Using a Classroom Website

Website design and creation has always been something that I have wanted to learn. I am definitely hoping to create my own classroom webpage when I have my own classroom. If I were to create a webpage for the first grade classroom that I am subbing in right now, it would have a number of important components. I would include a welcome message and a description of the page. It would be simple and direct. I would also include a link to my own personal biography. This would have information about where I went to school and where I grew up, as well as my hobbies and interests outside of school.
I would include an outline of what a typical weekly schedule would look like in the classroom for each day of the week, including the itinerant schedule. A list of the classroom rules that the students came up with as a group at the beginning of the year would be an important addition to the page as well. I would create an announcements section to include any important information about upcoming school or classroom events like concerts or field trips, as well as requests for classroom supplies or parent volunteers. There would be a homework link, which would provide resources for parents about how to help their children with homework. It would also include a list of the homework due for the week. The website would include a section devoted to educational games that were age appropriate, such as Starfall.
There would be a section on the website devoted to each one of the subject areas – math, science, reading, writing, health, social studies. Each section would include a description of what the students are specifically working on for each quarter (reading, writing, and problem solving), and for each unit in math and science. The sections would also have links to websites that can provide further information on the topics, as well as different webquests and related games. A reflection page would be updated every week to explain to parents/guardians what their children have accomplish in each subject area that week (right now this goes home in paper form). I would have a spotlight area that would include student work from the week that demonstrated outstanding effort. I would be sure to get permission before posting any work.
There would be a link for parents to contact me via email, as well as a blog section where they can post suggestions for other parents, comments, etc. This would be carefully monitored for content. A classroom website would be a great source of communication between myself and the parents/guardians. I am very excited to design my own!