Creating and Maintaining a Teacher Website Stephanie G. Lavarias, M.Ed., NBCT Bair Middle School Staff Development, Spring 2008

Do you have students who forget their homework?

Would your students (or parents) like timely reminders of homework, tests, projects, and events?

Would you like your students to have quick and easy access to information about homework, exams, and projects?

Are any of your students dyslexic or ADHD? These can hinder a student's ability to accurately write down their homework.

Teacher Benefits Focus on the information that the students and parents want, and not on website design. Be assured that the student has all the information resources needed to succeed in the classroom - at any hour. Enhance the teacher communication with other interested parties. Not have to be woken up at night about things that are readily available on their teacher website.

Parents’ Benefits: Check up on Homework/ Classwork assignments/ Scheduled tests, etc. Access forms, handouts, spelling, vocabulary lists that students “left at school” See what projects are due and what is required BEFORE the night before it’s due!

Students’ Benefits: Get any lost project instructions, forms, handouts, test dates, etc. at an hour that you are working on them. For students who are up late doing homework, get support at all hours of the day/night.

Students’ Benefits (Cont’d): Connect to outside links to take quizzes, tests, complete activities on their own time. Access resources to help them complete assignments.

Home Page Welcome parents and students. Introduce yourself. Explain your mission. Explain your curriculum. Explain how to navigate your website. List Update Date so visitors know that you have recently changed information.

Additional Sections to Add… Decide what other information you want to include on your website Different web services for teachers allow different capabilities. Some allow subpages! Ideas: Class Rules/Procedures Supplies Technology Reference Material Resources FCAT ZONE Message Board (needs to be monitored by you!)

Set up Expectations As often as needed, set expectations for students. Use your website as a “learning station”. Specify which sections your students need to visit and what activities must be completed. Inform students of due dates as you would do for any other class assignment.

Update Often! Some teachers update their website daily. Some update weekly. UPDATE often and as needed! List the date of your most recent change so that your visitors can tell that you have new information. If you don’t update, people will stop visiting your website!

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