Simple Teacher Websites

There are many options available to teachers who want to create a website for the class/classes. Here are a few options my colleagues and I have tried:

My UEN

• Free
• Utah teachers automatically have a my.uen account
• Pre-set template
• Fast, easy to use
• Simple design
• Content entered into boxes on the page
• Tabs to navigate to multiple pages
  
• Links to lessons on uen.org

Blog (I have always used Blogger, but there are many options for blogging.)

• Free
• Linked to your Google account
• Choice of templates, or create your own if you know html
• Can edit html
• Simple, one-page design
• Content entered in as posts or on side-bar
• Multi-media

Wiki (I have always used Wikispaces.)

• Free - educators can get a free account without advertisements
  
• Create as many wikis as you want with the same account
• Choice of templates, or create your own if you know html
• Can edit html
• Multiple-page design
• Content entered onto separate pages that can be linked
• Navigation bar on each page
• Multi-media
• Upload documents
• Formatting of text can be a little challenging at first
  

iWeb

• Pay through MobileMe account
• Limited amount of space
• Design your own layout
• Similar interface to other iLife applications
• Multiple-page design
• Content entered like a Pages document - your choice of design/layout
• Multi-media
• Quickly draws on items in iPhoto and other iLife applications
• Upload documents

Google Sites
Google Sites is fairly new, so I haven't actually tried it yet. I have seen it, though, and it looks simple and really great. If you have used Google Sites, please comment and let me know what you think.

Dropbox
I have had several colleagues recently tell me that Dropbox can make a nice, simple website too. Comment if you know more about it!

What have I missed? What are the pros and cons of each of these tools? Are there other ways you are creating quick and easy-to-manage teachers websites? Please comment.

I have decided that each of these tools are useful in their own way. If a teacher is looking for something that is quick and easy, I recomment my.uen. I have loved using a blog to have students contribute with their own posts, pictures, links, and movies. But, my favorite for classroom management has been a wiki. I like that I can have several pages, each for a specific purpose (information about me, parents, homework, students work, calendars, content areas, etc.), and I love that I can upload documents (worksheets, permission slips, donation lists, assignment outlines, class rules, etc.).

Here are examples of my teacher websites:
My UEN: http://my.uen.org/myuen/77889
Blog: http://bluntsixth.blogspot.com/
Wiki: http://bluntclassroom.wikispaces.com/

Classroom 2.0 Conference - Wiki Use

What can I include on my wiki?
Course outline
Calendar of assignments and events
Discussion questions
Links to other information sources
Add widgets

• audio
• video
• slide shows
• bookmarks
• chat
• etc.

Each student could have their own wiki to post assignments and create reports, projects, presentations.
Group projects based on curriculum standards
Group projects can be edited by other groups in other classes that are studying the same content.
Display students work
Notes about what went on at school that day. Could require a student to be in charge of taking notes for a day.

Amazing Wikis!
http://kearnshigh.wikispaces.com/
http://kearnsathletics.wikispaces.com/

Chris Lehman

Notes from the Canyons School District Ed Tech Retreat:
A Conversation With Chris Lehman

Principal at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia
1 to 1 laptop school

We don't do a blog project or a wiki project. We do a project about a subject and choose the tools that will work best.

Twitter - used naturally

Acceptable Use
A vision statement about whether what we are doing with the technology is for an academic use.
Teach them to be good digital citizens.
There are less "Thou shalt not"s and more vision statements.

Project-oriented school
What if high school wasn't preparation for real life? What if high school was real life?
Have the students work on projects that really matter.

Core values of the school:

• Research
• Collaborate
• Create
• Present
• Network
• Reflect

(Similar to our Big 6)

Amazing projects!
Every teacher shares the same core values and goals, so the language is the same in every class no matter what the subject is.
An incredible amount of scaffolding must take place each year and from year to year.

Words of wisdom:
Do it for a reason!
Don't use something just because it's a new tool, use it for a reason.
Don't put the tools first. Put the pedagogy first.

Joyce Valenza

Notes from the Canyons School District Ed Tech Retreat:
A Conversation With Joyce Valenza

What does a technology rich teaching environment look like?

Use technology to promote books, not replace them.

Google search - click "Show options"

• Wonder Wheel
• Related Searches
• Timeline

Springfield High School Library

• Page Flakes

This is what a modern librarian does. Help organize data and resources for their students.

Wikis

• Use it as a place to organize their research.
• Embed RSS feeds from the research sites they like the best on their wiki, instead of having to keep going back to the sites.
• It's a container or a parking lot for all the work they're doing.
  
• Also use for collaboration
• Also use for presentation

turnitin.com
Checks student work for plagiarism
Students have to check their work at the early stages, and they know right from the beginning whether they're in trouble with it.
Gives them a chance to discuss copyright, fair use, etc.

They have banned reports from their district.
No more reports on presidents, for example. Instead, compare two presidents' policies.
Or instead of doing a report on cats -- What would be the best pet to have at home?
Don't do wasteful, unproductive reports. Ask questions and encourage inquiry instead of giving an assigned report.

