Competencies for
Creating Classroom Websites

Here is a link to the University of Colorado at Denver, ILT Competencies

Creating Classroom Websites Report

Competencies:

Reflective Practice

1. Take a systems view

When beginning this long-term project, some of the factors that had to be considered were the teachers' and principal's attitudes, concerns for time teachers would be able to devote to developing and how effective the sites would be in achieving the goal of improved communication for families. The creation of sites by enough teachers could also create pressure on others to spend the time and effort to create their own sites, adding to their already busy day. Keeping the time committment to a minimum became a priority for accomodating already busy schedules. Training was provided after requests from teachers who wanted help. The project was affected by prevailing attitudes and work schedules of the teachers which is often determined by other factors which take priority over the creation a classroom website.

2. Use cycles of reasoning as tools for problem solving (with documentation for accountability and shared reasoning)

Data was obtained from the existing "Welcoming Environment" survey currently being used annually to find out the respondents attitudes toward the existing Shelton school website. Another more specific survey was created to find out what features of a website parents might use and to create a baseline of parent attitudes and website usage for future considerations. (see appendix B of the report.)

3. Promote collaboration, partnerships, and relationships for full inclusion with stakeholders, clients, subject matter experts, team members, etc.

The creation of websites by teachers is voluntary and was done in a collaborative way. Examples and help were

4. Be a lifelong learner and professional

The project is an ongoing endeavor which will only end if all teachers decide they will no longer work on their websites or if they become so proficient that they no longer need any help. I will remain ready to help whenever I am needed or to facilitate sessions for sharing between the staff members if they decide they want to. This would mean that I would have to be proficient and keep up with any changes if I am to continue to help others.

Some other online activities are listed in the Reflection and next steps section of the report. Here is a wikipage for the Shelton staff: sheltonel.wikispaces.com/

A blog for my fourth grade class that is attached to the classroom website: shelton4s.learnerblogs.org/

An example of an easy to use podcasting site at voicethread.com/share/25478/

Planning and Analysis

5. Conduct a needs assessment for learning or performance interventions

A needs assessment was conducted using the "Welcoming Environment" school survey, emails and interviews with the staff, and an investigation of the available SchoolCenter software and the availability of school district training.

6. Conduct a learning or instructional analysis

A goal of improving student achievement by improving communication with families will be hard to analyze. One indication of the success of the project can be based on the number of websites created and now will also depend on how many are maintained. Website usage can also be monitored using software to count the number of page views and other data kept by the SchoolCenter software.

Design and Development

8. Apply various theories/strategies and current research, and consider local needs and constraints to design activities and experiences for learning (with documentation)

The learners were adults and so the theories for adult learners applied. Especially the factor of the dedication of the learner, since the follow-up training was done at the learners request. One of the goals of the project was also to avoid the learner from becoming discouraged, since the participation was voluntary. One major consideration was the amount of time that might be required, so small groups were used to be efficient in the use of time and to address the individual nature of the websites being produced. Individual schedules and available equipment also indicated that the use of small groups in various classrooms was the most effective way to approach the training.

9. Design learning and performance products and resources that reflect an understanding of the diversity of learners and groups of learners

The learners were a homogeneous group in most ways, but came with large variety of skills and each learner had different priorties about what their website should have as a priority. Because the available materials were too complex, I created a written document that could be used at the learner's own pace and provided small group and individual sessions. Small groups provided a chance for collaboration between those teachers that wanted to support eachother and individuals were free to create what they wanted on their own.

Evaluation and Assessment

11. Evaluate effectiveness of programs, products, or practices

I plan on examining the website portions of the "Welcoming Environment" survey next year and to ask teachers to hand out the classroom surveys again before the end of this school year. The indicators of website use in my classroom include the website counter and statistics stored by the SchoolCenter software, number of emails received from the site, the number of comments on the blog attached to the site, and comments from parents.

12. Assess student/participant learning

This learning task produces a product which lends itself to analysis. I could easily see if links were working, if the site was organized, and design elements were followed. Discussions with the participants and email also exposed areas that might need to be addressed.

13. Utilize research methods to investigate a learning or performance problem, issue, or trend

I created a simple survey to find out if parents were using the Shelton school website and what they were using it for. It also asked parents what they would like to have available and whether they would use a classroom website and what they would like to see there.

Implementation and Change

14. Applying theories of diffusion, adoption, and change to a local problem, develop a change strategy

One of my main concerns for this endeavor is to reduce the level of stress by being available to help with the many pitfalls of the software and reduce the amount of time it takes to accomplish a task. The creation of the websites is completely voluntary, so the activity will be influenced by the actions of colleagues, parent comments, and perceptions of the teachers. If it reaches a tipping point of being perceived to be a common practice by the majority of the staff, some teachers will probably be more inclined to participate. If grade level teachers decide to incorporate their grade level classroom policies, homework, activities, pictures, or newsletters online, then the website could become a grade level activity.

15. Participate in an implementation process or change strategy

This was not a compulsory activity, but it did result in a change in the attitudes and actions of teachers and the creation of classroom websites. Using email and interviews a strategy of small group and individual instruction seemed to be the most time efficient, least threatening, and convenient for the teachers, especially those that are not familiar with technology,

Management

16. Employing effective strategies (e.g., team leadership, collaboration, accountability)

The project was more successful because of collaborating with small groups of grade level teachers or teachers who were already collaborating on other projects or were simply good friends. By being available, I was able to reduce any anxiety that may have prevented teachers from trying out the software.

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Contact Stan Sameshima at stans67@gmail.com. Last updated on April 20, 2008 .