Digital Tool 3 - Websites Reflection

To view my website, click here.

Most schools these days have their own websites where students can access anything from homework, criteria sheets for assessment and loads more class materials.

This week, we were to create a website and see what purposes it could have in our learning areas.

Creating the website through Weebly seemed easy enough. All the designs and extras were easy to add.

Compared to blogs and wikis, websites don't allow for much interaction or inappropriate editing. They are simply there to host information for students to access. The scaffolding of these websites needs to be efficient enough for students to access their materials and be engaged in the content with ease.

In my learning area (business studies), much of the content is accessed online. Therefore my website would simply assemble certain materials students may not be able to access elsewhere. These materials could include:

• The discourse used in Business (Terms and Definitions, how to speak, etiquette in the boardroom)
• Instructions to make certain documents using Microsoft Word or Publisher
• Links to examples of business types (partnerships, sole traders, private, public and government)
• embedded devices such as YouTube videos on OH&S, marketing, international business etc.

I've added a PMI table below to reveal some o the positives, negatives and implications of using websites in the classroom.

Plus	Minus	Implications/Interesting
·      Any type of media devices can be added ·      Students may have quick access to other websites ·      24 hour access ·      Encourage self-learning ·      Entirely controlled by the one creator ·      Parents can monitor the students learning content ·      Unlimited amount of information (outsourced or not)	·      Anyone can access it ·      Can’t see who has accessed it ·      Internet security (Hackers) ·      Can become monotonous	·      Not a new concept to schools

Any more ideas?? feel free to comment.