e-help Seminar 8 Maintaining your own website, is it worthwhile?
Toulouse 17-19 February 2005
1994:
Sintermeertencollege
was awarded
the title
“Computerschool”
of the year
• 30
computers:
but what to
do with
them?
•
Computers
being used
as
typewriters
•Full
potential of
the WWW not
fully
understood
•Students
as a driving
force behind
changes
The
Unesco Time-project
kicks off
changes
(1995). The
Time-project
included
(and
includes)
• WWW
•
Videoconferencing
• E-mail
• Chat
> After
the
Time-project
our
schoolmanagment
decides to
build a website
(1995)
Butafter a
while the
site proved
to be too
static:
Most
information
is behind a login
Problems I have with the school’s
website:
ICT?
Technology: yes but:
It is a STATIC website, limited Information only
Communication only per e-mail
No learning environment
No interactivity possible
No nested websites
No quizzes
No forum
• I can manage other webbased projects I’ve been doing over the last
couple of years: I don’t have to rely on a webmaster of some
kind
• I’m able to add little tasks to the curriculum: offering extra
information tot students, offering them on-line help.
• I manage a students forum. Part of it is moderated by students
themselves
• The homepage keeps you up-to-date with historical or schoolevents.
One of the websites is an e-learning environment: it's a database driven
website, comining local history with an attractive taylormade e-learning
environment:Industrial
Heritage
• It’s about local history
• Resources available to students
• Content can be managed by the teacher
• Students go step-by-step through their research
• Students put their presentations on-line Special feature:
• The teacher logs the progress of the student
However there are problems in maintaining your own website: Obstacles:
– Organizational:
Maintaining is a 1 man job
History Department collegues must share information and
educational materials
Schoolmanagment is not happy with this extra website
– Technical: Teach yourself in using Dreamweaver/
Fireworks and Photoshop
– Educational:
Computers are not always available: I’ve got to book a
computerroom
– ICT-projects sometimes become homework
History Department collegues stick to books
Not all students are computer-literate
Only 2 Departments write ICT materials: History and ICT
But there are solutions:
Have a plan, a structure for what you have in mind
– Put it in your school’s curriculum (the best way to get support)
Get backup from the managment/ board of directors
Work in a team!
– Don’t do it on your own!
– Get involved in the ICT-plan of your school
– Good practice convinces lots of collegues
– Ask students!
A good Content Managment System gives shared responsibilities
Work with E-Help!
Maintaining your own website
Is it worthwhile?
Yes,
Because changes are inevitable!
The future classroom could be everywhere and at any time
So maintaining your own website:
helps students
motivates students
gives you the opportunity to create your own curriculum
makes teaching up-to-date