Librarians are defenders of

• Access
• Equity
• Intellectual Freedom

Joyce Valenza Homepage
NeverEndingSearch
Reading 2.0 Wiki

Engaged Classroom Goals for 2009-2010

I definitely plan to increase and improve my technology use in my teaching in 2009-2010. This year was just the beginning - an introduction - of all that I would like to do.
Now that I have my document camera and projections unit and screen, I will never go back to overhead projectors. (Let's face it -- I hardly ever used an overhead anyway.) It is such a great tool for demonstration and instruction.
One of my biggest goals is to become more adept at using the clickers. The students enjoy using the student response system so much, and their being engaged in lessons is the key to them learning. I want to use them on a more regular basis.
I have loved having a class wiki. I typically use My UEN, and I have not yet decided if I prefer that or wikispaces, but one way or another I plan to further advertise my class wiki to parents and students. It is a great resource and an efficient form of communication.
I have been a blogger for a little while now, but have just barely gotten my students into it. They are so excited about writing because of our blog. The potential for improving their communication skills and for teaching the Six Traits if writing via blogging is exciting to me. Next year I plan to be more organized with my class blog and really get my students participating with it.
I have used various forms of digital story-telling for many year in my classroom, and I plan to continue to do so. I hope to have a great student news broadcast running at our school next year. I would like to increase my students' use of digital cameras and PhotoBooth.
I have also been building a collection of technology-based lesson plans and activities to share with others. I plan to expand my website (http://www.30minutelablessons.com) to help teachers incorporate technology tools into their teaching of the core curriculum.

EC Sharing Session II

Trainer Observations
Must be scheduled by April 30th
3 Things Turned In:
Summary
Check Sheet
Planning Questions

Time Cards & Assignment Sheets
Due on or before April 30th, 5 pm
NO EXCEPTIONS
Attach Trainee Assignment sheet to the time card.

Lesson Plan
Email to Bonnie by April 30th

Tonight's Agenda
ProScope

Frosted Mini Wheat
Brown Sugar
Chair
Dried Apricot
Ring

iTunes U
Lectures from various universities recorded and posted online ("Universities")
Podcasts by or for kids ("K-12" -> "Utah Electronic High School" -> "Jordan School District")
-UCET Sessions
-Student Podcasts
-TEDTalks by Arthur Benjamin
-University of South Florida -> College of Education -> Lit to Go

Favorite Podcasts:
NPR
-Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!
National Geographic

Sharing

• boinx.com - mouseposé
• quicksilver
• microscope adapters to attach ProScope
• google docs
• Use a Wiimote as a SmartBoard - Download Wiimote Whiteboard software
• slide show of technology assignments played at parent conferences
• use uTips in conjunction with clickers
• student music videos - songs on GarageBand, then movie
• weekly student reports on GoogleDocs to share with team
• planner on the computer projected for the kids to copy & follow along with
• biographies in ComicLife - kids dress up as the person & take a photo, then add info.
• still photo movies - use cameras, use PhotoBooth, etc.
• still photo movies about heat, light, & sound concepts drawn on whiteboards

Wikis:

• embed a google calendar
• assignment list with links to documents or powerpoints
• embed surveys
• student pages
• photos
• slide shows

Blogs:

• student entries
• parent notes
• class journal
• assignments

EC Sharing Session

Ideas from other teachers about what they are doing with technology:

ComicLife

• Animal Reports - Heredity and Survival - 5th grade
• Animal Reports - Predator/Prey - multiple pages - 9th grade
• Demonstrate patterns created with pattern blocks - work displayed on a ComicLife page - this was used as the consequence for his students fighting at recess - they had to learn to work together to create the patterns
  
• Class Newspaper - produced monthly
  

Movies

• Moon Movies - kids took photos of moon phases, then put them together into a movie - 6th grade
• Claymation Movies - students take still photos and put them together into a movie

Podcasts

• Non Fiction Book Reports - audio & still photos - created on GarageBand - 6th grade
  

Blogs

• Club Blog - for groups and clubs at the school
• Teacher Blog - teacher posts assignments and worksheets on the blog - links to google docs - so if the students lose their copy they have to go online and print themselves a new one - they could even submit online

Office

• Use Excel to create graphs - to avoid problems with different versions of Excel, SaveAs the older version
  

Wikis

• Posting assignments online

My UEN

• Notes to parents about what is going on at school and in the class
• Links
• Calendar

Ideas From Bonnie
Picnik
Jing Project
ScreenCast
Wee World
PhotoFlex
Screen Capture - Shift Apple 4
Lulu
Plasq
Skitch
Digital Teaching Tools
Export entire albums from iPhoto to Picasa
Create a Podcast using the document camera - See Kelly's Podcast to learn how:

• http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/t4
• Go to "T4 Tips Podcasts"
• Go to "T4 Tips Podcast #40 - AverVision 300 AF+ Document Camera"

Create a movie using the document camera

• Plug in a USB port from the document camera to your computer
• The AVerVision screen will pop up
• Click the record (the movie reel)

By the way, there is an anti-glare screen for the document camera!