Web Site Design Unit

I think classroom websites are an excellent tool for educators. With the advances in Web 2.0 technologies, creating a website is easier than ever. The design and hosting are as easy as using a word processor. If you know how to use email and MS Word, you will be able to figure out how to put together a straightforward website. I would probably use Google sites for making a class website. However, there are numerous other free applications as well. If you’re looking for more bells and whistles, you could use a service that charges a low monthly fee. The following site provides a review of such sites http://www.webhostingfreereviews.com/?ad=g_uri&k=Free%20website%20templates For example, http://www.weebly.com/ had some easy to use tools and created professional looking sites. Also, the company has an application for teachers at http://education.weebly.com/.

While creating a website is easy, implementing a website on a daily basis in the classroom is another matter. It takes creativity and forethought to make a classroom website a helpful tool and not an annoyance. A teacher really has to create a well thought out plan and have a vision of how her website will be put into practice. There are so many applications for a website in the classroom. It can be used like a newsletter to keep parents up to date. It can be used for group projects or writing assignments. It can be visible to the classroom only or published to the World Wide Web. A teacher doesn’t have to use every single feature. In fact, you are more likely to become overwhelmed this way. Just like teaching a student how to write a concise thesis, teachers must learn how to narrow the focus of their site.

Anecdotally, it seems when websites are imposed on teachers from the administration, the end result seems strained and not very useful. It is very important to get “buy-in” from the staff. Teachers must feel comfortable with the technology and have a clear idea on how they plan to implement it in their classroom. That is why a class like this one is so useful for teachers. It forces us to stretch a little and try technology in a new way. We can determine which tools will work best for us.