WebsiteCreation

= Website Creation Workshop = // L. Kunc, library media specialist, November 2010 (updated November 2011) //


 * Purpose and Goals **: This is an informal workshop designed to introduce you to classroom websites, blogs and wikis. We will examine how you can better equip your students to access course content and organize, even simplify, your own workflow using these tools. Although these technologies are all similar and somewhat interchangeable for our purposes, a very simple explanation comes from Richard Byrne, an educational-technology guru whose wonderful site, Free Tech 4 Teachers is mentioned several times below: "websites are good for providing a static resource of information, blogs are good for frequent updates and communication, and a wiki is great for collaborating on the creation of a reference site."

In this workshop, we will look at examples of blogs/wikis for various academic uses and consider the differences between these technologies we will sign up for accounts with a blog/wiki of our choice and begin creating a site for classroom use. We will also review various tips for using the GUIs and, if time, review some basic html.


 * Benefits of a Teacher Blog or Wiki or Website: **
 * Announcements
 * Syllabus/Rules and Policies
 * Homework Assignments and Class Projects
 * Calendar/Due Dates
 * Student Collaboration
 * Literature Circles or Collaborative Group Projects
 * Labs (Instructions, Step-by-Step)
 * Post Student Work
 * Webquests, Links, Resources for Students


 * Things to Consider Before Starting: **
 * In what ways do I want to use my website, wiki, or blog?
 * Which technology is right for me?
 * How will I organize my pages?
 * How will I promote the site to my students?
 * Do I want students to collaborate? comment?
 * What kind of privacy settings should I use?


 * THINK ABOUT IT!: What are some advantages and uses of a blog? a wiki? a static website? **

Mrs. Curtis AP Literature SummerTech @ Manley (Kunc) Pershing West Classroom Site Sarah Plain and Tall Book Discussion Blog Mrs. C's Class Blog Senn Library Blog
 * Examples of Teacher Blogs: **

(Wikispaces, PBWorks, etc.) Manley Research 21st Century Skills for Teachers Armstrong U.S. History Climate Change Project 3rd grade LN Math
 * Examples of Educational Wikis: **

Mrs. Richau's Class U.S. History Maine South Library Ms. Shields' Class Teaching with Technology
 * Examples of Google Sites, Weebly, Posterous, etc.: **

Wikispaces Blogger [| Google Sites] Wix Weebly Posterous Richard Byrne's 10 Ways for Teacher and Students to Create Websites WordPress (Slightly more advanced, but more polished looking)
 * Helpful Links to Get Started: **


 * Tips **:
 * Get ORGANIZED and STAY organized! It is always easier to upload files, photo, etc. when they are easily accessible on your computer or flash drive.
 * PLAN AHEAD. After signing up and playing around, make sure you map out your pages before starting. Or browse through the pre-made templates that many sites offer to get ideas for the content you would like to include.
 * Simple is better. Don't get too tempted by flashy widgets, animated GIFs, colorful backgrounds. You don't want your site to look like a Myspace page! If you need to indulge, create a Glogster and link it to your site.
 * Stick to one or two fonts and main colors.


 * ADDITIONAL RESOURCES and LINKS **

Wiki Walk-Through Creative Commons in Education 7 Places to Find Copyright-Friendly Images


 * Other Free Fun Web Technologies for Class Projects: **

Glogster Wordle Animoto Box of Tricks 10 Internet Tools for Teachers Free Tech for Teachers CPS 23 Things Tutorials


 * Basic HTML and CSS information: **

Introduction to HTML HTML Tags HTML Character Reference CSS Tutorial