I have visited numerous school elementary school websites. I have found some excellent ones and some I don't care for as much. My favorite websites were clean, clear, colorful, attractive, simple in style, and easy to use. I don't care for a website that is busy, has lengthy lists, or too cutesy. I want to be able to locate the information I need quickly (if I were a regular user) and not have to work so hard for it. I am not as interested in the name of the media specialist or the media center hours as I am in locating information (were I a student or parent).
Some websites were very user friendly. They had each grade level listed with links attached in all the curriculum areas. Some had working links, some did not. It's important that the web master frequently check the links to determine if they still work. Several websites had links to the local public library which I thought was a great idea.
Some of the terrific items listed on websites were:
*student and teacher book reviews
*links to Newbery and Caldecott winning books
*links to state book award winning books
*links to school OPAC
*lists of recommended books
*a separate area for parents
*a separate area for teachers
*information on how to use the internet, including, "what does .org mean? .edu? .com?"
*information on how to do research, how to cite sources, how to write
a bibliography
*book care tips-see http://www.frsd.k12.nj.us/barleylibrary/lib/bkhap.htm
It is clear that with a little research before creating a website one can determine how to make an attractive site and things to avoid.
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3 comments:
Tami,
I also believe that websites should be user friendly and up to date. It is frustrating to click on a link and find a blank screen. I also believe that the website should be valuable. There is nothing worse than going to the media center website and find no information posted there at all. The website should be a place where staff members could find important school events with dates, or information that pertains to the curriculum. I believe that as a media specialist we will have to take the initiative to maintain a website. Many of us have not been taught how to build or maintain a website so we would have to learn exactly what is needed.
Too cutesy is something that I feel also diminishes a website’s professionalism. It is okay to have a theme and a unified look, but educational sites do not have to be cutesy and cluttered with random clipart. Many educators make a website the same way they make a bulletin board, and the website just looks cluttered. These types of sites make it seem as though we are behind the trends and time with what is current on the internet.
I never thought about how a website designed to introduce a media center is useless or irritating for a teacher that needs the resources quickly. It would be a good idea for a media specialist to have two separate pages. One could be a basic webpage for parents and others who need basic and introductory information. The second page could be a wiki that teachers could add to and use for resources and ideas. Teachers would have no need to visit the other page and could access just what they needed. This would be more work, but the media specialist could designate helpers to manage the wiki, while he or she ran the main page. It is vital that both sites need to be kept neat and loaded with organized relevant information.
Tami, thank you for giving me more ideas that should be included in a school media's web site. I especially like the idea of adding a link to the local library. Some of the other ideas that will certainly be used are links to book reviews, award winning books, links to the school's OPAC, and recommended reading for students. What a great idea to add a section for "How to", that is something we all need from time to time. How would you use a section for teachers and parents? And, who would be responsible for the up-keep of the web page?- parent volunteers- maybe!!
Dorina
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