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Now that we have explored some wonderful tools to use in your classroom, it's time to think about your hub and map out your plan to create or revise your school website.
 

This page discusses (click to jump to each section):

 

 

Mapping Out Your Hub

Hosting Your Teaching Hub

Below you will see some common website hosting and editing sites used by teachers. All the suggested sites below offer fairly impressive services for teachers at the low cost of FREE. None of these services uses Flash, so there should be no major issues with accessing the websites via Apple products. Many of the tutorials were created by Bob Hanrahan. Be sure to talk to your tech director to discover if there is a preferred server for creating teacher websites.

Googlesites

If you have a google account, you also have a google drive, a YouTube account, AND access to googlesites. Googlesites is a fairly easy website creation tool with simple templates and basic tools. 

 

Here are two examples of googlesites:

- 5th Grade Music History Website

- Woodlawn Band Website

Weebly

Weebly has a very drag and drop interface to create a dynamic and easy to navigate website. You have unlimited pages but you can't use your own domain name/address without paying (though this is probably not really an issue). Weebly is essentially a blog site, but works and looks like a more functional web hub. Take a look here to see what the different plans include.

 

Here are two examples of Weebly sites:

- Interactive Sites for Education

Hillside Music

 

 

 

Wix

Wix is one of the more visually pleasing (in my opinion) website creation services. It has many of the same features as the other services, but I personally find the website more interactive and professional looking. 

 

Here are two examples of Wix sites:

- The Blair Finch Project

- Mrs. Mungin's Musical Dungeon

 

 

Wikispaces

I like to think of Wikispaces as a punk hybrid between html coding and graphic interface. You can create amazingly complex websites, collaborate with others, and share with the world. You have limited template choices, so many look the same, but it has the nice comfortable feel of a wiki. It can be wonky, but it can also be beautiful. 

 

Here are two examples of Wikispaces:

My old (defunct) classroom website

- Teach with Your iPad

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WordPress

WordPress, like Weebly, is essentially a blog website. However, it can be adapted to create a vibrant school web hub. The tutorial to the left was created by Emmett O'Leary to specifically show the ASU undergraduates how to set up their tutorial, but it is one of the shorter videos I have found on using Wordpress.

 

Here are two examples of Wordpress sites:

My website

- Mr. Larsen's Music Class

Creating Your Hub

When you are creating a hub for your teaching and for the students you are working with, there are some things to consider before you plan it out:

 

  • What do you need? 

    • ​How many pages (one for each grade, class, ensemble)? 

    • What tools will you use?

    • What about a place for forms, calendars, or announcements?
       

  • How will you use it? 

    • Teaching from the Hub. Will you create pages to teach from that you access?

    • Will you use the site for centers or lessons?

    • If you make your hub something that you will use with your students everyday, then they will flock to it.
       

  • How will others use it? 

    • What functionality will students need?

    • What about parents (calendars, twitter, etc.)?

    • What about community outreach?
       

  • How will it be organized?

    • ​What is the basic layout?

    • How will each page or section be organized and linked?

    • What tools will be connected to each page?

 

I've found it highly useful to sketch out a plan for each website I create. Here is an example hub layout that makes use of day-to-day functionality and that would be useful to teach directly from. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, you can click here for MindMup (a Google, collaborative mindmapping app) or here for Mindmeister (another collaborative mindmapping app) to start sketching out your own hub. Also, these two tools can be useful for your students to organize their ideas in class. 

Using QRs

As you begin to map things out, it is useful to consider QR codes and what they can do for you. QR codes are those strange little boxy, barcode looking things. They are basically images that act as live links to webpages. Using a handheld device with a QR scan app, someone can scan the QR code and immediately be directed to the linked page. For instance, my business cards have a QR that directs people to my website (no need to put in the longer url address). QRs can be posted around your classroom so that students can quickly access the content on your hub. Consider the following uses:

  • QRs posted near classroom instruments link to tutorials on how to play the instruments.

  • QRs added to sheet music allow students to hear the music and/or access other important information.

  • QRs on your programs to let parents connect directly to your website.

  • QRs posted in centers to direct students to the center directions, materials, etc.

  • QRs to help students self-select differentiated or adapted materials. 

  • QRs posted on notes home to share student work.

  • QRs attached to storybooks that connect to student-created soundscapes. 

 

To create QR codes, go to one of the following website. 

Also, consider looking into the great QR work of Abigail Blair and her partner in crime, Kathryn Finch, here. 

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