Using a nom de plume, please tell us (the class) your thoughts about this:
Teachers continue to think that a classroom web site is for kids to use at home. Kids do not want to go to their classroom web site to practice skills (while at home) anymore than they want to open their Social Studies books (while at home).
Classroom web sites should be created to provide information for your students while in school. If they use your site at home, that is just frosting on the cake!
The classroom website should be designed to use in school. Since technology and internet should be utilized in your classroom during centers and actual lesson activities, your main focus in creating the website should be the classroom.
ReplyDeleteYou should however, create links that are informative to parents. Parents are sometimes nonexistent for some of your students; if you are lucky, it’s just that they are too busy. Having a 24/7 website will allow this busy parent to keep up to date on you, your class, and most important their child’s education.
As your website should be fun, you can increase the likelihood that your students will visit it at home. The students in my class, when given the opportunity, visit any site but Mr. Smith’s. It’s not because Mr. Smith’s isn’t fun, but that it’s Mr. Smith’s.
Make it good but don’t hold your breath; your main focus should be your classroom and at home can be a close second.
I think that classroom web sites should be used both in the classroom and at home by students. Teachers should model how to use the web site correctly in school so that students have no confusion when attempting to work on it independently at school or at home. I believe that an effective classroom web site should be motivational to use. For example, teachers may include competitions or assignments where upon completion the student would receive a pass code that could be traded in for extra credit points within the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI like everyone's thinking so far - especially those that disagree with me.
ReplyDeleteRemember, the goal of my course is to prepare you for the day that every student in your room is learning with a computer - and the web site will be the portal.
Keep up the the counterpoints ;-)
I think that the website should be a tool to use in the classroom and a definite bonus to use at home. Many of my students forget to bring things home, or forget what the daily assignment is because they either left therir agenda at school or didn't write in their homework. If a student has access to a computer at home, then they can look up these things. It is also an effective tool for parents. However, I never thought of a teacher website to be used during school and class instruction. It makes sense. I like it.
ReplyDeleteI think a classroom website should be utilized both in school and at home. If a teacher uses it during the school day, students will become familiar with it. This will make it easier for students to access it at home. With a good website, teachers can keep students and parents informed of what is going on in the classroom, in addition to provide links to useful resources for students and parents to use. If students see that their teacher is encouraging them to utilize the web for learning and helping them learn how to do so, hopefully they will use their teacher's webpage more often.
ReplyDeleteI think it's true that students probably won't want to use their classroom website at home. But I also think, like homework, they should have to use it on their own, at least once in awhile, to make sure they can navigate it by themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think that teachers should design their classroom websites for use in the classroom. Lesson plans can incorporate using the website, with links and other activities online. Teachers have the option of incorporating a homework or parent section of the website if they want students to have an option of using the website at home. However, I agree with the opinion of the original post. Teacher's classroom websites are best used in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with that statement, I believe that students would enjoy going online and using the classroom website to do work outside of the classroom rather than opening up a text book and reading and taking notes by hand. As the teacher you can setup fun learning activities that students can work on at home and enjoy their learning experience. I know I would have rather used the computer and internet to do school work then work out of the old textbooks. This world is becoming more and more technological everyday and if you expect your students to know how to use the website in class and use it primarily to teach your lessons they should be able to take their skills and put them forth by having assignments they can do on the classroom website at home.
ReplyDeleteI think that a classroom website can be used for both in school and at home. A classroom website not only gives information to the students, but also to the parents as well. This can be like sending home your weekly letter. Instead of a weekly letter, you can have the parents look online. The problem is that not all families have computers, but there are libraries where they can access a computer. I feel that it can be used in the home and at school. It allows you to keep in contact with the parents of your students.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be great to use a classroom website at school but how much of a reality is that when there is so much to get through in a day?! Taking the time to go to a computer lab so everyone has a computer is tough. I think a classroom website is more useful as a link with home and enrichment out of school.
ReplyDeleteIf we think that we are developing a classroom web site for out side of school, we are missing the point of the new learning. The new learning is with the web - and the web requires a word processor.
ReplyDelete1:1 Computing is on the rise in this country and it requires the use of laptop to teach all or most parts of the curriculum.
I think that use of the classroom website should be regularly used within the classroom. In instances where there aren't laptops available for each student, one computer could be used to project the classroom website or a lesson for all students to see.
ReplyDeleteI think frequent posting of assignments on the internet is a bad idea. As many people have mentioned, use of a computer outside of school may vary between students; some may not have a computer at home or do not have a ride to public computers. Other students may not always have access to a computer if it is used by many family members. It is important for teachers who want to post assignments on the internet or assign homework that requires a computer to make sure that all students have access to a computer for the appropriate amount of time.
Also, I think it is wrong to generalize that all students either would or would not like to use the computer to do homework. I think that if a student typically avoided homework assignments, homework on the computer would be avoided as well.
