Blog3- Designing a classroom website

As a pre-service teacher many ideas come to mind when I think about designing a classroom website. Since I will be teaching pre-k through Third grade I really have to think about my audience, which will most likely be the parent/guardian, and not necessarily the student. I also would have to take into consideration what type of school district I am in, am I in an urban school system, a private school, etc? Even though we live in an age of technology, some families do not have computers at home, and if they do, they may not have the Internet. So, I, as the teacher need to figure out the best way I can prepare my web page to be reached by as many families as possible. Do I update it once a week, or once every few months? Do I use my web page as a tool for teachers to contact me, or do I use it as a way to extend learning home to the child? These were all questions I asked the teacher I interviewed for this blog post. The response I received from her was that she uses her web page as a way to introduce herself to families before class begins. She has a welcome to class page, about me page, photo gallery, which shows what the students are up to, and she has a link to the students reading/literacy book, where parents can click the link and chose extra activities to do at home, if they so choose to do that. This teacher teaches first grade, and many of the students cannot read, so she has designed her web page towards the parents, and in some instances the parents can interact with the web page with their child, if they assist them.

Most classes I have had in my college career did not have a personal web page. Most of my teachers used blackboard, very crudely, to allow class hand out to be available, discussion boards, and view grades. Some of my teachers have had their own class web pages and I do not think they utilized them correctly. I remember it being more of an inconvenience for me than it was benefiting me. Maybe the teacher was new to having a web page and did not fully understand all of the power it can truly hold.

If it were the perfect world and I had the perfect web 2.0 web page for my classroom I think this can be a very powerful tool, especially with all of the applications out there to use. On my web page I would like to include a digital drop box where students can "drop" off their large assignments into. There I can grade their assignments on the computer and give them feedback with out having to carry around 10 pounds of paper. I think the students would like this as well because they can just drag and drop the file right into the drop box and not have to worry about printing it out, stapling in together, etc. I would also like to include an application where students can practice what they have learned the previous day by playing a game, word search, puzzle, that reinforces what I have taught in class. Children are always on the computer any way, so why not allow fun activities that are educational to be accessible as well? Also, I would live to include some type of face time application where I could be available for a few hours one or two nights a week, where I can talk with parents who have and questions, or talk with students as well. I can remember being a student and going home to do my homework, but forgot what I was supposed to do, or maybe didn't quite understand the assignment. I would have loved to meet with my teacher for a few minutes to refresh my memory. Lastly, I would like to include an application where I can allow students to be creative. I do not think the only way to test students is by standardized tests. Let's face it, students cram before tests, and afterwards all of that information has left their brain. If students to make a video about what they learned, or drew a picture, made a presentation, wrote a few pages in a book, to explain to me what they have learned, they are not only thinking critically about the assignment, but they actually have to do all the work!!

I think it is fantastic that there are applications out there where students can collaborate and share notes. Where did the idea come from that students were cheating if they shared notes? I was one of those students who struggled with note taking. If this tool was accessible to me when I was in my early years of schooling, that would have been amazing. I truly think that students can learn a lot from each other because they know each others language and how to better communicate to each other. I, as a teacher, could think I am explaining something perfectly clear, and the student would be looking at me like I am an Alien. While another student can reword what I had just said, and make complete sense to the other student. I think not sharing and collaboration is something that I value as a teacher, and would like to make available to my students one day.

With all of these applications I feel that I could better engage students in learning, as well as make myself more accessible to parents and students if need be.