Monday, April 4, 2016

Thing 15, Web Presence

After reviewing the many options for a web presence, I realize school library websites CAN be great! Currently I have my own school website and have administrative rights to update or change the School Wires website, but the layout and design are very boring (no templates to choose from).  We just don't have a lot of options for more than the basics, so I like the idea of using a Blogger, Wordpress, or Weebly webpage.  I have experience using all three web formats:  multiple blogs on blogger, one blog on Word Press and I have a nice poetry website on Weebly that I created for a library science project; the link is below:
Pulse Poetry

The website example from Cool Tools that I liked best was done by the Castilleja School Library - an exemplary Word Press blog used as a school website!!  I would be happy to add a few of the nice features on my own library website.  I may start a Pinterest board for my school library collection and add it to the webpage as a visual book cover display of our collection.  Great way to promote circulation!!

Another good website was the Staples Library Learning Commons.  I like the user-friendly, simple layout with multiple tabs, lots of information - yet not too much.  This is partially the result of the web designer using Symbaloo to organize many sites into an attractive box with symbols for each one.  The grid format for Tech Tools, Student Showcase and Finding a book works well for containing a lot of material on one page without a cluttered look.  Nice!

I work in a school that is using Google Classroom as a stand-in for teacher websites (even though they can have a School Wires webpage).  So, it would make sense to introduce the Google Sites webpage option to teachers and students.  I like the Club Site template and will share it with the club advisors.  It is much more attractive than just a Google Classroom for student clubs!

The Rochester School Library System has LibGuides available to teachers for the second year now and although it could be used as a school website, I still think of it a an ideal program for topical, subject specific webpages.  I love the mobile friendly option, reusable pages, and having the LibGuide Community available for ideas when I need to create a guide.  Lastly, I was happy to see my own Industrial Revolution LibGuide used as an example for other Cool Tools participants : )

The last thing I will share for Thing 15 is a few of my Smore online fliers.  I printed them and used them on a bulletin board, but the concept of online promotional fliers is great for our digital world.  Sadly, Smore.com only allows you to create 5 fliers for free and then you have to pay for the service.  I would not need it enough at this time to pay for it, but you never know...

Smore Poster - February Reading Challenge

Smore Poster - April is National Poetry Month

Here is a poster I made from a free site for making posters - Canva
Poetry Month with Canva Design