This year, in addition to learning reading, writing, and grammar, my 8th graders will have the opportunity to become Webmasters!

In the fall, I will introduce students to Dreamweaver, a software program that aids in creating websites without the use of code. Students will experiment with the program and create sample pages in preparation for our creating a class page. At the same time, weekly workshops beginning in October will introduce students to communications and journalism skills and allow them the opportunity to reinforce their use of different writing styles used on the Website.

When we return from Winter Break, our Web Project kicks into high gear! Students will work in Web Groups of 4-5, and are responsible for the monthly maintenance of one area of the Website. These responsibilities will rotate monthly so everyone gets a chance to work on an area that might interest them.

Twice a month, we will have Web Weeks, where students will be given a portion of class time to conference with me, plan their stories, proofread, and update their pages, following a weekly rotation. Once a month, they will turn in group evaluations so I can monitor their team efforts. Additional time at the end of classes for working on Web material will be given at my discretion.

This is an exciting project because altough I will be an active supervisor, everything from templates to stories to the rules the groups must follow will be student generated, and will promote critical thinking, time management, and teamwork skills valuable in the real world.

Please email me with any questions at:
jensilva@ufl.edu