February Meeting Minutes - School Websites

February RASL Meeting Minutes

Speaker - - Lisa Manganello (South Brunswick High School)

• Official school page
• Everything filtered through webmaster
• Consider limits
• Static presence, not meant to be updated daily.
• Staff/Procedures
• Databases (school has tremendous funding, great selection)

• Make wiki for library (for free!)
• Lisa’s is on wikispaces
• Class projects
• Senior health project
• Include project hand-outs, supplements, requirements
• Collaborating teachers can also contribute
• Databases, video streaming
• “Book Looks” - book recommendations archived on wiki pages
• Peer picks gets students writing. There is a contest every marking period - - if students write a review they are added to a drawing for a Barnes and Noble gift card.
• Resources for new teachers, hand-outs, powerpoints

• Learn everything about district technology programs and come up with your own resources - - will let others know you have something to contribute.
• Technology directors/coordinators tend to be very possessive of technology

Speaker-- Kim Zito (Crossroads North Middle School)

• District site: student resources, databases, educational games
• pbworks > free wiki > wikiwhileyouwork
• Mission statement
• Current things going on (author visit, etc)
• Voice threads
• Attention-getting web 2.0 tools
• Has meebo (helps students after school and from home)
• Animoto > very easy video production (animoto,com)
• Include path-finders (paper ones get tossed . . . online can be re-used)

• Must have a web presence > home/school connection and 24 hour access
• Communicates energy, excitement, tech saviness
• Easy to get overwhelmed, just start somewhere
• Watch grammar and punctuation
• How much time do you want to commit?
• How do you want to use it?
• Look at Resources for School Libraries website (gives website design ideas) - http://www.sldirectory.com/

• Joyce Valenza - WEBQUEST
• Pay attention to student privacy issues (especially with videos and online publication of student work)
• Check school policies

• Personal learning networks
• Develop co-hort of like-minded professionals
• Tweeting - way to learn in 140 characters or less
• Teacher-library ning started by Joyce Valenza

• Ross Todd commended that we need to find creative ways around brick walls. We are all subject to procedures, policies, and restrictions.
• Ask permission to include link to wiki on the district website.
• Include information about cyber safety on website/wiki.