A media center website can be
a gateway of information to all students whether they ever enter into the
library during their school career or not.
Technology is in the fingertips of every student so why not give them
the best access to information through the media center website? I have taught web design for the past 9 years
and I have tell you first hand that students need something that is easily
accessible and catches the eye!! The millennial
generation is one that needs instant gratification and instant answers – so providing
a website that meets these needs will keep students actively engaged into what
a media center offers.
Some do’s and don’ts for good
web page design can be tricky. Everyone
wants their site to be pretty and unique but sometimes that can be a
problem. Flashy websites may not always
be the best. Keeping it simple and to
the point will allow users to find information in a timely manner. Pictures that draw the eye or that have true
meaning to the point of the website will allow users remain on your page. Pictures can be useful or harmful depending
on how you use them. A media specialist
needs to really sit and consider what a website should offer, what flashy items
may be relevant to the site and what is out there that other media centers are
offering.
After looking at the examples
offered and then perusing through some of the random links on the Wiki it is
interesting to see what is offered on Media Center websites. There are a few things that I think every media
center website should offer its students – information about circulation
materials, research information, technology resources for students and
teachers, and upcoming events. Majority
of the sites I looked through had 90% of those things.
I must give kudos to my school’s media center website (Loganville High School). Mrs. Crowe, our MS, does a great job of taking resources she learns about and publishing them on the website. She uses Weebly to create the site and is the current editor of the site. Having free reign over a website can be important when creating your site. She is not bound by country restrictions or guidelines from a corporate webmaster. I have talked with her about keeping the site updated and she has mentioned that it is one task that she tries to be diligent with when updating. Students find out a lot of information by searching the internet and she knows that if they can see when books are released, news updates or technology tips on their smart devices she will slowly reach more and more students.
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post! You highlighted the importance of the media center's website as a source of information and an extension of the bricks and mortar media center. I think it is cool that your media specialist has autonomy in the creation and content of her website; unfortunately, in my county (Clayton), most schools use school desk as the creative agent of their websites. The use of a template based site does make it easier for novices to create an effective website but the creativity is often lost. I was interested in the site you mentioned in your post and explored it for myself. It was attractive and contained so much useful information for teachers ans students alike!
I agree the first thing on the agenda when planning a web site is to visit others to see the do’s and don’ts. Appearance is everything when you are trying to attract an audience. Sometimes less is better when presented in a unique fashion. The web page should be based on what you want your audience to achieve. The media specialist’s role is to showcase his school through the web. Providing links that are easy to navigate that takes the user to the needed information.
ReplyDeleteMy media specialist provides pictures and just enough content to give the users information that is needed for that particular inquiry. There are two basic school colors that are used ,which are blue and white along with the panther logo. Once one accesses the web page, he knows that we are Panther Land. She tries to keep things simple so that there are no distractions for the user. All of the main links reflect the school settings such as contact information, resources, media center, news and events, athletic, intellectual, surveys, and others. There are picture presentations of the school population that represent the current events of the school. Students always want to visit to see if their picture is there. One can visit and know what Staley Middle School is all about. We as media specialists have to be able to relate this message to our viewers.
Amanda (Team 5)
ReplyDeleteIn your passage, you start off by saying that students need something that will catch their eye and I think that is the most important aspect of having a successful LMC webpage. In fact, I am so in love with this tool that I read about in Shanda (Team 7’s) post, that I am going to share it with you as well. It is called symbaloo and it allows you to create a collage of resources that uses their symbols instead of just providing a list of resources for students! As I read on in your post about the do’s and don’ts of good web page design, I began to reflect on some of the examples that Dr. Cooper gave us to look at. One in particular stuck out in my mind and that was The Unquiet Library (Creekview High School). I really like that the base of the webpage was a book throughout the site and I also liked their use of social media as well. I did not like how the social media icons were the first thing that you see when you enter the webpage though. In addition to that, there was an additional link on the left that lead to another page with links to the same social media sites and so I just thought that was redundant and that that space could have been used for something else. Lastly, I thought that the home page should be like a welcome page to the school’s LMC instead of immediate access to their social media sites. Now, I did think that they used to social media sites in an excellent way, especially the flickr site with all the pictures of activities that students were involved in!
