Internet. This is not the technology of the future; this is the technology of today.

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The Diction Domain is an educational website devoted to voice diction-related resources. Its references include books, articles, websites, language fonts, software and teaching tools, announcements of events and projects, and an open invitation to contribute to the website.

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The Diction Domain is free and available to anyone who has a computer with an Internet connection. The webspace for the site has been provided by The University of New Mexico, and as the tickertape states, the site has had over 6000 visitors from around the world since its grand opening in January of 1998.

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Welcome to today's special tour of The Diction Domain. While we don't have time to show you Everything The Domain has to offer, we will cover many of our favorite sections and features.

When you type in "www.diction.vocalist.org" into your browser, you will be taken magically to our Home Page. This is the official "front door" to the Diction Domain; it displays our logo and mission statement, offers a choice of frame or frameless viewing, and counts the number of visitors to the site.

[click on the "Non-Frame" button at bottom]

[Welcome Page in frame]

Once past the homepage, we include a welcome message and basic instructions, and a Navigation Bar which allows you to go anywhere within the Domain. One of the advantages to webpages is they encourage each person to choose their own pathways through the information offered.

05 Table of Resources

At the heart of the Domain is the archive of Language Resource links. As you can see in the Table of Resources, there is a wide variety of language groups to choose from, plus a collection of resources devoted to the International Phonetic Alphabet. Each topic in the table has its own page of links to diction-related websites, books, recordings, and other resources.

As an example, if you want to sing in Finnish (and who doesn't?), look at our Scandinavian languages page. Under Finnish we find there's an online newsgroup, a translating dictionary, and a Finnish Pronunciation page. If we follow that last link, we are taken to a research website in Finland...

[Click on either "Finnish Pronunciation Page" entry.]

...that describes how to pronounce the sounds of Finnish. This is the kind of resource we look for to share at the Domain; references that can be used to improve singing language skills, whether they were originally created for singers or not.

06 Additional Features

We also offer a list of Super Sites, websites we think are particularly outstanding, and announcements of diction-related projects and events.

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Not all of our resource links take people outside of the Domain. We also feature our own work, including a section about ASCII Equivalents for International Phonetic symbols, and a list of Frequently-Asked Questions about studying voice diction.

We are currently working to create an online Introduction to the Phonetic Alphabet, as used by singers.

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The Internet has become more than just a popular forum; it is now a legitimate research tool, an alternative method of education, and a means of supporting differing learning styles.

Having shown you our project, we'd like to share some ideas and thoughts about bringing your own web-pages to life.

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Why develop webpages for the World Wide Web?

It's a chance to reach a world-wide audience. You'll stay current with the times, and use the same tools your students are now growing up with. You can use interactive multimedia to engage the interest of people with differing learning styles, plus you'll encourage your students to develop skills ranging from music-technology and computer-proficiency to critical thinking.

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What can you put on the web? For a start, try text and hyperlinks...graphics ranging from photos to cartoons...electronic forms...tables of information...sounds in a variety of formats, this example is a MIDI file...lists and outlines...video clips...animated graphics...and special effects including Java, Javascript, Shockwave and Flash.

The Internet isn't the perfect environment for everything, but the current technology is impressive and it continues to improve.

11 Educational Applications:

What can you do with all that? How about using this technology to create tutorials and lectures for your students, professional reports and presentations, online quizzes, opinion or information surveys, unit reviews, or publish your articles and research on the Internet.

The possibilities end only with your imagination.

12 Getting Started

Getting started is easy. If you've "surfed the Net," can word-process, email, and upload or download files, then you can learn to create web-pages. You'll need a computer with a modem and Internet connection, a web-browser and some webspace. You'll want an HTML editing program to help you create your pages, and a good book or two about web-design and development. Put a scanner and graphic/sound editing software on your Wish List if you want to create original multimedia.

13 Guidelines for Good Design

Good Design is a key to a successful web-project. To begin, first Define your audience, and your project's goals. Outline and organize your project thoroughly before adapting it for the web. Create a clear plan for navigation throughout the site. Provide alternatives (like names and decriptions for graphics) for people with visual impairment or less-sophisticated computer equipment. Allow for future expandability in content and structure. Encourage feedback at the site. Remember, your primary concern is to help visitors find what they came for.

14 What we started with; What we learned

The Diction Domain began with a series of emails between the two of us, in which we discussed creating a website about Voice Diction Resources. We spent several months planning the website, and searching for materials before launching the original version of the website. It was very much an experiment, but we thought if we both were fascinated by languages and diction, other people might be too.

In the process of building and updating the site, we've learned a lot about web-design and development, found some incredible diction resources, and met other people who share our passion for language and diction. It's been work, but well worth our time and effort.

15 Conclusions

By learning to develop for the web, you can create flexible, interactive products, generate immediate and widespread feedback, develop professional contacts, and provide useful tools for the professional (and global) community.

We truly enjoy the projects and services we share online, and hope you will join us in exploring this new educational medium.

[Click to next screen.]

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[Black finish-screen]

END

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[Presentation Credits]

(Not for display during the live presentation, but active areas of the Black finish-screen link to a presentation credits page.)