I agree with both points. Professor Shively made a very valid point, there are a lot of students who don't have access to a computer so what do you do about those students when you assign work to be done at home. Growing up I didn't have a computer at home but I learned so much while in school so that when the opportunity came for me to get one I was "computer savvy". But I also feel a teachers website can be used as a tool for students to visit while at home. That goes to the comment of Avita where she was able to see who her daughters teacher was by going to the website. Again I think everyone is making very valid points and I believe a teacher website is great to use in and out of the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with those that feel the classroom website would be mainly used for in the classroom. It would be a good "center" to help intergrate technology and add variety to the day. I do believe there would be a few students that would use it at home as long as they have access to it. If all students did have access to the Internet, I do think it would be more fun for students to complete assignments on the website rather than a text book. Games, movies, etc will blind the students that they are actually learning, discovering, and having fun at the same time...not just being told the answer in a book.
ReplyDeleteI think that you are on to something here. As you think of your web site this semester, think of it in these terms:
ReplyDelete1. For school use - everyday content instruction
2. Learning Center - many of you have mentioned that
3. For home use
I agree that the website should be built for school and then if it is used at home...that is a plus. I don't know many students who eagerly access their school's websites from home. Posting additional information for students to access at home seems unfair to the students without internet access at home. The youth with internet access at home access it for social reasons predominantly. Therefore, it may be helpful for include blogs and message boards for students to interact with each other (if they do use it from home)
ReplyDeleteA classroom website should be built so it can be used at home, whether a child wants to go on it at home or is required by a teacher, but it should be built to use in class. It should be beneficial to both the student and their family. Incorporating lessons, projects, homework, due dates, message boards, and basic information regarding the teacher, assignments, and/or the school would make it easier for the student to use the website at home. It should be something that they can show their parents and that the parents themselves can easily navigate and gain any required information. The website should be user-friendly and serve many purposes. First and foremost though, it should be used in the classroom. Each student would know how to use it, they would have daily access to it if not available at home, and each child would get the same benefit from it.
ReplyDeleteI think teacher websites are a wonderful resource for students. I only wish I had access to websites when I was in school. What would have been beneficial was to have the choice to either turn my homework in on-line, or on paper on a printable copy. I think with some assignments I work better typing and others I work better writing. I think students should have the option. Also, I think having access to assignments on the website provides no excuse for I forgot what my assignment is or, I didn't write it down. Or the "I forgot my textbook in school" excuse.
ReplyDeleteThe classroom should be for teaching. Not for kids to go onto a computer. The computer should be a thing they use at home. or at the library. Students need human feedback in the classroom not a computers. It is important we teach children how to interact with humans NOT computers
ReplyDeleteWow, I am so sorry that you feel this way. You are taking a course for college credit because of the computer. We are able to use credit cards/debit cards to buy food, gas, clothes etc. all because of the computer. The nation is switching to digital TV next year because of the computer (no longer will you be able to get over-the-air Television). YOU live in a digital world and - sorry to say - that is where education is right now.
ReplyDeleteJust because we might learn some things on a computer does not mean that we do not interact with people - you are doing it now.
But this is the greatest country in the world and you are entitled to your opinion.
I have to agree with Christopher. The use of computers and computing is every where. Just like students needed to learn proper class room etiquette. How to write a "proper" letter etc etc. The need to know how to do all of those things online as well.
ReplyDeleteComputers are a tool for learning, just as the blackboard was, overhead projectors where, white boards and LCD projectors have become.
For some students online or some form of hybrid learning is the only way to be part of a class room. There are still parts of the world that can not reach the class room. They interact via video, computer, etc.
Lets use all the tools that we have available for students. Not every tool is right for every learning situation but lets not just rule them out because their is an electronic middle man relaying the message from the human feedback.
I agree with this statement completely. Children are not going to go home and play on a teachers web site when there are so many other things that they can be doing on the web. It would be nice if children went home and use the teachers web site, but realistically children don't want to feel like there in school out side of school. I also like the point that children are less likely to go on the web site then they are of opening their social studies book. If a teacher is able to use a web site in school I believe that the learning potential is endless, because of the vast amounts of information with the click of a button children will be exposed to so much beneficial information. At the same time children will be more interested because it is learning off the computer, which is something that most children use everyday.
ReplyDeleteI feel it would be quite rare for elementary students to utilize their teacher's website at home after school. I don't feel the interest would be there. Also the point of dial up services or even families who do not have a computer would be left out. The best way to utilize a teacher's website is at school. Of course this all depends on which school district it is. Also by modeling how to use the internet and teacher's website, I feel students will have a sense of empowerment of using the computer to the best of their ability.
ReplyDeleteMy Website http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/CTornquist/
ReplyDeleteI agree and disagree. I agree because kids don't want to go home and practice skills. Using a website could make it less like work and more like fun. I disagree because parent can use it (if active enough) to help the child as needed because it is based on them. I also think the use of the computer will change the role of the teacher from always being in front of the class, lecturing to be more mobile, and facilitating learning more effectively.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that a classroom website should be informative, but yet engaging. If a website can have both of these qualities then it should be used at school. It is a different way for students to learn skills. I also believe that if the website is engaging then the students will want to use this website at home as well. Another benefit about using the website at home is that students could share with their families what they are working on.
ReplyDeleteGreat points by everyone. I think the teacher web site will be of most use in the classroom, but is still a great way to post important information, homework assignments, field trip dates, etc. If the teacher uses the web site to teach in the classroom, it is more likely that the students will seek it out at home.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with this comment. Today, technology is very large. Students love to use the internet. I think that the students would rather do an assignment on the internet than in a workbook. Also, if I take the time to make a class website, my students are going to benefit from it both in and out of school.
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