As a teacher, you want to engage students and inspire learning. Since teaching has existed, teachers have looked for ways to inspire children to want to learn. Teachers want to take advantage of all resources to equip students to reach their learning potential. Developing a website classroom is a step in the right direction in today’s world. Everything is online and adding this layer of portal learning that your students can relate to and possibly embrace this style of learning as it relates to the current relationship students have with computer devices.
Knowing what you want to achieve with your classroom website is an important question you should have answered before you begin building your site. This curriculum will help you bring resources and tools that express your lesson plan so teachers, parents, and students know what to expect from learning online. It is another tool that should exist in today’s classrooms as we live and interact more with technology. Check out other teachers’ websites to get ideas and learn what was successful for them and what were epic failures. Make a point to consider the following as you build your web classroom:
Make learning always available
Your classroom website should definitely have resources available so students can learn at any time or place. Students have access to the web classroom to gain access to class lessons, worksheets, class notes, assignments and more. Learning does not have to stop because school is over. Students don’t have to fail because they missed something during class time.
With a web classroom resources of lesson plans are now available for students and their parents while they are at home. This availability of curriculum could change and help that struggling student gain access to class resources at home with the support of their parents. Having access to the web classroom provides extra support with the potential to increase classroom assignments being turned in on time. This could help curb low assignment turn in.
Put it all online
Use the web classroom to put your entire school year online. Once your basic frame for your site is up you can add your units of study as the year progresses. This way you are not overwhelmed with getting information on your website all at one time. Taking the time to convert your worksheets can be time-consuming, but a worthwhile step to help students gain access to such resources. This also helps you be more effective reaching students in the class. Students become more receptive to teachers who show signs of wanting the student to excel by providing tools to help succeed.
By the end of the school year, you have created a complete library of learning tools that other teachers can use and learn from when developing a web classroom for themselves.
Resources
Web classrooms can offer links to other sites that teach the subject you are teaching in your class. Content and teaching approaches different from yours but effective adds variety to learning for the student. There are puzzles, online quizzes, games and more to connect to your web classroom. These tools are great for completing work assignments and projects in the classroom and assignments at home.
Make a point to check out all links before adding them to your web classroom. You want learning tools that enhance what you are teaching. This could help students retain information and hopefully enjoy learning a bit more.
Be Informative
This type of information could make a big difference in today’s style of learning. Teachers can put things like:
– Calendars
– Weekly homework assignments
– Upcoming test dates
– Field trips
– Project assignments
This type of service helps the parents as well. They now have a breakdown of what is expected of the student. The parent can play a greater role in the success of the student by having such information made available to them.
As the teacher, you could go into detail on certain aspects of the assignments to yield greater understanding. Web classrooms could offer many benefits of continuous learning at home, so students get another opportunity to do well.
Publish students work
Students that take advantage of this exceptional resource teachers could create a page to showcase students’ work where other students could see it. You would need permission first from parent and student. Having a post type page where students’ work is on display could inspire higher learning for the student. It could also spark learning for another student.
Teacher and parent corner
It is a good idea to have a page where co-workers can gain access. Here you can share and exchange ideas to make each web classroom stronger and most effective.
A page for parents is often helpful as well. Parents can check in and leave messages or get feedback from teachers on ways to help their child excel in school.
Popular tools
A major attraction for web classrooms is the ability to share with others around the world. The Web 2.0 tool named Glogster is a must have for your virtual classroom This software is engaging students to create virtual posters that are vivid, animated and life like. This software inspires the creativity of students and encourages them to combine text, sound, video, images and hyperlinks and share their masterpiece electronically with others.
Facebook for web classrooms should include Edmodo as the social network for the classroom. Unlike Facebook, it provides specific restrictions and guides to ensure resource learning is the only objective. Edmodo allows students, teachers and parents to connect and express problems, tips, and ideas. It is here to connect you with the proper source to get solutions that remove learning barriers so students can succeed.
The connection of resources parent and teachers may need are available as well so they too can help their student. Private chats between parents, students and teachers are instantly made available. This type of instant support can make all the difference in learning.
Brainstorming
Learning is all about thinking. It is the goal of every teacher. Bubbl.us is a brainstorming software that helps students get their ideas to grow. One thought from the student is expanded into several common possibilities. The student now has many ideal solutions for their assignments. These ideas are shared with others electronically, so a window for feedback exists. This boosts learning to the next level because students now engage with each other as it relates to their topic of study.
Resources for Teachers
Teachers want to deliver the best web classroom, so they are always searching for the best tools. A key success to your web classroom are resources. With the software, Tackk teachers can create digital assignments. You can blend your lesson material to deliver on a different level, so the student experiences two styles of learning.
Another feature with Tackk is the flipped classroom function. This feature delivers assignment information and helps prep students before arriving for class. Students arrive with questions and ready to dive into the lesson plan of the day.
There are many great resources available to create web classrooms. Knowing the needs of your students and what you want to achieve are important steps in creating a format beneficial to teachers, students, and parents.
