Teachers Use Websites to Interact with Students and Parents

Class calendars, homework and links to learning sites are top content on teacher websites according to a study by Orbs.com.

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) August 10, 2010 – Orbs.com, a website builder, took a look at 100 class websites to find out how teachers are using websites to interact with students and parents.

More than three-quarters of teachers shared links to free educational sites where their students could practice spelling, math and other topics.  Some also pointed their students to NASA, National Geographic and other mainstream sites focused on learning.

Exactly half the teachers wanted to share personal information about their education, how long they had been with the school and their life outside of school.  Many teachers took the opportunity to speak of their joy of teaching, love of their community and adoration of their students.

One-third of class websites had a section dedicated to the parents of their students.  It offered the teachers a way to directly communicate with parents typically on a daily or weekly basis.  To encourage parent participation, teachers included tips on how parents could help their children do well in school and, in a few sites, how parents could volunteer their time in class.  Some teachers also included either a weekly or monthly newsletter.

For both parents and students, 83 teachers posted their class schedule and/or a calendar of events, 67 posted homework and 50 posted a list of what school supplies students needed for class.  Teachers also posted their expectations and policies on what was expected from their students on 32 of the sites.  On 38 sites, teachers posted pictures of their classrooms, student projects and in a few instances their students.

“A few standout teachers involved their students with their class website,” said Emily Hirai, Director of Marketing for Orbs.com.  “One fourth grade teacher Mrs. Mizner has her students create videos that they post on SchoolTube.  The students can do the entire production on their own.  Another teacher had each of her students create their own webpage on the class website.  A few teachers also had their students help update the website.”

The Orbs.com study was an unscientific look at teacher websites for kindergarten to grade 12 primarily in the United States.  Approximately three-quarters of the sites found were for grade 5 or lower.  Half the teacher websites linked to a school website.

About Orbs.com

Orbs.com (ORganized weBsiteS) wants to help teachers get their classes online.  Teachers can build a 20-page website for free with Orbs.  It includes point-and-click editing, the ability to insert photos and customizable designs with no programming required.  A sample teacher website was created by Orbs that teachers may use to get ideas for their own website.