A LMOST EVERY TEACHER has received a phone call or letter from a student's parent requesting the date of a field trip, the pages for home work, or a student's grade. School information is often sent home via flyers or notes and, unfortunately, is often lost or accidentally thrown away

Some teachers have used the Internet to solve this problem by posting information on a class web page, where both students and parents have easy access. The following are some sections you may want to include on your web site.

If you teach different subjects, have a page for each one. Separate pages for each subject make it easier for parents and students to locate information. Within each subject page include links to the following:

• course syllabus,
• classroom expectations,
• showcase of student work,
• student progress, and
  calendar.

One way to reduce parent phone calls is to give parents access to their child's progress. Many programs are available to provide this service, as well as other Internet sites. One example can be found at Thinkwave.com. 

Here is an example of a teacher who has two different subjects. Notice how she has

separate pages for her biology and AP Environmental Sciences courses. This teacher

decided to include links for the classroom expectations and calendar.

The calendar can be in the form of a real calendar or a simple assignment table. Links can be made to the assignments that give more detail, such as an assignment description or a rubric. When providing assignment descriptions and rubrics, make sure they are in a commonly printable form like a Microsoft Word document.

A calendar page gives an organized layout of assignments and tests.

Include a contact phone number or email address, if possible. Some teachers even include background information such as where they are from, or where they went to school.

Notice how this teacher uses this page to give contact

information and provide information about herself.

Now that you know what you need to put on your web site, create and post it! As soon as you complete it, relax and enjoy the extra time you have that would normally have been spent on the phone with a student's parent!

Nicole Aquino
Graduate Student
Educational Technology