Why would I POSSIBLY want a Website?

1. Why would I POSSIBLY want a Website? Questions that Block Students might be asking themselves.

2. The Proof is in the PuddingFall 2000, ELED 420

3. Jennifer McNees "Even though doing my website gave me fits I think that it was one of the biggest learning experiences that I experienced all semester.  I have to admit that I thought that it was going to be a breeze, but it took some more thought.  I think that through the experience of trying to get my website up I was able to improve my computer skills and better understand how the Internet works.  I think that this will definitely help later on in the future as I work with students and computers and hopefully produce class websites each year."  Jennifer McNees

4. Misty Hymel The Internet is such a fast growing era that has now touched each person in one way or another.  I enjoyed learning more about the web by learning hands-on and creating my own website.  I think it is something that is fun for those who are creative but also something that anyone can do.  It is definitely something that I will update and show to many people. Misty Hymel

5. Update on Misty Hymel, April 21 6 months later (after student teaching experience): I have added my website to my resume and job applications.  I feel that this experience will be very helpful in the importance of proving I know about technology.  I know many employers are wanting teachers that know how to teach the next generation of workers.  I also have benefited from using my favorite website page.  When I am looking for an idea I just click on my website and go to some websites on that page. I was able to revise and update my website over Christmas but have not had much time to work on it during student teaching except for updating my resume. I plan on working on mine over the summer and adding to my experiences.  I want this to be updated not only for professional reasons but to share with friends and family about what is happening in my life.

6. Melanie Coffey I did enjoy putting together my website.  I thought that it was a great experience.  When you first mentioned that we were going to be creating our own websites, I have to admit I felt a little overwhelmed.  I am glad to have competed My Web Page.  My website is very basic, but through this experience I have gained confidence that I can do this.  In the future I may try to have a website for my classroom.  I think that it is important that we as teachers have a basic knowledge about how to use technology to our advantage. Melanie Coffey

7. Sarah Hess

8. Creating this website was quite possibly one of the hardest and most frustrating things I accomplished this semester, but it's also one of the projects I'm most proud of.  For somebody who had virtually no knowledge of the Internet and how it worked (beyond just basic surfing and email), that I put this together says that just about anybody can do it!I really found this website to be a great tool for the classroom, as during my field experience I taught a lesson using the Internet.  At the end of the lesson, we had about 10 extra minutes, so I asked my teacher if we could look at my personal webpage.  She loved the idea and my students really were impressed that I had my own webpage -- some of them even emailed me to say hi! Even though the semester has ended, I still plan on keeping this webpage up -- adding more features and expanding it.  It was too much fun to shelve at the end of the semester like so many other things. Sarah C. Hess

9. Janean Dunkelberger I honestly think that learning to make a website in college is a WONDERFUL idea! I loved making mine and I will definitely keep it up in the future. What a great way to show future principals what we are capable of doing! I think that as teachers, we should definitely keep up with the technology today, and the only way to do that is to learn what is possible. I would've NEVER been able to put one together if it hadn't been for Mrs. Petty and Eled 420. I actually got a little carried away with it, because I enjoyed it so much. I hope everyone is able to get as much out of the assignment as I did!

10. Matt Adamson

11. Having a web site in this day and age is VERY important.  Its an online resume.  It tells people about you.  Part of being a professional is selling yourself.  In a day with technological advances all around us it helps to at least LOOK like you know what your talking about.  Why not learn web pages?  How could you not?  Can you think of ANY reason that a web page is a bad idea? No you cannot.  To say the web is a bad thing is to say progress is a bad thing.  And if progress is bad and you cannot stand to learn anything else.....why do you want to be a teacher?  Better yet PLEASE don't be a teacher.  And if you decide to be a teacher anyway with that crazy attitude just let me know where you get a job so that I can make sure my kids do not go there. Web sites are a pain to maintain.  People that frequent sites don't want to see the same sight for 6 months much less 6 years.  So you have to change it. Update it.  Make it current after all aren't you current? So alas enjoy and just do it.  Ms. Petty is gonna rake you over the coals if you don't and its not really that hard.  I taught myself.  They make books for techno dummies.  Learn it, love it, live it. Matt Adamson

