|
September 1, 1998
Who Really Benefits From a Class Web Site?
by Susan Silverman
During my summer vacation I practiced the 3 R’s- relaxation,
rejuvenation and reflection. The hot, sunny days were spent reading novels, traveling,
walking in gardens and forests, swimming and kayaking. Food shopping consisted of a trip
to the local farm stand for fresh Long Island, New York produce. I drank plenty of water,
visited the health spa, attended yoga class and even worked with a personal trainer. My
evenings involved moonlit dinners, stargazing and creating a web site for my new class and
for my fall collaborative Internet project.
It was during these hours of relaxation and rejuvenation that I reflected. I thought
about the previous school year, it’s ups and downs and my goals for the new class.
The year in general was good in spite of the large class size. We went on exciting field
trips, read wonderful books, did lots of hands on creative activities and even had a
Chinese luncheon in class. We also had our very own web site.
I spent hours and hours every night working on this web site. In addition to the time
spent, it also was quite an expense. So you may be wondering, why then did you do it? Who
did you do it for? Who really benefits from a class web site?
My web site has a home page for each child in the class. At least once a month a story,
poem or graphic is added. The web site also has a guest book for visitors’ comments.
There are two entries from out of town grandparents. They were overjoyed to see the work
of their grandchildren and to feel a connection with the school in spite of living far
away. I received e-mail from a non-custodial parent from out of town. He could not thank
me enough for having a web site to see his child’s work and learn about the school.
Another part of my web site is a page with information about the online projects that
we joined. There were many teachers that didn’t know about these online collaborative
projects and joined some after reading the descriptions. They also e-mailed me questions
about my units and techniques and I became an online mentor for teachers throughout the
country. They were able to find me through the web site.
Parents found my page of links very helpful. Many of them have limited time or are not
sure yet how to access information. They found the links to appropriate student web sites
very convenient. The parents that were unable to attend my orientation night in October
were able to see my PowerPoint presentation online on our web site. They could also
learn about me as a person by reading my online journal. So when children went home with
tales about their teacher spending a weekend in the Andes they knew it was true!
I thought it would be unfair for my students to be the only ones in the school with a
presence on the web so I created a special page called "Other Clinton Stars."
Students from other classes in the school were invited to send me their poems and stories
to be published on our site. Many of them visited our classroom to proudly read their
materials. Once again I received positive feedback from parents of these students. They
too, were proud to see their child’s work published and shared it with their family,
friends and neighbors.
This brings me to the last group of people who were affected by this site, my students.
The students were so proud to have their very own page. They told me how our web site took
center stage at family gatherings in their homes. The students strove for excellence since
a very large audience would see their work. We carefully watched the counter on our site
that shows how many people visited and in the process obtained some mathematical skills.
The children loved reading their own work as well as their classmates’. The site was
available to them every day and kept the interest of both my advanced and remedial reading
students.
September, 1998 began my third year of having a class web site. All my sites will
remain on line to be used as a resource for educators, parents, and a pleasant memory of
second grade for my former students. So, who really benefits from a class web site? I
believe that question has just been answered. Please
visit.
Email: Susan Silverman
Return to the Stories
page.
|
