IN ORDER TO BETTER SERVE OUR STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND ADMINISTRATORS, AS WELL AS MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER WHILE IMPROVING THE TECHNOLOGY SKILLS OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER SETTING UP A CLASS WEBSITE! i HAVE PRESENTED THIS WORKSHOP LAST YEAR AS A PAID PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY, AND THIS DOCUMENT IS THE RESULTING INSTRUCTION SHEET. GIVE IT A TRY!
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THIS WORKSHOP IN PERSON, PLEASE PUT A NOTE IN MY MAILBOX LETTING ME KNOW. WHEN i HAVE ENOUGH PARTICIPANTS, I'LL SCHEDULE THE WORKSHOP.
IF YOU DO SET UP A CLASS WEBSITE, PLEASE EMAIL ME THE LINK SO THAT I CAN KEEP TRACK OF THE IMPACT I HAVE MADE ON YOUR PRACTICE. THIS WILL BE VERY HELPFUL TO ME AS I GO THROUGH THE NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION PROCESS THIS YEAR.
MS. KINGSBURY
ms.kingsbury@verizon.net
Room 416
To create a classroom website, it is easiest to use the free services available at http://www.blogger.com/. This site allows you to simply set up a secure website which can be accessed by your students, their parents, and school administrators.
The benefits of having a classroom website include:
a. a localized place for students to access classwork, homework, extra credit, and additional resources
b. parents can keep up to date on their child's school work and assignments
c. school administrators can access your lesson plans electronically - no more need to submit paper lesson plans!
Some students will be pushed out of their comfort zone upon learning that they will have to access a website to complete assignments. THIS IS GOOD FOR THEM AND IS DEFINITELY WORTH THE INITIAL STRUGGLES YOU MAY ENDURE!
Please look at these sample sites that I have created:
1. http://tabsmom.blogspot.com/ - this is my personal site which I initially created as a way to keep my family informed about my breast cancer news and treatments. It has since morphed into an on-line personal journal.
2. http://kingsburyportfolio.blogspot.com/ - this is my photography portfolio. Putting graphics up on a website is VERY EASY!
3. http://english4healthacademy.blogspot.com/ - this is the class website for my English 4 students. You will see that I put an entry for each day/week which describes what we are doing in class; I also include extra credit assignments as well to which the students can respond via posting to the site or by email.
4. http://foundationsofeducationohs.blogspot.com/ - this is the class website for my Foundations of Education class. It is pretty straightforward for each day; objectives, agenda, and homework.
5. http://classof2009ohssummer.blogspot.com/ - this is a mock-up site for our students' summer reading assignments. You can see that it includes video and audio.
SO WHERE DO YOU START?
First, go to http://www.gmail.com/ and set up an email account. You will need this to sign onto http://www.blogger.com/. Make your email address simple. Mine is madelaine.kingsbury@gmail.com.
Then, go to http://www.blogger.com/. You will be asked to sign in with your gmail email address and password. Do this. You will then be directed to the Dashboard. Click on "Create a Blog."
You will be asked to name your blog. This will be your website's title.
You will then create the website address. Make this simple to remember.
You will then do a word verification to authenticate your site.
Click CONTINUE after filling out this information.
You will then choose a template. These are the background colors of your page. I usually pick the Sand Dollar template because its colors are OHS-like.
Click CONTINUE after selecting a template.
Congratulations! You can now start setting up your site! Click START BLOGGING! You will be directed to a site where you can make your first post.
It is best, however, to personalize the settings before you begin posting. Click Settings.
Under basic settings, you will want to:
1. Give a description of your class website.
2. Select NO to the question "Add your blog to our listings?" This will keep your website private and available only to the people you give the web address to.
3. Everything else under basic settings should remain the same.
4. Click SAVE SETTINGS at the bottom.
Under formatting settings, you will want to:
1. show 500 posts so that everything you post will be on the same page.
2. change the time zone to Eastern.
3. click YES for the option to show links field. This will allow you to easily connect other sites/articles/resources to your site.
4. Click SAVE SETTINGS at the bottom.
Under comments settings, you will want to:
1. click Anyone in response to the question "Who can comment?"
2. click NO in response to the question "Show word verification for comments?"
3. enter your gmail and one other address in the Comment Notification Email box. This will let you know when students have posted to the site.