12. Stephanie Zirnheld Creating my website may have been one of the most valuable things I learned how to do this semester.  Though it was hard and took a lot of time, it will sound fantastic when I tell my employer that he/she can refer to my own website for Philosophy of Education, Resume, etc.  Stephanie Zirnheld

13. Update on Stephanie Zirnheld, April 21 6 months later (after student teaching experience):  I have not used my website just yet because there are some errors that need to be fixed, however since I have began my student teaching I see how useful having a classroom website is.  There are many parents who check our classroom website everyday.  They look for homework information, educational websites, school news, work samples, and pictures of students participating in classroom activities.  It is an excellent way to communicate with the teacher too.  This not only helps communication between the teacher, student, parent, and school, it also gets parents involved, which is one of the mot important things.

14. Mandy Shemwell I just wanted to say that about my website, at the time of the assignment I really didn't know why I would need a website.  But I must admit that after the whole process was over, I felt a real sense of accomplishment and I wanted everyone to see it.  No, I did not think that mine was the most professional website I had ever seen, not even the most professional in my class, but I did it. I had a little help getting everything on a webpage to be uploaded,  but overall I completed it and that made me feel good.  The experience was truly great!  With all the other things going on at the time it was quite frustrating, but when you are finished and you can log on to your own website, that feeling is pretty cool.  Plus you send your web address to all your friends and say "look what I did"!  I liked it, I hope to make a few changes to mine and maybe even learn more about building it.  Thanks for the experience! and the knowledge! (I'm no expert, but I have a web page!) Mandy

15. Julie Lowe

16. When you told us that we were going to make our own web sites, I was very excited.  I love computers and learning new things to do on them.  However, I didn't know the first thing about making a web site.  I started working on it one day in the computer lab on campus.  Before I knew it, I had spent like 3 hours in the lab just working on my site.  I found myself finding more neat things to add to my site all of the time.  It almost became addicting if that's possible.  I am so glad that I was required to create my own web site.  First of all, it was fun to do.  Secondly, it will look awesome on a professional resume.  Third, I am so glad that I know how to make a web site so I can have one for my own class.  Honestly, this was one of the most beneficial assignments that I completed this semester both to me and my future.  Even thought it took some time to complete, I had a blast doing it!! Julie Lowe

17. Update on Julie Lowe, April 21 6 months later (after student teaching experience): I think my website looks a lot different now that when I made it for BLOCK.  I used it quite a bit in student teaching.  I added several links for the kids in my 3rd grade class.  When we went to the computer lab, if they were finished with their portfolio pieces or whatever the assignment was, they were allowed to go to the links on my website.  (http://julielowe.users5.50megs.com/LINKS.htm).Also, we read about the oil spill in the Galapagos Islands in one issue of Time Magazine for Kids.  I thought it would be more meaningful for the kids if they could see pictures of animals that had been affected by the oil spill rather than just reading about it.  I created a page showing the unique habitat of the Isles.  My kids absolutely loved it.  The link is: http://julielowe.users5.50megs.com/GALAPAGOSISLANDS.htm.I also have a page of my resume and my philosophy of education for school districts to view.  I have included my web site on every resume and application that I have sent out.  I am in the process of finishing up a web site that I have made for my supervising teacher.  It includes these pages:  Meet the Teacher, Homework, Class Photos, and various links.  It would already be on the web if the disc had not of mysteriously disappeared!!!My website:http://julielowe.users5.50megs.com/I didn't realize it at the time as much, but this was without a doubt the most beneficial project we did in BLOCK.  I will have a web site for my own classroom when I get a job.  Thanks to Mrs. Petty for answering web site questions at all hours of the day and night.  I couldn't have done it without your help!!!!Julie Lowe