I took a look at your LMC webpage, and I think that it is laid out in a very easy to follow format and that everything students would need to conduct research or implement technology tools is right there at their fingertips! I would also like to say, that I think your CTAE department does an excellent job of displaying their weekly lessons on their websites because whether you know it or not, the teachers at my school have been collaborating with you guys for years now! In fact when we got a new Business teacher a couple years ago who was teaching Business Law (something I hadn’t taught before) I told her to follow the teacher on Loganville’s site that was teaching the class and she did just that! She even emailed him at the end to ask him for the answers to the final exam that he posted and he was happy to assist her with that. I know I have gone of topic, but I think your school’s website is great overall!
Thank you... I am part of the CTAE department and we have been using the calendar format for 10 years now. We have collaborated with teachers across the country because our information is set up that way. We like to use the phrase "admire and acquire" :)
DeleteIn Dekalb County the Education department has created a template for the school websites as well as the media centers to use as a jumping off point for designing their individual sites. They had classes to help the slms design their sites. Not everyone is going to have a template to work with so perusing other sites for ideas is the first thing to do. I don't see a problem with copying a certain format or a design look when creating your own site. I really liked the Loganville media center site. The simplicity appealed to me even though I know it was not simple to create. I really like a drop down menu more than the items listed on a side bar.
ReplyDeleteMy pet peeve with a list of links is not only the look but the fact it does not give the user any idea of the use of the site. Also, it is important that the sites listed are usable links. Several sites I looked at on the Milton Middle School media site has an error code. ( I think it was the ALA site)
The North Elementary site was nice but did not make me want to return for up to date information although I was impressed with the slms list of credentials.
The unquiet library is a unique concept that brands the library in a different way. The use of an individual blog, in my opinion, takes the user away from the library site. I would rather articles of interest be the on the home page so that someone coming for a specific new human interest story might end up discovering a new resource etc. The unquiet library felt like that librarian had a personal agenda to brand that name.
The Milton Middle School website had a bright engaging look to it.
ReplyDeleteAmanda,
I previewed Loganville High School’s media center website and found it very pleasing to the eye! When a website is catching, then I tend to want more from it and will continuing perusing around. It is very user friendly, inviting, and informative. You are correct in regards to site becoming too flashy and overwhelming. I felt that way in regards to the School Library Journal site. The site had too many images and links to click. Just as you mentioned, one should take the time to ask questions as to what is beneficial to include on the school media center website. In regards to North Elementary website, I like the checkout policies that were included on the website. This keeps students and parents accountable for the policies.
Nikia Williams mentioned the tool, Symballo. in her post above. It is an excellent tool, however, our county has blocked it. I wish we could utilize it because it would enhance our school website.
Currently our media center does not have a website. This blog has inspired me to speak with the media center specialist and pose questions to her to determine why she hasn’t created a site (I am sure due to time) and maybe provide her with ideas and suggestions if she is interested in creating one.
I liked how you mentioned that the age that we live in now is more on an instant gratification fix than having to take time to learn how to do something. I have noticed this when I’ve looked at media center websites for schools I volunteer at and those that I use to get information from. Some of what I have seen on the websites I have looked at scares me a little when it comes to some of the schools and how much work the media specialist puts into the website. I am a big believer in that the information about circulation materials, research information, technology resources, and any upcoming events should always be on a media centers website. These sites need to be geared towards the group that is it being presented to. I have seen that when I looked at Pope High School Media center website. I cannot wait to be able to create my media centers website. I will probably use Weebly to post the information.
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteMedia center websites can be very important because the new generation of students do no always visit the media center. They prefer to get their information digitally. Some rarely step foot into a media center. Databases, links to materials, and eBooks make the ability to not actually have to go into one a reality. Students today are used to seeing great design. They generally use the web for everything. A site that does not appear to look remotely like it is current can disappoint. Some attention must be paid to how it is designed. Ease of use is very important. Media Specialist that do not feel as though they can complete a page should enlist the help of a staff member who has web design experience. I agree that flashy is not a good thing. Flashy should be left to the sites that are intended for entertainment. The main purpose of the site is to inform and be a provider of resources and important information. Updating the site is just as important as updating other physical resources in the media center. I think that media specialist should devote a planned time each month to making sure links are working and things like past events are taken down. Those are some of the top areas that most find annoying. I think it is important that media specialist keep in mind that the page is an extension of their media center.