4. Click SAVE SETTINGS at the bottom.
You now have completed all the initial settings for your site. So let's start making some sample posts!
You can begin adding content/posts/lesson plans/information to your site. Just click NEW POST and begin typing whatever information you need. My lesson plans are usually titled with the date; any extra credit is is noted as such (as extra credit, I will usually post an article for the kids to read and respond to).
If you want to add photos, click on the mountain icon. You will then follow the directions to insert a picture.
If you want to add video, cut and paste the website address of the desired video into the text box where you would normally type. Just be mindful that videos from YouTube might not show up if you are the students are accessing the site from a school district-linked computer, as the SDP blocks YouTube due to its occasional graphic nature.
To link an article or another website to yours, you can cut and paste the website address into the text box, as I have done here above, or you can cut and paste it into the LINK box. If you put it in the link box, students will be able to click right on the title and be transferred to the other site.
What's also great about this site is that students/parents/administrators can SUBSCRIBE to your site, so whenever you update it, they can get the latest information emailed to them.
Using http://www.blogger.com is a simple way to stream-line your workload. It opens up a world of opportunities and information to students and pushes them to develop new skills which will be vital for their success in and beyond high school.
A class website also raises up your accountability; parents and administrators know exactly what you are doing in class.
Finally, a class website it fun! It's like real life - interactive, connected, and hands-on. I have had nothing but success with a simple class website, and I hope it can be helpful to you and your students as well.
The hardest part is getting started. Just give it a try! Please send an email to ms.kingsbury@verizon.net if you need further information on this topic or have any questions!
Ms. Kingsbury
September 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Simple Steps to Creating a Classroom Website
IN ORDER TO BETTER SERVE OUR STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND ADMINISTRATORS, AS WELL AS MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER WHILE IMPROVING THE TECHNOLOGY SKILLS OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER SETTING UP A CLASS WEBSITE! i HAVE PRESENTED THIS WORKSHOP LAST YEAR AS A PAID PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY, AND THIS DOCUMENT IS THE RESULTING INSTRUCTION SHEET. GIVE IT A TRY!
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THIS WORKSHOP IN PERSON, PLEASE PUT A NOTE IN MY MAILBOX LETTING ME KNOW. WHEN i HAVE ENOUGH PARTICIPANTS, I'LL SCHEDULE THE WORKSHOP.
IF YOU DO SET UP A CLASS WEBSITE, PLEASE EMAIL ME THE LINK SO THAT I CAN KEEP TRACK OF THE IMPACT I HAVE MADE ON YOUR PRACTICE. THIS WILL BE VERY HELPFUL TO ME AS I GO THROUGH THE NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION PROCESS THIS YEAR.
MS. KINGSBURY
ms.kingsbury@verizon.net
Room 416
To create a classroom website, it is easiest to use the free services available at http://www.blogger.com/. This site allows you to simply set up a secure website which can be accessed by your students, their parents, and school administrators.
The benefits of having a classroom website include:
a. a localized place for students to access classwork, homework, extra credit, and additional resources
b. parents can keep up to date on their child's school work and assignments
c. school administrators can access your lesson plans electronically - no more need to submit paper lesson plans!
Some students will be pushed out of their comfort zone upon learning that they will have to access a website to complete assignments. THIS IS GOOD FOR THEM AND IS DEFINITELY WORTH THE INITIAL STRUGGLES YOU MAY ENDURE!
Please look at these sample sites that I have created:
1. http://tabsmom.blogspot.com/ - this is my personal site which I initially created as a way to keep my family informed about my breast cancer news and treatments. It has since morphed into an on-line personal journal.
2. http://kingsburyportfolio.blogspot.com/ - this is my photography portfolio. Putting graphics up on a website is VERY EASY!
3. http://english4healthacademy.blogspot.com/ - this is the class website for my English 4 students. You will see that I put an entry for each day/week which describes what we are doing in class; I also include extra credit assignments as well to which the students can respond via posting to the site or by email.
4. http://foundationsofeducationohs.blogspot.com/ - this is the class website for my Foundations of Education class. It is pretty straightforward for each day; objectives, agenda, and homework.
5. http://classof2009ohssummer.blogspot.com/ - this is a mock-up site for our students' summer reading assignments. You can see that it includes video and audio.
SO WHERE DO YOU START?
