Linda Kilcoyne
SLM 521
Summer 02
Elective 4
Teacher
Made Websites
Miss
Slezak's Class Webpage
http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/web/2000/slezak/
Description:
This webpage is designed to give students links to several WebQuests and to
other links for math and social studies. The teacher has included a
calendar to inform parents and students of monthly events.
Commendations: This is a quiet site, with few bells or whistles,
but its contents are laid out in a simple, concise table. Each link
has a graphic appropriate to the link included. The teacher has included
her e-mail address so students or parents may contact her. This is a good
idea, as e-mail is becoming more and more the communication of choice between
parents and teachers. At least it is often the first step. The
teacher has a couple of links to her own WebQuests. These seem like very
good activities. What I particularly liked, however was a link
to Colonial Life Treasure Hunt. It's very similar to what we call
"drop-ins." What I was most impressed with was that the
"Treasure Hunt" is interactive. Students have a chart to
complete after visiting the Colonial Williamsburg site; and they can enter their
findings right on the chart, print it, and turn it in. What a great way to
go! The teacher has a current, monthly calendar, noting special events and
their times. This is ever so important to help parents keep up with what
their child is doing in school. It's also useful for the parent or student
to remind them of any special things they may need for a particular event at
school.
Recommendations: I think the teacher should include the purpose of
her website. It would make visiting students and parents more sure of
where to look and what to do. That might also make the page more
inviting. I might also suggest that since "Student Projects"
does not currently link to a page, it might be a good idea to say something
like, "Under construction", or "Closed for the Season" so
that visitors know that the page is not active. Since the teacher doesn't
state the purpose of the page, I could suggest all kinds of additions to what
she has. Pictures of the students or even the classroom are also an
interesting touch, particularly for parents. The current active links are
all part of a social studies curriculum, but some other subjects would be of
interest to parents as well. Another recommendation I would make is to use
clear, sharp graphics. The graphics are appropriate, but a couple of them
are ragged around the edges. My last thought is that the page should be
dated so visitors know how up to date the site is. All and all this site
is useful for several social studies topics, but it doesn't share the overall
picture of the students' day or overall curriculum.
Mrs. Haggerty's Fifth Grade
Description:
This is a well-presented site with lots of potential. The teacher has
created an attractive, inviting page for parents and students. She has
twelve selections including: Homework, Photo Gallery, Special Projects,
and Favorite Links, to name a few.
Commendations: I really liked this website. The index page is
attractive and offers visitors many selections to keep parents and students
informed and interested. The teacher has posted some pictures of the
school's Math Night and Band Concert. That is a great idea (as long as you
have parental permission) because it allows parents and students too, to see the
children "doing." The teacher has a "Parent Board"
that, as the teachers states, "is the place for things parents would like
to know about Mrs. Haggerty's class, including important homework due dates,
field trips, special projects, or volunteer activities. Currently on this
page is information about a project on pi. The page links to Disney's
"FamilyFun" page. The teacher also has a "News" page
for any kind of news that they would like to share. Contributors could
write news stories about current events, things going on at the school, or
special events that are important to the teacher's classroom. I
found under "Favorite Links" an interesting link to graphic resources
on the Internet from the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory called
the The Amazing Picture Machine. At this site you can find pictures,
diagrams, and maps that are available on the Internet. It also contains
some lesson plans that demonstrate how these resources could be used in the
classroom.
Recommendations: Several of the pages are not linked. Perhaps
that should be noted so visitors know that the page is being developed. A
calendar page would be a useful addition to this site. It's always
welcomed by parents. They often find it useful to keep track of school
events and due dates for class projects. I would also suggest that the
website be dated so visitors know whether or not the material is recent.
The last suggestion, I would make is for the teacher to have a link to her
e-mail. This makes it easy for parents to contact the teacher, often just
to answer quick questions.
Again, this site has a lot of potential and I will visit it
again in the fall to see it, hopefully, in full force.