We met in the library and reconvened in the computer lab where all the students could sit near one another and each have access to a computer.
Using the HTML5 template at www.sitepoint.com/a-basic-html5-template/ as an example, we looked at the basic elements in an html document. The students copied and pasted the template into the Google docs editor, allowing them to save their work and retrieve it later from any Internet connected device. For general information on html documents and how to use specific html elements and their associated attributes, the students were referred to the w3schools.com website.
The students changed the title and added text to the body of the template page. In order to view the changes they made in the web browser, they copied the entire document and pasted it into the Windows notepad editor. After saving the file in the My Documents folder of the machine they were using, specifying a filename with extension .html, they were then able to open the local file in the web browser. Some of the students got as far as adding an image to their page. One source of images not subject to copyright restrictions is the Library of Congress online digital collections.
In coming sessions we should look at more html elements, particularly hyperlinks (anchor tag) and how to upload pages onto the web server (johnsislanders.net) using ftp.