Media center web pages can encourage parents, teachers, students, administrators, and community members to visit the media center or see it as just another room full of books. The web page can show just how involved a media specialist is with collaboration and incorporating technology or that they simply maintain a book collection. Web pages can be a gateway for parents to access information to help their children in their homework. The web page can connect teachers valuable tools, explain the policies and procedures of the media center, and show them how to incorporate technology in their classroom. Students should be able to access the OPAC, review a list of book awards, and find educational online activities. Media center web pages can be as interactive as a media specialist can make them. They should reach all grades and ability levels. Through web pages media specialist can connect to patrons on a daily basis by telling about current events in the media center (book fairs, read all days, Dr. Seuss’s birthday, early bird readers, etc). Web pages should always include the staff names, contact numbers, emails, hours of operation, and the address or location within the school.
The best pages are those that are maintained regularly. It is so disappointing to see a great link name but then not be able to access the information because the webpage has been moved or does not exists any more. If pages are overly colorful and have lots of buttons and links then it becomes confusing. Having groups of similar links in the same color boxes makes the sight more user friendly. Having helpful links and information on a website can spark conversation between users and the media specialist. I’ve email links to colleagues and they always seem to come back & tell me about their experience with the sight & if it was or wasn’t helpful. This can lead to more collaboration!
I feel a must have on the page is some sort of saying that if a user cannot find what they are looking for or are having an issue to come & see the media clerk or media specialist because we’re always here & love to help!
It's very true that the media center web page is a great way to promote the work that's done for the school in the media center. I posted earlier on another blog that we must balance and prioritize what's important to our individual school. Your post makes me pause and remember the importance of showing the positive activities and collaboration that takes place between teachers and media specialists. We need to show the ways we assist teachers in meeting the learning needs of students. Most of the students in my school do not have computers at home. While this makes me look carefully at the time spent on a web page I also see the value of keeping valuable information ready for students and the community. Students access the web page at school and need to see how web pages, blogs, and wikis supply information and learning tools for its users.
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