Wendy Says

Next, I’m going to revamp my Home page. My goal is to make it “the” place for parents to visit when they have questions about what we’re doing in class. You can check my progress this summer by stopping by to visit my site from time to time.

As you are working on your own site, be sure to visit the Home administration page for tips, a getting started guide, and training videos to help you out!

The Web is a great communication vehicle—but only if the information is up-to-date, informative, and timely. If you have a MyTeacherSite Web site, it’s time to check in.

While some information can stay on your site throughout the school year (such as your class schedule, your biography, and class policies), other information should be changed regularly. How can you find the time in your already busy day to make changes?

First, set up your site so that specific pieces either have their own page or their own section. For example, create a section on your Home page for homework assignments. Using the formatted page options, you can easily add, edit, or delete an assignment. It might take a little playing around with to get it to look just right the first time, but after that it will be a cinch! The same can be done for daily announcements and upcoming events.

Then make a date with yourself. We all create lesson plans and many of us turn them in to our administrators each week. Once you turn in your plans, add the homework assignments to your Web page. Simply click on “Add Assignment” in your MyTeacherSite account and fill in the necessary information. After you’ve saved your changes, be sure to click on the link at the top of the page and visit your site to ensure that the assignment appears the way you intended.

The most important thing is to make sure the information appearing on your site is timely. Most schools link directly to teachers’ Web pages from the staff listings so you never know when a parent, administrator, or community member may check out your site. But it’s not necessary to spend more than just a few minutes each week to keep your site up-to-date, as long as you have a few tricks up your sleeve. Be sure to check back again for more tips on how to have a great teacher site!

Keeping a class Web site is a good way to keep your parents and students informed. But you need to remember that your site is the world’s window to your classroom. Your audience, which includes your administrators, will form opinions about you and your abilities based on your Web site. To ensure the most professional site possible, keep these tips in mind:

• Maintain the site yourself. Many teachers have students maintain the class Web site. While giving students this invaluable experience is tempting, keep in mind that the site reflects upon you. Updating it yourself is the only sure-fire way to prevent any unintentional mistakes.
• Keep it current. Check in with your site at least once a week to remove old content and add new items. Seeing old information will turn your audience away and make them believe your site is not accurate and up-to-date. If your principal requires weekly lesson plans, update your site when you turn them in.
• Review your site each time you update it. It’s not enough to simply make the changes. After changes are made, look at the site again to ensure that it looks how you intended.
• Check your grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Twice.
• Keep it simple. Flashy graphics take away from your message. Keep the graphics to a minimum to avoid distractions.
• Check your links. If you include links to other Web sites, check them frequently to ensure that they are still working, relevant, and appropriate.

If you would like parents and students to use your Web site regularly, it’s important to stay on top of it. Keeping it current, reliable, and easy to read will keep your audience coming back for more.

What do you do to keep your class Web site updated? Please share! Remember, learning is not a spectator sport.