Ten Tips for a Website!

So, you wanna create a website for your classroom?  Here are ten ways to make your website successful, and ways to use the blog to better your class.

(First, things to put onto your website:)

1 - Use your website to provide a virtual tour of your classroom!  Parents love to see what teachers are doing in their classrooms, and you can allow students to do so without having them in your class each day.  Take pictures of your classroom and activities you're working on and post them for parents to see.

2 - Create a Forum Board.  Encourage students and/or parents to talk about issues or ideas from class by writing "question entries" and promote responses and conversation about each question.  You could even do this as a response assignment if you desire.

3 - Develop an Information Board.  Provide information to student and parents about what's going on in your classroom or for current productions/activities you're working on. 

4 - Calendar! Have your classroom or productions (performing arts) calendar posted on your website.

5 - Make your own "pinterest" with pin boards.  Create tables with "pin boards" for students to see what you're currently reading, ideas you have for the class/production, etc.

6 - Curriculum and Unit Plans!  Post things you'll be working on as a class (or within a production), such as modified unit plans, rubrics, assignment materials, etc.  Allow students/parents access to download the rubrics and materials. 

(Second, things to make your life easier while creating your website:)

7 - Put things into tables.  You don't have to solely use tables, but it does help in organizing your ideas and making the site look visually pleasing. 

8 - Make the tables a good size!  Don't make them so big that people have to slide left to right to read all the information.  That's simply annoying and doesn't look as cohesive. 

9 - Be creative.  PLEASE, make it interesting to look at and read.

10 - Build the site from a template to make it easier.  You can find free or cheap templates online that will make it easier to create and often look amazing.

Any other suggestions?  Add below!