Learning from our Educators: Another Teacher Website Review
Jumping on the Technology Bandwagon: The first website I reviewed had a more laid back, blog style format. The next website I am reviewing is Erin Klein’s website “Kleinspiration.” Being certified in Brain Gym and Educational Kinesiology, Klein works as a classroom design consultant and creative partner for the company Carson-Dellosa. In 2014 she was invited to be a part of the national Teach to Lead summits through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the U.S. Department of Education where she continues to work on shaping teacher leadership across the U.S. She currently teaches at the elementary level, and has a website that is informative and has her award winning Kleinspiration blog. Compared to the first website, I found that Klein’s website seemed very professional.
Kleinspiration: Klein’s website has a very structured format, with information organized into pages: Home, About, Blog, Livestream, Blog, Speaking & Consulting, and Advertise. Within these pages she explores the power of student voice, how meaningful technology integration can enhance learning experiences, and the impact classroom design has on today’s learner. With labeled pages and organized information, Klein has a clean and crisp website that looks very professional. This professional set up is also great, and I believe it is for these reasons:
1. It is organized. For people vising her website, they can easily find information they are looking for. When visiting he first website [Speaking of History] I reviewed, it took me a second to realize what I was looking at, and how to navigate through it. This did not happen when I visited Klein’s website because everything was labeled and at the top of the page, so I saw everything I needed immediately.
2. Commands Respect. Going through Klein’s page, I automatically assume she is a very respected person who is professional and successful at what she does. As someone who has not yet graduated, I am young compared to everyone in the education community. When I graduate, and hopefully accept my first teaching position, I will be young compared to a lot of the other teachers and parents, so having a website that shows I am just as professional as my coworkers is important. Klein achieves this with well-written articles, professional pictures of herself, and by providing information about her education and job experiences.
3. The last thing I found effective with Klein’s professional looking website, was the added bonus of advertisement. When creating a website, you are making it public so that anyone and everyone can view it. This includes school boards, administrators, human resources, etc. So, why not use it as a tool to get your name out there for jobs, speaking opportunities, and more! Klein is a published author, and travels around the world speaking to audiences about bettering education. She uses her website to talk about her great experiences with her work, but also as a way that people can contact her if they would like to have her present for them. I think this is a great way to continue to expand your options and find new job opportunities. Klein’s website is an example for anyone trying to make a professional website, not just future educators. With organized pages, Klein created a website that is easy to navigate and also visually pleasing. Visiting her website, people can see how professional she is and can contact her if they are interested in her presenting her information. Last, with the incorporation of a blog, she is able to add a personal element that is important in keeping people interested.
My Take Away: Reviewing two very different websites, I have learned a lot about connecting with the community through the Internet. I think that I want to find a balance between the two websites I reviewed: make it personal, fun, and unique with blogs; but also have a professional and well-organized page. By using both I can:
1.Help students and their families get assignments, information, etc. 2. Post daily blogs about what is going on in my classroom 3. Use creativity and videos to show my personality and promote parent involvement 4. Provide tips, ideas, and resources for other educators in my community 5. Have a website that is professional, so if people responsible for hiring educators in their district stumble upon it, they will want to hire me.