http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=479

“Options for Building a Website and Why You Should”   by Cyndi Danner-Kuhn

This 20 minute video presentation is great and does the following:

1.  Tells why teachers should have a classroom website.

2.  Gives six free website makers that a teacher can use to create their own websites for their classrooms.

3.  For each of the free online website creators there are teacher examples which really helps to see an actual site to get ideas.

4.  Explains items and pages that might be included and explains the pros and cons of each website creator.

I really enjoyed seeing all the available website creators.  I do have my own classroom website, but I am always looking for good ways to encourage the teachers at our school to make and maintain classroom websites.  Cyndi does that for me and suggests ways to make it easy and less time consuming.  I will definitely be going to use this video to suggest that our teachers get more involved in creating their websites as a tool of communication and even as an online portfolio for their own resources and files.  I love the online professional learning option because I can sit in the comfort of my home in my pjs and learn something new that will help me be a better educator.  Even if you have your own classroom website, I would encourage everyone to take a look at the other choices of web creators out there and some can be used free with kids, too.