• POW-PAK is NOT a hosting service or a subscription service.
• POW-PAK is a program you install on your own web server that lets your staff create web pages.
• POW-PAK is easy because it requires no knowledge of HTML or web design to make your web site.
• POW-PAK is web-based, which means you do all of your web site creation and maintenance through your Internet browser (such as Internet Explorer, Netscape, Safari, FireFox, etc.) Because of this, you can work on your web site from any computer with Internet access, including school, home, and public libraries.
• As soon as you make a change with POW-PAK, your change is online immediately. You do not have to give your work to a tech person at school and then wait for it be uploaded. Everything is live.

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• POW-PAK is a web-based program written entirely in Perl, which is a free programming language.
• POW-PAK runs on your own web server. So far it has been successfully installed and run on the following web servers:
  • Windows 2000 server
  • Windows 2003 server
  • Unix / Linux
  • Mac OS X (NOTE: POW-PAK does NOT run on OS9 or earlier)
• POW-PAK comes with a built-in authentication system to create and manage users.
• Editing pages with POW-PAK can be done with any browser. However, to use the WYSIWYG Editor you will need to use a compatible browser. Users with non-compatible browsers can still edit pages, but will have standard text boxes in which to do their work.

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• Welcome Page - Here you can include information about yourself, what you are covering in class, how you can be contacted, a favorite quote, your email address, and more. The welcome page contains links to the rest of your web site

• Standard Calendars - POW-PAK has one full-featured calendar and three easy calendars: daily, weekly, and monthly. You can use one or all four depending upon your needs. With these calendars you can post homework assignments, due dates, student birthdays, and special events.

• Links Page - With POW-PAK you can add unlimited links to other web sites, organized by categories you create. With these links you can provide your students with web sites to help them with their research, review important skills, and enrich what they are covering in school. A links page is a wonderful way to extend learning beyond the classroom.

• Files Page - This page allows you to add any sort of file you wish, again arranged in categories you choose. These files could include study guides, supply lists, rubrics, assignments, PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, and more. You can even post products created by your students to share their work with others.

• Pictures Page - You can also upload pictures into your categories on a pictures page. Pictures can show class activities, field trips, student art work, and curriculum-related images.

• Lesson Plan Page - If you have developed a lesson plan you would like to share with others, POW-PAK lets you do that as well. The full-featured lesson plan page includes sections for standards, a detailed plan, links, files, assessment options, enrichments, accommodations, and more.

• WebQuest Page - With POW-PAK you can create full WebQuests, complete with all the sections normally associated with these online lessons. With a WebQuest page your web site becomes a source of interactive learning for your students, and a resource for others.

• Word Search Page - You can also create interactive word search puzzles that students can play right on your web site. You can choose to display the words to search for (which would be great for younger children to review spelling words) or you can have only the clues to the words displayed (which would allow older children to practice vocabulary word and definitions in a fun way).

• Competition Calendar - This specialized calendar is designed for sports teams and competition clubs. With it you can track opponents, locations, times, and scores for as many seasons as your wish.

• Activity Calendar - This calendar is geared toward non-competitive clubs and organizations and helps you list the date, time, location, and description of all your meetings, performances, and such.

• Roster Page - This page is used to list all the members of your sport, club, or organization, including statistical information about each person.

• Records Page - With POW-PAK you can also post all the records held by members of your sport, including the event, the record set, and the year it was done.

• Articles Page - This feature is designed to help you make an online literary magazine. Great for student work, your own writings, or the school literary club.

• Custom Pages - If the specialized pages above do not meet all your needs, you can always create you own custom pages. Using the easy WYSIWYG Editor you can make any additional pages you want, with any content you wish.

• School-safe Blog Pages - The Blog Page allows you to post chronological entries on your web site, to which visitors can post comments in reply. Blogs provide an easy way for you to post information quickly, while creating a site that allows for the feedback and involvement of your visitors. However, this blog is safe since teachers must approve all comments before they are visible to others, and can edit content if needed.

• Full-featured Podcast Page - With the help of POW-PAK, you (or your students) can be a podcast creator. Once you make your podcast, POW-PAK handles everything for you including the podcast episode file, the shownotes, user comments, and even the iTunes-compatible RSS feed so users can easily subscribe to your podcast.

• WYSIWYG Editing - Many of the features in POW-PAK allow you to do advanced editing with the use of a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) Toolbar. With this you can format text, add images, add tables, add links, and more.

• Customizable Colors and Graphics - POW-PAK makes it easy to personalize your web site by giving you control over text and link colors, background color or pattern, horizontal rules, and bullets. You can choose from POW-PAK's library of images or upload your own to give your site the look and feel you desire.

• Spell Checker - To keep your pages professional, POW-PAK includes a 175,000 word spell checker. Also, if you do use words that the spell checker does not know, you may add them to your own custom dictionary.

• Optional HTML Entry - Although you do not have to know anything about web design to use POW-PAK, you certainly can use HTML if you choose. POW-PAK supports the entry of HTML tags for those people who wish to go beyond the features listed above. A simple HTML tutorial is also included to help those who wish to learn.

• Logging - POW-PAK also logs users as they visit your site so you can see which of your pages are getting traffic.

• More to Come - POW-PAK is always expanding with new features based upon the needs and desires of its users. Is there something missing from the program that would help you and your students? Let me know and I will see if I can add it.

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