Welcome to the NHD Online Discussion page. Below you will find questions and answers about the web site category and the new changes put in place for the 2009-2010 year. Take a moment to browse through the page and see if your question has already been addressed.
Also, feel free to have another look at the NHD Rule Book, available on the Getting Started page in the "Contest" section. You can also check out the Web Site category section on the Creating An Entry page.
Questions & Answers:
There are sources available on nhd.weebly.com including Google maps, Flick'r, etc. Can these be used without them being hyperlinked outside the students' project, in accordance with the rules?
These items can be used as they are either embedded code to an image hosted elsewhere or are galleries of images hosted elsewhere. One word of caution though, many schools may block access to Flick’r and YouTube which may affect your ability to access these items. We strongly suggest using Weebly’s gallery and video tools to minimize such problems.
What is the best way to cite the sources used within a web page? Students used 'bookmarks' that hyperlinked the shortened citation to the source page/bibliography. The font on weebly doesn't allow superscript for end notes.
Keep in mind such internal citation is not required as long as the material is included in the Annotated Bibliography, which is required to be incorporated in the site. Parenthetical referencing, while not an ideal style of documentation for historians, might be a way to do this if the student is adamant about having internal documentation.
Must students be officially registered with National History Day to use the weebly.com site?
No, they may set up their Weebly account prior to registering for any NHD contest.
Can students try out and develop their web site projects before registering for the competition?
Sure, they may work on and view their NHD/Weebly sites long before the contest nears.
Are their websites published as students work on them?
Yes, though they are not indexed by search engines like Yahoo or Google. So if you ran a search for the project's topic, you will not find the site. One must have the unique Weebly URL to view the website.
While working on their web sites projects, is the work visible to others?
Only if others have the site's unique URL.
Can the projects be copied to CDs for an archival copy of student work?
Yes, students may archive their sites to other storage devices at the end of the contest. This function is on the "Settings" tab.
Do you have guidelines or lesson plans for teachers for student web site projects?
Yes, there is a booklet called "How To Create a Historical Web Site" which is part of NHD's Making History series. These are all available on the NHD online shop.
Do you have any suggestions for teachers?
You may want to set up a teacher site on Weebly and explore its capabilities. It will allow you to become more familiar with what the students are seeing.
Registering for the NHD Weebly web site application asks if you are a "student" or a "teacher". As a teacher, does the "teacher" designation give me access to my students' web pages? If not, how would I access their pages for review/editing?
The "teacher" account does NOT give you access to your students' work. You may review their work at anytime using the unique URL provided to the students. To assist with editing, you would need the username and password for their project.
How and when will the student web sites be closed for editing?
A mechanism has been created for locking the student projects during judging and was distributed through state coordinators. "When" is up to the contest coordinator at whatever level, and is usually the period when registration closes until the date of the contest.
Is this based on state competition registration deadlines? Yes.
Will the student be informed of when they cannot edit their web site? Obviously the student cannot edit their website during the competition, but what safeguards are put in place to prevent such activity?
That should be controlled by the contest coordinator, but when the student tries to log in and edit, it will bar their access.
Four hard copies of the title page, process paper and annotated bibliography must be submitted in advance, but do the judges get to view the web sites before the competition like the historical papers? Or do they only view them once the competition begins?
The judges should be given a list of the unique URLs for the web sites they will be judging. (These are provided during registration for the contest.) The judges should review the sites and written materials prior to the contest.
I have created buttons using Photoshop CS4 and Dreamweaver CS4. I would like to use the buttons on every page of my website because it goes with my theme. Is there a way to transfer these buttons to Weebly?
Yes. Under the "Design" tab, you will find an "Advanced Editing" tab on the upper right side. Once in the anvanced editing area, you can upload images associated with your custom theme.
Am I able to create my website on Dreamweaver and transfer the entire code onto Weebly?
