ABOUT
ME
Project URL: http://teachers.altschools.org/landerson/
FLASH/project/allaboutme.swf
How
it works:
About Me is a beginning HTML program for a wide range of students in both age and ability. It encourages students to develop their
English and technology skills by having them write about themselves--their
family, their home and neighborhood, their interests and hobbies,
their education, and their future plans.
The end product is first shared with classmates and can then put on a
website that the students create. When the students see their work on the
Internet, it increases their motivation to create a quality product.
Standards addressed:
In addition to developing their language skills, the students produce an electronic text relating to their own life
allowing for creative and artistic expression. Sharing, discussing,
and publishing their work
allows for social interaction. This is a great technological system to
communicate to others about themselves.
Materials
used:
Required materials
include a computer with an Internet
connection and, of course, a browser for viewing. The simplest of word
processors works the best for html coding. Therefore, SimpleText
for the Mac and Word Pad for the PC are recommended. If
teachers wish to publish their students' writings, they will need a
server to send the work to, which should be provided by their
district /superintendency or they can publish it on some free space such as Yahoo.com.
The
students:
About Me can be used with students from the sixth grade
through high school. It will teach basic HTML code and improve writing
and social skills. It is also a wonderful program for ESL students.
Overall value:
The best feature of this project is its simplicity combined with an attractive
end result. This program can be used for any essay that will appear
on the Internet.
Tips:
Show the students how to apply color to their web page. If there is a
sluggish day where students are not motivated, move to the images and
show them how to insert a gif into their web page. It helps to write
the basic code they will need on the board so they may refer to it
as needed. An overhead projector to demonstrate opening, saving, and
viewing the web page is also very helpful. Have the students assist each
other.
|
About the teacher:
Laura Anderson teaches Web Design and Computer Math in an alternative
high school in New York City. She is a certified math teacher who has
been teaching for 17 years, and has found the computer to be a very
effective learning tool. Her classroom is a computer lab.
E-mail: landers3@nycteach.net
Subject
Areas:
English
Technology
Grade
Levels: 6-12
|
