The purpose of this website is to provide multiple resources and best practices for High School English Language Arts teachers, specifically regarding integrating technology in meangingful and productive ways. As a high school English teacher myself, I know it can be a challenge to discover or invent interesting and purposeful ways to utilize technology in an English classroom, beyond writing and reasearching essays. My website will provide teachers with standards-based ideas and practices that teachers can use in the classroom right away.
Audience:
The target audience of this group is High School English teachers, however many of the instructional practices, projects, and strategies included in this website can be modified and adapted to fit the needs of middle school and even elementary school classrooms. Also, the activities presented can be used with a variety of learning styles and acadmemic abilities, including but not limited to special education students, average students, and advanced students. Most importantly, the information and strategies included in this website are not only for the "tech-savvy" teachers, but also for the teachers who may feel technologically-challenged.
Needs Assessment:
I interviewed five fellow English teachers at my school; all who vary their use of technology in the classroom. After asking them the same four questions, the following are the questions and the overall synopsis of their responses:
What is your perspective when it comes to technology in the classroom?
Two teachers responded that they feel technology can be very effective in engaging students in the classroom when used correctly, but they admitted to not really knowing how to use it all that effectively. Two other teachers felt that technology in an English classroom is really limited to typing and researching for essays, especially since ELA teachers are already over-whelmed with having to teach such a large variety of standards. Lastly, one teacher feels that technology is nothing more than a distraction in the classroom and really doesn't have much of a place in an academic setting, especially when it comes to teaching English.
How do you currently utilize technology in the classroom?
Most teachers currently only have their students use technology to research for essays, and then they use the same technology to type the essays. Two out of the five teachers surveyed said they have their students submit work online from time to time, using websites such as Google Classroom or Google Docs; however, beyond these few instances, all the interviewed teachers rarely utilize technology in any other method to supplement their curriculum.
What are your biggest struggles when incorporating technology in the classroom?
All five interviewed teachers emphatically stated that their biggest struggles were thinking of meaningful ways to use technology in the classroom in new and innovative ways, as well as making sure students stayed on task while being given the technology devices to use in the classroom.
What would you like to have included in my website regarding ELA and technology?
Three out of five teachers said they would like to have practical projects, activities, and concrete ideas they can read and apply in their classrooms right away. The other two teachers said they would like to learn more about ways in which technology can enhance students' learning from a more global/holistic perspective.
Reference Websites:
For an avoid layout, this website (although I do find it visually pleasing) has a vertical layout and one that is not very intuitive, and serves as an example of an avoid layout.
For a navigation example, this website provides a clean and easy to follow navigation structure. Overall, this website is a good example of navigation.
For a layout example, this website provides a nice example of a visually appealing layout. One of the characteristics that I like the most about it are the numerous mictures and videos included. This is a good example of a layout.
For an avoid color scheme example, this website has a color scheme that is too bright for the headings (h1). This website provides a good example of a color scheme to avoid.
For an avoid layout example, this website provides an example of a layout to avoid because the content is not presented in an intuitive manner, and the links are not given much context whatsoever. Overall, this website provides an example of a layout to avoid.
Content:
After interviewing my fellow English teachers, I have chosen to include the following content pages:
Why Use Technology?: Research explaining the ways in which technology helps to support learning in the classroom.
Best Practices: Successful "tips and hints" as to how teacher integrate technology into their classroom effectively.
Resources: Unit plans, activites, and ideas that teachers can implement into their classroom immediately.
Challenge You & Your Students: Innovative ideas that may be considered for the more technologically advanced or daring teacher.
Presentation of Information/Rationale for Organization:
The purpose of this website is to address the common concerns and issues raised by ELA teachers about effectively using technology. Each subsequent page will focus on a specific concern and provide useful information for teachers to utilize in the classroom or to consider in their instructional strategies. Being that a chief concern raised by teachers is that they don't have much time to spend learning new programs or software, I believe my website would benefit from including as many videos and visuals as possible. The hope is that teachers will be able to access and digest the information quickly and easily. As a result, my presentation of the information will include the following:
The home page
It will be laid out in a column format.
It will clearly target my audience.
