Classroom Websites - NOW is a great time to get started!!
Having a classroom website is a great way to share what's going on in your classroom! Our students' families are increasingly 'connected' and appreciate being able to access updates and information about their children's classes on their personal devices ~ anywhere, anytime.
There are several ways to create a classroom website. The web application introduced in the fall of 2013 and supported by the WRDSB is Wordpress. Courses are listed in PD Place and will be offered throughout this school year, both at the Ed Centre and out at school sites. If you prefer the DIY style, you may sign up for a Wordpress teacher site at http://teachers.wrdsb.ca
There are other web applications which offer alternatives for teachers interested in creating and maintaining a site on their own. Some of the most common are:
Wikispaces: http://www.wikispaces.com
Google Sites: https://sites.google.com
Weebly: http://www.weebly.com
You may prefer to host a classroom blog. In simplest terms, the difference between a website and a blog is that the purpose of a classroom website is basically to share information, whereas the purpose of a classroom blog is to inspire communication between teachers and students, and perhaps a wider audience. The blog application supported by the WRDSB is Wordpress. You can sign up for one at http://blogs.wrdsb.ca. Another blog application that is quite popular with teachers for its ease of use and ability to create individual student blogs is KidBlog at http://kidblog.org.
Why have a classroom website?
There are several ways to create a classroom website. The web application introduced in the fall of 2013 and supported by the WRDSB is Wordpress. Courses are listed in PD Place and will be offered throughout this school year, both at the Ed Centre and out at school sites. If you prefer the DIY style, you may sign up for a Wordpress teacher site at http://teachers.wrdsb.ca
There are other web applications which offer alternatives for teachers interested in creating and maintaining a site on their own. Some of the most common are:
Wikispaces: http://www.wikispaces.com
Google Sites: https://sites.google.com
Weebly: http://www.weebly.com
You may prefer to host a classroom blog. In simplest terms, the difference between a website and a blog is that the purpose of a classroom website is basically to share information, whereas the purpose of a classroom blog is to inspire communication between teachers and students, and perhaps a wider audience. The blog application supported by the WRDSB is Wordpress. You can sign up for one at http://blogs.wrdsb.ca. Another blog application that is quite popular with teachers for its ease of use and ability to create individual student blogs is KidBlog at http://kidblog.org.
Why have a classroom website?
- it's a great way to communicate with students and families - they can access the information whenever and wherever they need it
- you can update information from any device, from any location and whenever it's convenient
- if you're including classroom calendars and news on your site, there is no need to print them out, so it saves paper
- it's easy to include photos and samples of student work - this is so motivating for our students and a very good way to engage families
- your website can reach anyone with an internet connection, so the potential to share with a wider audience is very real
- it's a wonderful way to build your digital footprint and provide and model positive digital citizenship for your students
- it's getting easier and easier to create a maintain a site - NOW is the time to get started!