Not entirely. You may develop some custom code and bring it into the body of your pages using the "Custom HTML" feature on the "Elements" tab. But you cannot simply copy and paste whole pages from other editors into Weebly. You may use your knowledge of Dreamweaver or other editors to create such pieces of code or adjust the CSS of your site.
I have found a picture that I would like to use for a background. How do I transfer it to Weebly?
The best place to do a background image is going to be in the "Advanced Edititng" feature, where you are adjusting your CSS files and can upload graphics associated with your CSS, such as backgrounds.
My tech person has not heard of what you are describing. Will this be user friendly so that even I (a teacher) can understand it?
Yes, this is quite user-friendly, and has help previews and resources available on the Weebly site.
Should the bibliography/works cited page be a PDF file that is linked to from the website, or a separate web page that is linked to?
Making a PDF of your bibliography is generally the easiest way to preserve formatting.
As a web page, there can be no hanging indent formatting as required in MLA format. Is this OK?
We suggest you use the PDF format as mentioned above, as it will make formatting your bibliography much easier.
How is the citation indicated on each web page?
Citation is not required within the body of the site content as long as it is listed in your annotated bibliography. (See earlier question.)
Is the bibliography counted in the word count? No. (See Rule Book)
Should students include the transcript of an interview along with the audio? Would this be counted in the word count?
Including the transcript is not required, and would be a style/content decision. It would be considered a primary source, and therefore not subject to the word count.
Do students have the ability to place their site built through Weebly on a CD? If possible, how is this done?
A student can export a website using the "archive to .zip" option under the "settings" tab of the editor, and then burn the contents of this zip file to a CD. However, note that if the student has a blog page, this will not be exported as it relies on Weebly's database.
I have enjoyed using the Weebly website editor, but I have run into a problem. I am making a website about the history of encryption, and wanted to make an interactive web page in which the user may type in a word or phrase into a textbox, with the page outputting coded text into a textbox. Using the MS Notepad editor I created a JavaScript script that accomplished this. The script worked fine in both Internet Explorer and Google Chrome on its own(saving it as html and opening in with the browser). When I attempted to use the "custom html" feature in Weebly, copying and pasting the exact text of the script that worked, the script displayed a number of syntax errors as well as generally behaving erratically. I also tried to start from scratch, typing directly into the Custom HTML box, with the same results. Is there something I should be doing differently? I can send you the code if you would like to see it.
This should be possible. Please forward your custom HTML code to Weebly so they can diagnose the issue.
With respect to HTML code, how much assistance, if any, may a student receive? Is it acceptable to have professional, but unpaid, assistance? For example, if a family member is in IT, they would be considered a professional, but not paying for assistance. Should this be done in a manner of “educating” the student as with any other course?
Please see Rule Book, page 8: General Rules for All Categories, Rule 5.
A teacher has expressed concern about Weebly. She said she tried to use it last year and encountered Weebly wanting money in order to have certain privileges. Will that issue be nonexistent this year?
This should not be an issue for NHD students and teachers. All tools used by NHD participants will be free.
So if you are using information or quotes from a primary source does it count as part of your word count?
Please see Rule Book, page 21: Website, Rule 2. Quotes do not count toward the word limit.
Can we use a site other than weebly? No. You must use the NHD-Weebly site, entered through the portal on the NHD website.
Could you send me some examples of previous websites to use as an idea?
On the NHD website in the "Contest" section, on the Creating An Entry page, you can view sample entries in each of the 5 categories, including website, by clicking on the category page.
One of my students asked "Weebly.com isn't allowing us to change all the font sizes of each individual page to the same type." Can anything be done?
Each theme has a default font choice. When you paste in text from an external source, it will copy the font choice with it, but this is not recommended because the fonts will then not be consistent with the theme's font, and could cause some other incompatibilities. Font choice is a feature that Weebly is planning to add soon.
If we are doing a group website should we each make our own weebly account, share one, or does it not matter?
