How do I Create a Teacher Website for Free?
Today, educating students requires the use of technology, and having a teacher website is another tool a teacher has available to increase learning. According to the U.S. Department of Education, "education---'e-learning'---can improve how students learn, can improve what students learn, and can deliver high-quality learning opportunities"
Many software companies and websites are aware of the need for teachers and students to have convenient access to online materials for their classes. Thus, a variety of free website options are available for teachers who want to create a website for student and class use.
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Things You'll Need
- Internet access
- School website policy
- Syllabus
- Lesson plans
- Class rosters
Instructions
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Steps in the Process
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Teachers can design a website to serve a number of purposes for their students. Assess its intended use.
Examine how you will be using the website by considering what you intend to do with it. Will it be a place where you post information about yourself, the class, and the class assignments? Or will it be a site that asks for or allows participation from students? As author and educational researcher Doug Johnson notes, be aware of the variety of purposes your site could serve: a general class description, an outline of units, project information and "real-time information about the progress of individual students."
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Most schools have an Internet policy about websites that teachers should know. Know your school policy.
Read your school policy about teacher website use to make sure you will be following it when you create the website. Some schools do not allow teachers to set up websites where they network with their students, unless it is a school-sponsored website. Most schools do not, however, have restrictions against setting up a website that serves as an informational tool.
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A variety of free website builders are available for teachers. Explore the website options.
Find the free website services that are available and pick the one that will work best for your purposes. For posting information that repeats or is in addition to the classroom assignments, free website programs like Webs.com or Google have platforms that are relatively ad-free and easy to build and maintain. You have the option of allowing students to comment or blocking the comment function. Students can also build their own pages on these and other sites and link them to yours. Other programs, such as Classjump.com, Teacherweb.com or EducatorPages.com, are designed for teacher-student use and have specifically education-based applications.
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Administrators and technology support people can help pick a reliable website service. Confirm the use of the specific website.
Check with your school's administration or technology coordinator after you have picked out a program and confirm if it is an acceptable, reliable one to use. Some schools have licensing agreements with companies like Saywire.com that allow you to build a website with their school-approved system.
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Many free website builders are made just for teachers. Follow website directions for setup.
After you choose and sign up for a specific program, follow the directions for uploading information about your classes. In general, teacher website builders do not require knowledge of programming or HTML. They give step-by-step information and provide tutorials explaining how to build pages, edit them and arrange them on the website.
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Tips & Warnings
If you belong to a teacher listserve, ask for input from other teachers about the websites that they have used and why they did or did not like them.
Look at some examples of teacher websites, which you can find by doing a search at any website that hosts free pages. Contact the teachers if you have questions about their sites.
Know the possible negative consequences when setting up a website that allows interaction with students. Most schools have policies against social networking with students, so make sure that you have the ability to edit, delete, and even block student input if it is inappropriate.
Update regularly or take down the site. If students---and parents---find that your website is not regularly maintained, they will not find it a reliable source, which reflects poorly on you, the class, and the school. If you find that you cannot maintain the site like you would want, take it down.
References
Resources
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