LIBRARIAN-MANAGED

STUDENT-FOCUSED
INFORMATION SITES
Michele Bond, Media Specialist
Greenwich Township School District
michele@mrsbond.info

ABOUT ME
District Media Specialist
Librarian
Instructional Technology Coach
Technology Coordinator
PARCC Technology Coordinator

Best job in the world: guide students and

staff to the best tools and resources for
locating, creating and sharing information
and ideas.

LIBRARY SITES SCHOOL SITES

RATIONALE
Why a website?
Students are online. Give them a reliable, safe, interesting,
even fun place to call home.

Why must the Media Specialist have control?

The library website is an extension of the physical
library/media center/learning commons.

Why student-focused?
This is an extension of our classroom.
Teachers, administration, parents can be a secondary
audience.

Still not convinced?

Library website is a 24/7 billboard for the Media Center, its
resources, and its staff .

BUT I HAVE A LIBRARY CATALOG!

Does that catalog refl ect the entirety of your
program?
Does that service allow you to fully extend
the walls of the Media Center?
Will it allow your web presence to have a
similar personality as your physical space?

HOW?
Google Sites
Wikispaces
Wix
Weebly
Blogger
Wordpress
School/district provided

(assuming you can edit and add subpages as

needed)

Free is great be aware of hidden costs

Link from district or school site
No login required to view

MUST HAVES
Focus on instruction.
Easy access to resources.
Opportunities for participation.
Student work.
Personality.

CONTENT SUGGESTIONS
Extend the library/classroom
Lesson or activity details
How-to documents or videos

Great links
Pathfi nders (curriculum and high interest)
Use referring URLs/embedded passwords

Interactivity
Embed video, audio, or other media
Embed tools, games

Connect

Poll students
Virtual suggestion box
Share photos, videos of students
Incorporate student work

WHENEVER POSSIBLE &

APPROPRIATE

EMBED!

GLOGSTER AS FRONT
PAGE/NAVIGATION

SHARE INFORMATION
Google Calendar

Google Drive Folder

SHARE LINKS
Symbaloo

Pinterest

SHARE BOOKS
Goodreads

Library Catalog

SHARE IDEAS
ThingLink

Popplet

ASK QUESTIONS
Padlet

Google Forms

YouTube (and others)

Animoto

SHARE YOUR VOICE

Voki

Vocaroo

WONDEROPOLIS
Wonderopolis

Email Etiquette

MAPS
Google My Maps

LEARN A LITTLE HTML

<b></b>, <i>, <u>
<br>
<a href=http://www.sample.com>Visible
Link</a>
<img src=http://www.sample.com/image.gif
height=100px width=120px border=1>
<iframe width="420" height="315"
src="https://www.youtubenocookie.com/embed/SYawa4piO4k?rel=0"
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<embed src="http://www.website.com"
style="width:600px; height: 500px;">

GOOD DESIGN
Students are watching and learning!
Bad design distracts from the message
Consider the devices students use
Principles of Design

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

K now your aud ience
Involve students.
Its OK to be silly.

Up da te freq uently
Promote
Wall/shelf signs, book tags, school newsletter, teachers

Desig n
Develop a clear navigation.
Avoid long pages; use subpages to organize big ideas.
Dont crowd the page with non-essential media that make it hard to fi nd
learning materials.
Use a template; stray only when it will help the message.

Ethics
Cite your sources.
Dont use watermarked images.
Have permsission to use student photos and work.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Joyce Valenzas Widget Page (Embeddable widgets)
Getting Tricky with Wikis (Wikispaces)
Free Technology 4 Teachers (Edtech blog)
Teacher Tech (Edtech blog)
Notable school library websites:
Clifton Elementary School
Clifton Middle School
Hackensack Middle School
Orono Schools Middle School (MN)
Tenafl y High School

THANK YOU!