I like the web page because I like a familiar home screen each time you go to it. This home screen should be aesthetically pleasing as well as easy to navigate. With the target audience of the web page being students and parents there need to be tabs to the resources that they will use on a regular basis. There should also be a page dedicated to what's going on in the media center at that time as well as upcoming events etc. My number 1 pet peeve when it comes to web pages are links that are not linked to anything. All links need to work and go to the correct location. If a web page is difficult to use or if people are constantly having issues with the web site they are not going to frequent the web page therefore not using the resources and not receiving vital information.
I feel like web pages are more formal than wikis and blogs and I like the formality of them. I like the communication that blogs and wikis allow as long as approval is gained before posts are posted. It is tricky because you can't just let people post without approval on a public school blog.
Simplicity is important when creating a web page, you don't want so much going on that users can focus or find the information they are looking for. Web pages are also not something to be set up and not maintained. In order for a web site to be useful it needs to be monitored and updated frequently. Links should be checked frequently and information needs to be accurate.
Top Pet Peeves
- Links not working
- Not asthetically please
- Confusing to Navigate
- Cluttered pages
- Inconsistent Formatting
- Some pages should open in new windows automatically and don't
Media Center Web Page Must Haves
- Destiny
- Events
- Book Recommendations
- Students Book Reviews/Recommendations (Could feature one student at a time or this could be where the blog is incorporated into the webpage)
- Resources
- Teacher Resources
- Policies
- Student Spotlight
- Galileo
To me our current media center page is not an ideal page. Here is the link Waycross Middle School Media Center Link This page is cluttered with just links to me and not the most useful, informative or aesthetically pleasing.
This is a link to my blog which the more I think about it a blog could work well. There are so many methods to deliver information to people it is hard to choose what is most appropriate. While on this blog we have not begun to us it as a communication took for kids I am open to suggestions on how to make this more interactive.
My view on what I thought I liked more may have changed as I typed the entry. #technology #everchanging
I see what you mean about the school website not being aesthetically pleasing. It looks like it's a general template that is provided to schools. I wonder if there is a way to just link to a separate website? A weebly perhaps. (I love weebly.) But I was quite impressed with your class blog. I thought how great it was that you can always reflect on your teaching and lessons you've taught with the simple click of a mouse. It provides students and parents with a wealth of information, but the way it is put together is not overwhelming. I do hope that you add some interactive work for your kids. Some surveys and discussion areas perhaps. It's still one of the best education blogs I've seen though.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. A webpage is the best platform for information to build - including adding a wiki and blogs. It's a starting point that is very important to have because the starting point will always drive patrons to new information. The options are endless with a website opposed to wikis and basic blogs. However, there are some great interactive resources out there that can provide whats needed, I personally am not a big fan of limits - and for that reason I would still suggest a web presence and not limit information or resources by focuses simply on a basic blog or wiki. Good post
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I want to say that I love your classroom blog! I wish I had thought to try that when I was in the classroom. It's such an awesome way to give a quick snapshot of the day's events to parents and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you posted review answer keys, assignment examples, etc. as photos. I would venture to say they're probably taken advantage of more than uploading a file would be.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the website goes, I agree that there are some absolute musts and your list of pet peeves is a good one. Our website it pretty pitiful and I know it needs work, but other aspects of our media center have needed more immediate work, so the website keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. Seeing your blog, though, has inspired me. I think I might do a very basic website and then link it to my LMC blog and set it up kind of like you did. It wouldn't take any time at all to do quick weekly (or daily during certain events) updates and is certainly, in my opinion, a better way to present such information than via website.
Really like your idea of a student spotlight. I think using Glogster as a platform for the website would make a feature like that really prominent and cool.