This time around I ended up reading "Five Steps to an Accessible Classroom Website" by Linda Amundson. It is essentially a laundry list of things to keep in mind while designing a website by the teacher for the classroom. I'm pretty sure this article was written before tablets like the iPad were all the rage. Since the explosion in popularity of tablets and smart phone web browsing, many websites have been redesigned for surfing convenience and accessibility. However, Linda is assuming that you're a first time web designer and she offers five helpful steps.
Step 1 is organize for easier navigation. She suggests using headers and an outline format to keep things organized. She says that "graphic elements such as horizontal lines are not always clear signals for new sections, especially to someone who cannot see the screen." Maybe one of you can tell me how to surf the web with no screen. Step 2 has to do with navigation with a mouse, and she suggests that it can be useful to be able to make your way through the website without one. A lot of people are use devices with touch screens and not using mice anyway. Who tabs their way through a webpage unless they are desperate these days? Step 3 is about using text explanations for images. I think this article was written when teachers were writing HTML code in order to put sites on the web. With programs such as Google Sites this is no longer an issue. But I think her main point is: don't use a graphic button as a link if it's not replaced with text when the graphic is no longer there. Instead, step 4, use text in links that describes what or where that link will do or go. Step 5 suggests using a web validation tool to evaluate your site for accessibility.
After creating a website using Google Sites the other day and then reading this article, I was left slightly confused. It felt like this article was written so long ago that it no longer applies to current webpage making. Either that, or I'm totally confused. Nonetheless creating a website that all of your students can access is extremely important for their success and growth. Why is it that sites that sell things are super easy to navigate while sites like Moodle are unique to each teacher and confusing as hell. Oh the irony!
This article certainly covers all of the ISTE NETS. Especially 5, because if you create a website from scratch for your classroom you are displaying growth and leadership with digital tools.
Happy Friday,
Andy
APA Reference
Amundson, L. (2009, November). 5 Steps to an Accessible
Classroom Website. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37 (4).
Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-november-2009.aspx
Hey Andy,
ReplyDeleteI agree that this article is definitely outdated for what we are trying to accomplish in the classroom today. Much of what as written in this article is stuff that we don't really worry about while making our websites. I think that the general idea of ensuring that you make your website and material accessible to all students is the main idea that we need to take away from reading this article. If something isn't accessible or clear to some students, as a teacher you need to ensure that you help them in anyway you can.
Vince Riedel