Blog 3 - Classroom Website

As a pre-service teacher for early childhood education, I am aware that many of the teaching methods used today are much different than when I was a student. One prominent example of this is the use of classroom websites. The first time I was introduced to a classroom website was my freshman year at John Carroll, as it came in the form of Blackboard. Reflecting back on all of my collegiate courses, those which incorporated an online presence truly made for an overall better learning experience.

Using Blackboard, teachers incorporated a variety of on-line tools which made the learning process more convenient and enjoyable. The gradebook was very helpful, as it posted up-to-date grades, which were made available to students on a 24-hour, remote basis. Communication was another major aspect of the website. Whether it was communication between the professor or student, it was easy to get questions answered instantly through the message center and discussion board. Lastly, many of my professors used the classroom website to post current announcements and/or assignments. This was very helpful as course materials and updates were at my fingertips every moment of the day.

However, as a future elementary teacher, my classroom website will be much different than that of Blackboard due to a different target audience. My website will be geared to the parents of the students along with the young students themselves. Therefore, the theme of the website should be a positive and welcoming one. Functionally, the website should allow parents to have a method of communication, whether it’s email or a message board, classroom information, such as a curriculum breakdown, and current and timely updates with the daily activities of the classroom. Ultimately, the website should serve as an evolving information forum where parents and students are encouraged to check out and get involved with on a daily basis. A few Web 2.0 applications may involve a calendar, flash cards for studying, and a weekly newsletter for parents. I had the opportunity to speak with Ms. Gaffney, an elementary teacher in the Cuyahoga Falls district on this subject. She stressed the importance of a resource page, whether it’s for suggestive websites or ipad apps for the students to check out. She also touched on the importance’s of a class schedule, posting homework assignments, and pictures of daily activities in the classroom; all suggestions that I took to be very helpful.