A personal goal this summer is to create a friendly website for parents and families and students to provide an overview and an insight into my writing/reading/technology classroom. I have had handouts and I even have an html document that I link off our classroom blog. But it was so darn ugly and just text that I could barely look at it.
So, I am in the process of creating a website that will provide links to handouts and showcase student examples from the past. It’s pretty cool. I’ll write more about how I am doing it at another time and my thoughts on trying to keep a design in mind as I do it.
On the homepage, I want to provide a philosophical rationale for writing and what I believe. I am trying to distill it away from jargon. Here is my first draft and any comments on editing, deleting or adding to it is most appreciated.
Mr. Hodgson believes:
- Writing is an important and critical way for students to learn by processing their ideas into coherent form;
- Writing should be done across various curriculum areas and not taught in isolation;
- Students should write for various audiences, including just for themselves, just for the classroom and sometimes, for the world;
- Technology can be a useful tool for composing various forms of writing and media;
- Writing should be authentic and have meaning for students so that they can make connections between school and the world outside of school;
- Group projects not only draw on the strengths of all students but also allow students to learn to work cooperatively;
- Art elements and the concept of design play a role in the way that young people compose writing and other media;
- Reading quality books and storiesof various genres provide an insight into the writing process and allow students to reflect, connect and utilize critical thinking skills;
- All students can succeed and improve as writers if they are willing to put in the time, creativity and effort.
Peace (in the sharing),
Kevin