Submitted by: Tina L. Thomen

SLM: 521: Telecommunications & The Internet

Fall 2005 – Updated 9/28/05

Elective #3

Teacher Websites

Mrs. Dowling’s Virtual Classroom

Description: This comprehensive website surpasses any site for its range of both informational and instructional quality. I found this site from a link provided at Exworthy Educational Resources’ section, “Building a Website.” (http://members.tripod.com/exworthy/websitebuilding.htm#School/Classroom%20Website%20Examples.) Mrs. Dowling teaches at Saunders Middle School in Manassas, VA. The school’s home page explicitly states its’ emphasis on technology. Interestingly, the home page also provides a link for the general public to view free or premium web templates at http://www.steves-templates.com/.

Mrs. Dowling teaches Reading/Language Arts to four various groups of 7^th grade students. The reading/academic levels of the students were not evident from her website. Useful aspects of this teacher-made website are numerous. Mrs. Dowling fosters easy navigation to 20 various tabs that include procedural issues, instructional programs, external links, and pictures of students engaged in learning. Parents and students could easily search the site to answer any question about the curriculum, policies, and learning opportunities. Date visited – 9/28/05. http://www.dowlingcentral.com/MrsD.html

Recommendations:

• Excessive detail can sometimes overwhelm students and parents. The sections about behavior and work policies are verbose and could effectively communicate a similar message with fewer words.
• A variety of 37 main topics link to a multitude of resources. Yet, annotations are not listed for these links. Concise descriptions for suggested links would enable students to filter more efficiently.
• The site offers an “awards” tab that I predicted would post exemplary work of students. While I support posting the awards earned for her website, Mrs. Dowling may want to include a subsection for student class awards as well to set a tone of positive reinforcement. In her vibrant and superb photo gallery, she shows the student awards ceremony. A simple link from her main awards tab to the photo gallery would fulfill this need.

Commendations:

• Students can electronically submit assignments and extra credit activities by simply clicking into the posting areas. Daily “words-of-the-day” builds vocabulary skills directly from the home page. Students link to online dictionary resources and email Mrs. Dowling a sentence, using the vocabulary word in context.
• Mrs. Dowling appeals to a variety of learning styles by including all areas of study – literature, grammar, speech, composition, vocabulary and reading comprehension. Parents and students can easily email her directly from her site if they have any questions about the material.
• Mrs. Dowling covers every aspect of her classroom. The INTERACTIVE elements set this apart from other sites. Students can engage in grammar quizzes and receive immediate feedback about their work. Classroom lessons can easily be revisited by students at home and throughout the course if they need a review on a given topic.

Ms. Crawford's Science Website

Description: I located this website after entering an online discussion area for science teachers who were inquiring about how to develop websites. Ms. Crawford’s website follows a template provided by TeacherWeb.com which seems to offer novice web designers a convenient tool for creating basic teacher sites. The annual fee is $25 and teachers can customize their options. Ms. Crawford utilized 20 different tabs including her biography, schedule, photo gallery, external links and detailed outlines of lessons.

Ms. Clayton teaches science to one 6^th grade and four 8^th grade classes. Because I could not find a link to her school’s page, I cannot determine exactly where she teaches. The reading/academic levels of the students were not evident from her website. Useful aspects of this teacher-made website include easy navigation to specific lessons. Parents would appreciate access to the six-week-long view of lessons, avoiding last-minute surprises for tests and research projects. Date visited – 9/28/05. http://teacherweb.com/TN/VanBurenHighSchool/MsBeckyCrawford/index.html

Recommendations:

• If this template allowed for interactive functionality, Ms. Crawford could enhance the site by posting instructional activities. As it exists now, students may not visit the site often since it is geared for informational purposes only.
• With annotation, the three links would be more useful for students in understanding the value of these suggested sites. Furthermore, adding a few more links would also provide more options for students as they conduct research.
• From a visual perspective, she should consider increasing the type size and changing the font to complement the playful graphics. Students would engage more easily with a larger and different image as opposed to the basic Times New Roman font.

Commendations:

• Ms. Crawford’s detailed lessons reveal 5 simple columns that connect the following for parents and students: Weekly Dates, Standards, Resources & Projects, Test Dates, and Vocabulary Lists. Her reflective and thorough planning helps to set expectations for a manageable, long-term view.
• Her photo galleries would motivate students and parents alike. Photos add a human dimension that connects parents to the school environment.
• Links to the state benchmarks are posted, building a framework for her lessons and expectations. Parents and students benefit by easily accessing these standards.