First, go to http://www.gmail.com/ and set up an email account. You will need this to sign onto http://www.blogger.com/. Make your email address simple. Mine is madelaine.kingsbury@gmail.com.
Then, go to http://www.blogger.com/. You will be asked to sign in with your gmail email address and password. Do this. You will then be directed to the Dashboard. Click on "Create a Blog."
You will be asked to name your blog. This will be your website's title.
You will then create the website address. Make this simple to remember.
You will then do a word verification to authenticate your site.
Click CONTINUE after filling out this information.
You will then choose a template. These are the background colors of your page. I usually pick the Sand Dollar template because its colors are OHS-like.
Click CONTINUE after selecting a template.
Congratulations! You can now start setting up your site! Click START BLOGGING! You will be directed to a site where you can make your first post.
It is best, however, to personalize the settings before you begin posting. Click Settings.
Under basic settings, you will want to:
1. Give a description of your class website.
2. Select NO to the question "Add your blog to our listings?" This will keep your website private and available only to the people you give the web address to.
3. Everything else under basic settings should remain the same.
4. Click SAVE SETTINGS at the bottom.
Under formatting settings, you will want to:
1. show 500 posts so that everything you post will be on the same page.
2. change the time zone to Eastern.
3. click YES for the option to show links field. This will allow you to easily connect other sites/articles/resources to your site.
4. Click SAVE SETTINGS at the bottom.
Under comments settings, you will want to:
1. click Anyone in response to the question "Who can comment?"
2. click NO in response to the question "Show word verification for comments?"
3. enter your gmail and one other address in the Comment Notification Email box. This will let you know when students have posted to the site.
4. Click SAVE SETTINGS at the bottom.
You now have completed all the initial settings for your site. So let's start making some sample posts!
You can begin adding content/posts/lesson plans/information to your site. Just click NEW POST and begin typing whatever information you need. My lesson plans are usually titled with the date; any extra credit is is noted as such (as extra credit, I will usually post an article for the kids to read and respond to).
If you want to add photos, click on the mountain icon. You will then follow the directions to insert a picture.
If you want to add video, cut and paste the website address of the desired video into the text box where you would normally type. Just be mindful that videos from YouTube might not show up if you are the students are accessing the site from a school district-linked computer, as the SDP blocks YouTube due to its occasional graphic nature.
To link an article or another website to yours, you can cut and paste the website address into the text box, as I have done here above, or you can cut and paste it into the LINK box. If you put it in the link box, students will be able to click right on the title and be transferred to the other site.
What's also great about this site is that students/parents/administrators can SUBSCRIBE to your site, so whenever you update it, they can get the latest information emailed to them.
Using http://www.blogger.com is a simple way to stream-line your workload. It opens up a world of opportunities and information to students and pushes them to develop new skills which will be vital for their success in and beyond high school.
A class website also raises up your accountability; parents and administrators know exactly what you are doing in class.
Finally, a class website it fun! It's like real life - interactive, connected, and hands-on. I have had nothing but success with a simple class website, and I hope it can be helpful to you and your students as well.
The hardest part is getting started. Just give it a try! Please send an email to ms.kingsbury@verizon.net if you need further information on this topic or have any questions!
Ms. Kingsbury
September 2008
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THIS WORKSHOP IN PERSON, PLEASE PUT A NOTE IN MY MAILBOX LETTING ME KNOW. WHEN i HAVE ENOUGH PARTICIPANTS, I'LL SCHEDULE THE WORKSHOP.
IF YOU DO SET UP A CLASS WEBSITE, PLEASE EMAIL ME THE LINK SO THAT I CAN KEEP TRACK OF THE IMPACT I HAVE MADE ON YOUR PRACTICE. THIS WILL BE VERY HELPFUL TO ME AS I GO THROUGH THE NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION PROCESS THIS YEAR.
MS. KINGSBURY
ms.kingsbury@verizon.net
Room 416
To create a classroom website, it is easiest to use the free services available at http://www.blogger.com/. This site allows you to simply set up a secure website which can be accessed by your students, their parents, and school administrators.
The benefits of having a classroom website include:
a. a localized place for students to access classwork, homework, extra credit, and additional resources
b. parents can keep up to date on their child's school work and assignments
c. school administrators can access your lesson plans electronically - no more need to submit paper lesson plans!
