For this task, I chose to explore smore.com. I found the site to be extremely easy to use as sort of an "incognito" version of a website, or mini-website. It couldn't be any easier to add information/text, photos and links, and circulate it to as wide of an audience as you desire. The site even offers analytics to assess and improve the effectiveness of your page or "flyer".
There are lots of different ways I could see utilizing Smore...for example basic book & research reports, a communication tool as a teacher or librarian with students, parents, staff, and a method for announcing events, school news or PTO/volunteer information.
Having a web presence as a teacher is important for many reasons that all center on one thing: communication. At the elementary level, teachers can provide access for parents to useful links, forms and procedures. Students can retrieve and submit work, and reference the links that are recommended for use at home. Other staff can view and share curriculum information, and use their sites to archive & document important information.
As an urban teacher, I'm wondering how I can increase the traffic my website to improve my school to home connection. Unfortunately, not all of my students have consistent access to the internet once they are off school grounds. This in turn puts my students at a disadvantage when it comes to getting the extra online practice they need with the skills and sites we use at school, and makes it harder for me to communicate school related information.
See my sample site on Oprah Winfrey that I created using smore.com, and let me know your thoughts! https://www.smore.com/ypap4-oprah-winfrey#promoter
I like the idea of using a smore page as part of biography project like you did for Oprah! It is challenging to develop a web presence that will reach all you students' parents, especially in a community with limited access at home. Good idea to use tools that will look good on a mobile devices, since many people are now using those as their primary access.
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