Week 1 Journal Entry

The first thing I did this week was I looked up 10 different teacher websites. I felt like I spent a lot of time looking up different websites and I got some good ideas for my own website. I looked up teacher websites including Elementary, Middle, High School, and administrative websites from the wiki EDOL 548 Technology spotlist page. Most of the websites that I looked up were organized and one could tell that they spent a lot of time putting it together. Some of the websites had not been updated for a while so it would be a good idea if the teachers did this before the school year started. When I was viewing the webpages it was hard for me to find something that I disliked about some of them. I found some wonderful ideas and great links that can be used. The teacher websites that stood out to me the most were from the Jefferson County Public Schools, Bullitt County Schools, and Daviess County Schools. I want to build a website that looks organized and is beneficial to teachers, parents, and students. I found some interesting things while reading “The Internet and Web Design for the Modern Teacher”. Classroom websites are usually used as an informational type of communication. This is a type of communication where students, teachers, and parents can all get involved. Students can learn content from a classroom website including resources, assignments can be posted, and books can be online. This will be another way that students and parents can stay up-to-date on school work. I liked how some teachers posted examples of work on their classroom website. This gives students an idea where to start. Every student and teacher needs to become familiar with technology because it is taking over in the world we live in today. In the article, Children’s Website: Usability Issues in Designing for Kids it targeted different age groups with technology skills. It did different studies and the one that I found interesting was the Children vs. Adult users. Kids need a design that follows different user guidelines than adults. I learned that a lot of designs that are made easier for adults can also help kids too. I thought it was neat that you posted your own example of a graduate journal and told what one had learned. I learned a lot from the 10 Tips for an A+ classroom website and it gave me some ideas what to keep in mind while building my own. I learned what to do and what not to do while building a website. I plan to continue to look for ideas for my own classroom website that are professional and will build communication between students, teachers, and parents. My plan for next week is to check out the DropBox and create an account. I plan to take these items back to my own classroom and school and use them with students and staff.