If you're doing a group website, the students must share the same account. Otherwise, they will not have access to edit the site
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I'm the coordinator of a local NHD competition. Do my website judges now view students' website entries on disc or on weebly? If the latter, do I need each website judge to register for their own weebly account? The judges will view the web sites online on Weebly, but they do NOT need their own account. You will provide the judges with a list of the unique URLs for the web sites they will be judging. You must get this information from the students entered in the website category when they register for your contest. How do I know how much space I have used on Weebly, since I can only use 100MB of file space? Is it built into the settings?
This week, Weebly is adding a message to display the amount of space in use. It will be visible in the "user home" page after logging into the account.
Can we put smilies on our website to emphasize what we are saying?
That is a style question, though you may want to consider potential judge reactions.
Can we use wetpaint for our website?
No, wetpaint is not an option. Websites need to be created using the Weebly/NHD portal. Can I use a Favicon (which can be found in the settings on the NHD Weebly Portal)?
Yes, Favicons can be used.
If I remember correctly, last year a CD of the website was one of the requirements of the materials to submit for the competition. I see no mention of it this year, so I would just like to verify that no CD of the website is required.
The new NHD-Weebly portal eliminates the need for CDs. Judges will be given the URLs for the websites that they are asked to review. (See earlier questions).
PLEASE NOTE: Questions about the annual theme will not be answered at this time, as this discussion is about the Web Site Category. There will be another online discussion about the theme in December.
When you say "unique url" for the site, is that my account log in?
No, the URL is the direct address of the website, usually beginning with "http://www...." It is the address you will enter into your web browser.
I have no computer, but I want to do a website for NHD. I am currently using my Mom's computer, but she is being sent overseas soon. May I draw the website on multiple pieces of paper and send it in?
Please look at the Rule Book, page 20: Web Site Category. A computer is integral to the website category. Please consider another category.
Does Audio and Video count as words and is there any limits on them and how do you put Audio and Videos on the Web site do you use YouTube or any web sites that is recommended for putting on the students’ web site??
Please refer to the Rule Book, page 21, Website rules. Rule 4, in particular, explains Multimedia requirements. Please see previously answered questions for the rest of your question.
The buttons that I created using photoshop and dreamweaver are rollover buttons that change color....will they be the same when I transfer them to Weebly?
This is possible under the "advanced editing" area, within the "Design" tab of Weebly. You will need to know how to make use of "active tabs" using CSS.
According to rule 7 the student is “responsible for ensuring that the entry is viewable in multiple web formats” and the student “may” link to “plug-ins”; however, is it a requirement to have these links if they are being used or can it be safely assumed that they are already installed by the judges?
Please see Rule 4 on the same page (21). Assuming that the judges already have the plug-ins installed could prove to be a mistake. You should provide the plug-ins.
Could it be possible to have a “message” sent to the student announcing the approaching date that they can no longer edit their website (via their “message” section on their portal)? It would be preferable to come from each “level” of the competition, but if this is not possible could it be generated by the teacher?
The teacher could help the students to create a timeline with key dates, such as this one.
Do teachers have to set up a "class" as an option, or can students just set up a site on their own?
Student's should setup NHD/Weebly accounts on their own through http://nhd.weebly.com.
Is there anyway I can transport what I have on wetpint to Weebly?
Unfortunately, there is not an automated way to do this. You will need to re-create the site using Weebly.
If I post videos on YouTube and embed it on my website, will the videos count towards my file size count limit?
Yes. See Rule Book, page 21, Website Rule 2.
In order for the judges to view my website, does it need to be "published" and if I don't "publish" it are there consequences?
You need to publish the website for the judges. It should be visible at your unique nhd.weebly.com URL/address. (See early question about access to student web sites.)
If we post a question after 5:00pm will we not see an answer until Wednesday, December, 2 or is this process ongoing? When we are deep in the creating process and have a list of questions, is there somewhere else to e-mail them to?