It will have have links to all my supplement pages clearly visible, using a vertical navigation to the left of the page.
It will also have a welcome message that clearly states my mission and statement of purpose.
Lastly, it will include my contact and authenticity information.
The supplementary pages
These pages will contain videos and images to illustrate content.
These pages will not contain information more than three screen lengths.
These pages will all have the same vertical navigation on the left of each page.
In order to maintain a uniform and clean look and feel throughout my entire website, my home page and all subsequent pages will include the following:
The same color scheme throughout the entire website.
A clear and descriptive heading, including an appropriate banner and a logo.
Consistent heading and navigation heading.
Contact information and authenticity information at the bottom of each page in the footer section.
The following details the content of the supplementary pages:
Why Use Technology? Page:
This page will be divided into two sections: one section will have videos of TED talks from educators, such as Donald Clark, regarding their research and experience with teaching and technology use in the classroom.
The other section will include links and samples of written research and websites to published information regarding the efficacy of technology in the classroom.
Best Practices Page:
This page will have a list of instructional strategies and ideas for teachers to use in the classroom (not to be confused with actual lesson ideas and unit plans).
This page will be divided into two sections: Reading and Writing.
For both sections, there will be links to videos, websites, PDF's, etc. to lesson plans, acitivities, and unit plans that all utilize technology in meaningful and productive ways.
Challenge You and Your Students Page:
This page will begin with a large graphic showcasing students engaged in working with computers.
The rest of the page would briefly describe technology initiatives considered a little "outside of the box", such as Google's 20% time.
Media:
I plan on utilizing several images and videos found on the Internet, and giving appropriate credit by citing sources within the body of my text by specific name when possible and/or linking directly to external websites, or creating a citaion in the footer of the specific page they are located. When it comes to images, I will only search for images that are specifically labeled for reuse. As stated earlier, many teachers have spoken to me about the value of their time, and I believe watching a short video or perusing over an image will have greater buy-in when compared to reading lots of text overall.
Color Scheme and Rationale:
I want my webpage to be clean and visually appealing, and there really aren't any colors especially associated with teaching. However, my current school colors black and gold. So, in honor of my school, I would like to highlight the colors black and gold. My overall background will be white, but my banner will be gold and my text will be black. Other colors I will use to compliment my black and gold colors will be burgandy and royal blue, but these colors will be used sparingly and mainly for accent.
gold
burgandy
royal blue
Outline of Website Organization:
The following is an outline of the possible organiztion regarding content and information for my website:
Home Page (Main Page):
Banner Logo
Welcome Message
Mission Statement
Vertical Novigation, including a column with links to the other four pages of my site
A large graphic illustrating and supporting my purpose
A footer with my contact information as well as when my site was created
Why Use Technology? Page:
Banner Logo
Vertical Novigation, including a column with links to the other four pages of my site
A table to separate my two types of content
Several TED talk videos or hyperlinks to TED Talk videos concerning the changes in education and the classroom regarding technology, such as:
Several snippets and paragraphs quoted, as well as the full text hyperlinked, regarding print research about the changes in education made due to increase in tecnology, such as
A footer with my contact information as well as when my site was created
Best Practices Page:
Banner Logo
Vertical Novigation, including a column with links to the other four pages of my site
Several videos showcasing teachers utilizing technology in effective manners, not necessarily in specific lessons, reflecting on their use of technology and how they are able to successfully incorporate technology in the classroom, such as:
A footer with my contact information as well as when my site was created
Resources Page:
Banner Logo
Vertical Novigation, including a column with links to the other four pages of my site
This page will have a table to divide my content into two sections: reading and writing
Both sections will contain several hyperlinks to other websites and/or documents, PDF's, Podcasts, etc. of lesson plans, activities, unit plans, etc. for teachers to use in the classroom, such as:
A footer with my contact information as well as when my site was created
Challenge You And Your Students:
Banner Logo
Vertical Novigation, including a column with links to the other four pages of my site
This page will have a large stimulating graphic centered around students and technology
The main content of the page will focus around projects that teachers may not initally consider, but may want to try after their interest has been piqued, such as:
