Teacher Web Project Critique

The incorporation of a class website in the classroom impacts many aspects of student learning, student engagement, and communication with students and parents.

Student Learning: Having a class website exposes students to using a computer and the internet. Through the class website, the teacher can assign homework that has to be completed and turned in, which enforces skills in content and computer skills. A website is also beneficial to the student’s learning because it can be a tool to test what they have learned in the classroom before completing a traditional assessment in the classroom setting. Through quizzes and reflections, students can take test and get their result immediately. Student learning is benefitted by incorporating a class website.

Student Engagement: A class website has the potential of increasing student engagement. The idea of having a place online that is specifically for your classroom will excite the students. This excitement will increase their visits to the website and their participation in activities on the website. As a teacher, you can take advantage of this and offer many activities that will help the students with particular skills and techniques. These skills will help students in the classroom and allow for class discussions.

Communication with Students and Parents: A class website will increase communication with both students and parents. The website will give everyone a place to look for information before contacting the teacher directly. Information such as homework assignments, announcements, contact information, and common questions can all be provided through the class website. This website will also provide a place for students to ask questions of their teacher and peers and of parents to ask questions of the teacher. A class website ensures constant communication for all parties involved.

A class website has many advantages and disadvantages when incorporating it into your teaching activities.

Advantages: One advantage of using a class website with teaching activities is students can share the activity and their part in it with their parents and family at home. Parents are always interested in how their children are doing in school and what they are working on and this is a way of sharing that with them. Another advantage of using a class website is students are gaining knowledge in technology and in content areas. It is important for children to be exposed to technology, computers, and the internet and this is a way to ensure they are familiar with these tools.

Disadvantages: One disadvantage to using a class website with teaching activities is that not all children have access to a computer at home. If you are requiring students to work on a computer or access the internet outside of school, it may not be possible for all students. Another disadvantage of a class website is that not all parents are computer literate. If a child is working on a project on the internet or on the class website and encounters a problem, the parent may not be able to help their child.