Resources and Ideas of Classroom Tech Integration
Archive for March, 2010
Weebly: A Free Internet Hosting Site
Mar 2nd
Weebly is an online website creator and hosting site. Normally, when someone wants to create a website, they must pay for the storage space and the domain name. You can even end up paying for the site design itself. Some sites, such as Google Sites, offers free space to create and design web pages, but is fairly limited to its capabilities. If you really want to pay, there are sites like Godaddy.com that offers domain names (the www.yourname.com) and hosting, as well as design programs like Website Tonight. This offers much more customization and the ability to add in many tweaks and widgets that Google Sites does not have.
In steps Weebly. Weebly is the mix between the two. Weebly offers free website design and hosting (it does not offer domain names, but that is the cheapest part of the equation, and Weebly has its own walkthrough so it can be linked to your account if you purchase one). Weebly is also very user friendly. Everything is simply drag and drop. There are many designs to choose from that look professional, and not as empty as many of the designs from Google Sites.
Classroom Uses
Weebly provides a free alternative for teachers to set up class websites. There is no advertisement, so it is safe from outside links. It is easy to setup with drag and drop features, and also looks much more professional than Google Sites. Weebly also offers 30 student accounts for free (with a 2 page limit). This provides an opportunity for teachers to create student pages in which they could display ePortfolios or other work done in classroom. Having student work displayed online is a good way to link home and school, and gets students excited about the work they have completed.
For an example of what a Weebly page could look like, feel free to check out my class page at www.themrsmith.com !
CNN Student News: A Great Way to Get Students into the News
Mar 1st
CNN Student News is a great way to get students involved in current events. With all the information at our finger tips and the wealth of knowledge available, students should be guided where to find useful information on the internet. Today with the massive overflow of information students receive, it is often hard for them to know where to find reliable information. That is where CNN Student News comes into play. CNN Student News has setup a wonderful site for students to use as well as being full of resources so teachers can incorporate it into the classroom.
Classroom Uses
CNN Student News works well with students around grades 3-8. It breaks down current events, as well as explains important background knowledge in quick segments. For example, when reporting the arrest of a high ranking Taliban official, the news team
reviewed who the Taliban were and why it was a significant news event.
Not only does CNN Student News review past situations, but they also develop discussion and comprehension questions for further use within the classroom. This provides instant feedback for the teacher as to the students complete understanding of the news report. There are also interactive maps, assignments, and other resources for teachers to use within the website. Overall, it is definitely worth the visit to check it out!