18. Karen Day Anyway, as far as the web site was concerned, I learned so much aboutcreating one and look forward to creating one with my students next year.  I think it is something that is important for a teacher to know in this day and age.  It will help my students to express themselves through writing and selecting graphics and pictures.  I plan to teach them some photography, sothey will be able to use their photos on the web site.  The only frustrating thing I encountered with creating my web site was publishing.  Since I have Microsoft Explorer, we had to use a publishing software to create and publish my web site.  It was definitely a learning experience when I attempted to publish it on various web sites that offer free web space.  I was excited to finally see it up and running! Karen Day

19. Update on Karen Day, April 21, 2001 6 months later (after student teaching experience) I have sent my web address to the Career Services on campus and to the R.E.A.P. as I applied on-line.  I haven't used it in any other context this semester. I did use it with my second graders while they were in Computer Lab.  I have just updated the information on my home page, letting all who read it know that I was student teaching instead of going to class.    I plan to create my site as my classroom site no matter what age I am teaching.  If I am with the older students, I will teach them how to make their own web sites and how to maintain them. 

20. Calvin Brooks • I enjoyed doing the web page it was a great learning experience, but I noticed that computers are like women, every time you think you have figured them out something new pops up!" Calvin Brooks

21. Sarah Coomer, April 21, 20016 months later (after student teaching experience) I just wanted to let you know that I have updated mywebsite and have even added pictures and informationabout my student teaching.  I have used my websiteaddress on every resume that I have turned in and Ihope to update it periodically.  It was an extremelyhelpful assignment, that will help me to create aclassroom website in my future! 

22. Kate Miladin, April 21, 2001 6 months later (after student teaching experience) Website- I really haven't used mine much.  I have told districts at my interviews that I do have one and I know how to make one and that I would like to incorporate one in my classroom.  I have actually worked with a teacher on her class' website this semester. 

23. Daniel Griggs, April 21, 2001 6 months later (after student teaching experience) 1.  I have placed my website address on my professional resume.  I thought that website construction was such a good thing that it is a "selling point" to possible employers.       2)  Unfortunately, student teaching has kept me so busy that I have not had time to work on my website.  However, this summer I am planning a major overhaul on it.  Finding out where I will be teaching next year will be an important ingredient to how my website will look and the information that it will contain.       3)  Personally, I am planning to use my website as a tool for showing parents, colleagues, and other interested people what is going on in my classroom.  Pictures of students and happenings in the classroom will help children to feel pride in their classroom while also learning about technology.           Currently, I am helping my mom write a grant to obtain a digital camera for her classroom.  If her grant is successful, this camera will be used to help her create her own classroom website

24. Julie Bauer, April 21, 2001 6 months later (after student teaching experience) Yes i have used my webpage since last fall.  I have updated my links page several times.  My cooperating teacher bookmarked it on her computer.  I use the links page when planning lessons all of the time.  This is because I have the KDE site linked, lesson ideas linked and so forth.  In one particular lesson i created a page with penguin pictures to teach a lesson and the students could come and look at all the different types of penguins.  In the future i would love to continue to update it, the problem is that it is very very addicting and i do not have the time to be on the computer all day.  I love playing around with it and was happy to be able to put it on my REAP application when applying for job. 

25. Adam Rogers, April 21, 2001 6 months later (after student teaching experience) I have had great success with my website. I have received emails upon emails regard what a neat site it is and I owe it all to your inspiration. I have used my site extensively. That is one of the things my university supervisor raved about in my portfolio. http://www2.wku.edu/~rogerap1

26. Danielle Davidson, April 21, 2001 6 months later (after student teaching experience) I have certainly been putting my web address on all of my resumes.  I feel that it will show that I am learning about the new and upcoming technology, or at least trying to keep up.  I think it looks very professional to have your own web page.  I appreciate you helping us to conquer this.  It was tough and time consuming, but well worth it. My supervising teachers have been impressed to know that I have a web page of my own.  They are going to have to design one and are amazed that I already have one.  I have not added anything because I haven't had time, but even if I did, I don't know if I could figure out how to do it again or not:) I will probably try to update it every so often if I can get some assistance in doing so.