Some students will be pushed out of their comfort zone upon learning that they will have to access a website to complete assignments. THIS IS GOOD FOR THEM AND IS DEFINITELY WORTH THE INITIAL STRUGGLES YOU MAY ENDURE!
Please look at these sample sites that I have created:
1. http://tabsmom.blogspot.com/ - this is my personal site which I initially created as a way to keep my family informed about my breast cancer news and treatments. It has since morphed into an on-line personal journal.
2. http://kingsburyportfolio.blogspot.com/ - this is my photography portfolio. Putting graphics up on a website is VERY EASY!
3. http://english4healthacademy.blogspot.com/ - this is the class website for my English 4 students. You will see that I put an entry for each day/week which describes what we are doing in class; I also include extra credit assignments as well to which the students can respond via posting to the site or by email.
4. http://foundationsofeducationohs.blogspot.com/ - this is the class website for my Foundations of Education class. It is pretty straightforward for each day; objectives, agenda, and homework.
5. http://classof2009ohssummer.blogspot.com/ - this is a mock-up site for our students' summer reading assignments. You can see that it includes video and audio.
SO WHERE DO YOU START?
First, go to http://www.gmail.com/ and set up an email account. You will need this to sign onto http://www.blogger.com/. Make your email address simple. Mine is madelaine.kingsbury@gmail.com.
Then, go to http://www.blogger.com/. You will be asked to sign in with your gmail email address and password. Do this. You will then be directed to the Dashboard. Click on "Create a Blog."
You will be asked to name your blog. This will be your website's title.
You will then create the website address. Make this simple to remember.
You will then do a word verification to authenticate your site.
Click CONTINUE after filling out this information.
You will then choose a template. These are the background colors of your page. I usually pick the Sand Dollar template because its colors are OHS-like.
Click CONTINUE after selecting a template.
Congratulations! You can now start setting up your site! Click START BLOGGING! You will be directed to a site where you can make your first post.
It is best, however, to personalize the settings before you begin posting. Click Settings.
Under basic settings, you will want to:
1. Give a description of your class website.
2. Select NO to the question "Add your blog to our listings?" This will keep your website private and available only to the people you give the web address to.
3. Everything else under basic settings should remain the same.
4. Click SAVE SETTINGS at the bottom.
Under formatting settings, you will want to:
1. show 500 posts so that everything you post will be on the same page.
2. change the time zone to Eastern.
3. click YES for the option to show links field. This will allow you to easily connect other sites/articles/resources to your site.
4. Click SAVE SETTINGS at the bottom.
Under comments settings, you will want to:
1. click Anyone in response to the question "Who can comment?"
2. click NO in response to the question "Show word verification for comments?"
3. enter your gmail and one other address in the Comment Notification Email box. This will let you know when students have posted to the site.
4. Click SAVE SETTINGS at the bottom.
You now have completed all the initial settings for your site. So let's start making some sample posts!
You can begin adding content/posts/lesson plans/information to your site. Just click NEW POST and begin typing whatever information you need. My lesson plans are usually titled with the date; any extra credit is is noted as such (as extra credit, I will usually post an article for the kids to read and respond to).
If you want to add photos, click on the mountain icon. You will then follow the directions to insert a picture.
If you want to add video, cut and paste the website address of the desired video into the text box where you would normally type. Just be mindful that videos from YouTube might not show up if you are the students are accessing the site from a school district-linked computer, as the SDP blocks YouTube due to its occasional graphic nature.
To link an article or another website to yours, you can cut and paste the website address into the text box, as I have done here above, or you can cut and paste it into the LINK box. If you put it in the link box, students will be able to click right on the title and be transferred to the other site.
What's also great about this site is that students/parents/administrators can SUBSCRIBE to your site, so whenever you update it, they can get the latest information emailed to them.
Using http://www.blogger.com is a simple way to stream-line your workload. It opens up a world of opportunities and information to students and pushes them to develop new skills which will be vital for their success in and beyond high school.
A class website also raises up your accountability; parents and administrators know exactly what you are doing in class.
Finally, a class website it fun! It's like real life - interactive, connected, and hands-on. I have had nothing but success with a simple class website, and I hope it can be helpful to you and your students as well.
The hardest part is getting started. Just give it a try! Please send an email to ms.kingsbury@verizon.net if you need further information on this topic or have any questions!
Ms. Kingsbury
September 2008
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