I decided to build a new website for the Library Learning Commons as my digital artifact.
Since my knowledge in this area was non-existent I spoke to everyone I even suspected of having some expertise about website building to find out which website builder was the easiest to use while still providing professional results. Since we are not a Google school division, using it was not an option. After much talk, the two most recommended web-site builders were Weebly and WordPress. I spent some time looking into both. While I thought that WordPress produced more professional and interesting results, Weebly seemed easier to use. Several staff members in the school have Weebly sites so I could go to them for support--decision made.
The course of website building never did run smooth! I had a traumatic experience working with Weebly. While on the Weebly site for the school's 50th reunion, I accidentally deleted a significant part of it. With all of the technology teachers out of the building, and a presentation to do at the reunion committee that evening it was imperative that I figure out a way to get it back. The only way to recreate the page was to get a student who is a code writer, and probably some kind of secret web master, to write code from a previously published page. After he resurrected the page, I asked him why he was still in high school. He told me he needed his math credit--go know! First lesson, Weebly doesn't appear to save previous versions of the page you are working on. Because of this shortcoming I decided I needed to look at other website builders.
Our divisional library consultant suggested I use Wix.
The two features that sold me on Wix were it's ease of use and that there is 24/7 support. Ease of use is a relative term. Even though I have been able to use Wix, each element takes hours for me to learn and often requires redoing, and reworking sections of the website many times. The help/support feature is extremely useful. I have probably clicked on help for most of the items I have included some several times.
So then Lesson 1: Begin by choosing a website builder that provides the kind of support you need and that is easy to use.
Lesson 2: Make a plan.
This part of developing the artifact took forever, partly because I never felt as if I had finished my research. Each new search revealed pages that looked like they might work, ideas I should include, links I should add. Two school libraries that were great examples were Royal Bay Secondary Learning Commons and Cedar Hill Library and Learning Commons. In the article, "Will this Website Save Your Library (and Your Librarians)?" there is a description of five basic rooms that can be built on a school library learning commons website. I have tried to follow a number of guidelines from this model. "The main page and information center is the closest in personality to the 'old library website.'"(Shauffenhauser p. 42). My main page contains much of the information that was on the old website, along with some photos that will draw the students in.
I have not included a school culture page as suggested because we have a school website that promotes student school activities. I have included an "about" page so that information about the library and its policies is easily accessible.
The article also suggests two more pages that I will continue to work on even though the website is published. I can do this due to a miraculous feature of the Wix website builder which allows revisions and previews without publishing the changes until they are ready.
Lesson 3: Revise the plan. When I began working on this artifact, I thought that it would be challenging but doable. However, like house renovations, everything took twice as long as expected.
I am still working on the "for student" and the "knowledge-building center" pages. This is where I want to include a place for collaboration, where "..the librarian and teacher can work together to pull together the resources that learners (and their parents) will need for a project" (Shauffenhaser, pl 42).
This is an ongoing process. As I get some of the feedback from teachers I will be better able to build the pages that they will find useful. Here is the website so far:
My digital artifact
Link to the website SHS LCC Website
How am I going to share it with others?
To begin, the website had a soft opening. I shared it with my department which only has a few people in it. Then I shared it with staff at the staff meeting April 3. I asked for two things: items they wanted me to include on the website; and, for staff to look through the current website and let me know which items, links, assignments they want to have on the new website as well.
This only happened yesterday, and I have the first request so far. A teacher suggested that I put a link to the old website on the new one. I will keep it there for a few months so that they have enough time to decide what they want me to transfer to the new site. I will further share the website with the school, divisional and greater community by having this new website as the link to the school LLC on our school website.
What are the implications of the website?
My hope is that the website will provide increased opportunities for teachers to collaborate with the library and with each other. We can design the kind of assignments the teacher wants, build a page to store the work and resources. Students and parents can access the information any time.
As well, I see the website as a way to keep administration in the building up to date on what is happening in the library, how it is the hub of the school, how we promote a culture of reading.
My work getting student input has not been as successful as I hoped. Partly, I think this is due to timing. I did much of the planning around and during Spring Break. My plan is to meet with students to get more feedback about what they will find useful on the website.
Reflection on the course
The use of technology has been a source of fear and frustration since I started working as a Teacher-Librarian. It was difficult to be a media and technology specialist with little confidence and less know how. When I started in the diploma program in September one of my goals was to become more skilled in this area. No question, I have made significant progress.
One of the most important take-aways from this course is the idea that I don't have to have my blog, or my artifact perfect in order to post it. I can share what I am working on and my teacher and the people in my PLN can provide feedback to make it better. The importance of this shared expertise really hit home during this course. I was able to connect with people and learn from them. I am so thankful for everyone's generosity with ideas and problem solving when I struggled to do something, well actually everything. It has resulted in profound changes in how I see my abilities. Isn't this what we want for our students as they incorporate 21st century skills into their toolkit--for them to learn new skills, struggle and see themselves anew.
Works cited
Baumbach, Donna, et al. “What Should Be on a School Library Web Page?” Learning and Leading with Technology, vol. 32, no. 1, Sept. 2004, pp. 46–53., files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ695797.pdf.
Bibliotheque Cedar Hill Library and Learning Commons, https://cedarhilllibrary.sd61.bc.ca/
Clark, Sarah. “Online Research: Tips and Tricks for Effective Search Strategies.” YouTube, 20 Jan. 2016, youtu.be/LTJygQwYV84.
“Evaluating Websites.” YouTube, GCSC Library, 12 Feb. 2013, youtu.be/aem3JahbXfk.
Palma, Marcella. “Targeted Website Traffic.” Flicker.com, 31 Jan. 2014, www.flickr.com/photos/marcela-palma/12239536886/sizes/o/.
Richardson, Will. (2012). Why School?: How Education Must Change When Learning and Information Are Everywhere [Kindle Single]. TED Conferences.
Royal Bay Secondary Learning Commons, http://rbslc.staff.sd62.bc.ca/
Schaffhauser, Dian. "Will this Website Save Your Library (and Your Librarians)?" Education Digest, vol. 80, no. 1, Sept. 2014, pp. 37-43. EBSCOhost, ezprozy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AN=97950287&site=ehostlive&scope=site.
YouTube, Epic Tutorials for IOS and Android Filmmaking, 5 Apr. 2015, youtu.be/R0DQfwc72PM.
“Wix Vs Weebly: Which Website Builder Should You Use?” YouTube, 31 May 2018, youtu.be/N1VQYkl7WrE.
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