This online discussion will end at 5:00 Eastern. However, we'll continue answering questions and posting responses as they come in. You can send questions anytime to info@nhd.org. The questions and answers from this chat will be posted through Dec. 2, which is the date of the next online discussion.
If we are doing a website, is it ok if we publish the site in over 20 languages?
This is difficult because each NHD-Weebly account allows 1 site. Individual pages of a website can be in different languages. However, you will need to think about how useful this really is to your NHD project.
Do Students have the ability to save the website we make on a jump drive?
A student can export a website using the "archive to .zip" option under the "settings" tab of the editor, and then copy the contents of the file to a jump drove. However, note that if the student has a blog page, this will not be exported as it relies on Weebly's database. This should be used for personal use, as the NHD contest requires that the websites are built on weebly.com, and hosted at the unique nhd.weebly.com URL.
Is there a way within Weebly to create: pop-up windows, dropdown menus, scrolling images?
When you create a link, you can set it to "open in a new window" which opens that link in a new tab/window, similar to a pop up. You can create drop down menus under the "pages" tab just by dragging a page name to the right, under another page. Scrolling images is not a feature built into Weebly.
How do I change fonts within a text box? Font changing is not currently an option.
If we are doing atomic bomb on our website can we put a video on it?
Yes, you may put a video on your website. Please review the rules for media on websites in the NHD Rule Book.
If a website is started in the regular weebly site, can it be easily transfered into the NHD weebly site?
Students should NOT create their websites by going directly to Weebly. They need to go through the NHD/Weebly portal, located at http://nhd.weebly.com. They can also click on the NHD/Weebly button on the NHD homepage to begin their website. How can the students see the file size of their website?
Website size is now listed in the "student user home page", visible after logging in.
What if students upload a photo/image and then decide not to use it in their website. Would this unused image file count in their total file size?
Unused (deleted) images do not count toward the total size.
Due to the updates in the rule book I am not a hundred percent sure of what outside programs I can incorporate into my website and what things I cannot. Therefore, if you could please include a list of things I either can or cannot use that would be fantastic.
Possible outside tools that you may use include: links to players, etc., or might include the use of PDF files (in which case you will need to provide a link to Adobe reader.) You should use the Weebly video and audio tools to the extent possible.
If I purchase Weebly Pro features, will any student websites on my class list also have those features? or do the students also have to purchase Pro?
Sounds like you are in the standard free version of Weebly. You need to get over in the NHD domain. All applicable Pro features are included in the NHD domain for free. You can get to the NHD/Weebly portal by going to http://nhd.weebly.com. You can also click on the NHD/Weebly button on the NHD homepage, www.nhd.org.
Are we allowed to make a whole website on Dreamweaver and copy and paste it into Weebly?
No, you cannot make your entire site in another editor and import or upload such a site. It has to do with the way Weebly is configured for hosting. You can certainly create specific items and test your creations in other editors, but you must construct the site using the Weebly mechanism.
If a student is fortunate enough to move on to the 'next level' how soon will the sites be unlocked in order to work on the project?
That is defined by the contest coordinator and what settings they put in place. It is recommended that coordinators unlock them the day after their contests. That way students have the maximum time between contests for improvement.
Our school district has a policy of not publishing the full names of students, yet I think their full names have to appear on the website project. As long as the unique URLs are not freely distributed, this may not be troublesome. Does weebly mask the full names? What should be included in their URL? Title of project only for the index page? Can you provide a sample of a suggested URL, please?
The URL of a NHD website is auto-created when the account is created. It will look something like http://17427217.nhd.weebly.com. This is a unique URL, not easily discoverable, as the sub-domain digits are randomized. Names will not be part of the URLs. According to NHD contest rules, the websites need to include the students' names. Weebly does not mask the names since they are part of the website content. For NHD purposes, only NHD staff and contest judges will be given these unique URLs.
