Your own website making machine Powerful and simple cutting edge networks of websites for schools HomeHome pageThe front page, the diary, the jumping off point for everything StoriesMain list of pages All our main pages, jump into who, what and why DiscussJoin our discussion group Come on in and start communicating those ideas, just join up or log in MembersA list of all our site members If you want to be anonymous with-hold your name, use something like Mickey Mouse, or Anonymous Coward Email usNeed to tell the webmaster... Get in touch straight away! If we need to we'll pass on your comments to the right person About usEverything about us Read more about who we are, and why we're doing this
We build and run sites for schools. Killer, kicking sites. Sites you'll love.
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About us
We want to and will make it easy for schools to keep their staff, pupils, parents, partners, other stake-holders and wider community informed, updated and engaged.
Now, by merely typing in the text you can do it too!
It's so easy even 7 year old children can do it. If you are able to move a mouse, click a few buttons and string a few sentences together you can maintain a cutting edge site.
We'll give you all the training you'll need, support you on the phone or with email, all to make sure you get the best out of your investment.
Our killer features are:
Superb content management and blog software. Excellent Google optimisation.
An email to weblog interface, making updating your school blog a doddle.
Top draw support and feedback.
Try a demo or build your
Now, by merely typing in the text you can do it too!
It's so easy even 7 year old children can do it. If you are able to move a mouse, click a few buttons and string a few sentences together you can maintain a cutting edge site.
We'll give you all the training you'll need, support you on the phone or with email, all to make sure you get the best out of your investment.
Our killer features are:
Superb content management and blog software. Excellent Google optimisation.
An email to weblog interface, making updating your school blog a doddle.
Top draw support and feedback.
Try a demo or build your
30 day free trial
school website yourself. What will you write today's school news to be?Archive page for Wednesday, 08 February 2006
What I do for the money
I look after you. Monitoring, mentoring and moderating. Training. Design. Hosting. This is an intimate community. We also have several super cool features that stand us out. Like our email to Weblog. And soon, email to pages. Which make it even easier to add news and content. And of course, our experience in running school Weblogs. Read more about who, what and why.
Or, you could get a free blog. There are plenty of services that do this now. If you do, would you tell us the address of the RSS feed? Don't use blogspot.com though, many places block them due to spamblogs.
In my view, you get what you pay for. Our service is worth every penny. 30 days free trial too :-)
Or, you could get a free blog. There are plenty of services that do this now. If you do, would you tell us the address of the RSS feed? Don't use blogspot.com though, many places block them due to spamblogs.
In my view, you get what you pay for. Our service is worth every penny. 30 days free trial too :-)
Design?
Somebody asked if we have more templates. We do, and we like making them too. We've even thought that it'd be kinda cool to have the design of a site left to pupils, as a competition. Just one of the plain black and white themes photocopy it and spread it around the art department. We'd then 'professionally' finish it off.
As these are themes, we or rather the site's owner can switch themes as they would change clothes, only much faster. Within a couple of mouse clicks the whole site looks different.
Below, some screens from existing sites. (See the 'Recently updated sites' list at top left to see the real things.)
Below are the three base themes, senior, primary and junior. From which we've been working of late. But time to move on creatively, my creative juices are saying.
As plain as plain can be...
As these are themes, we or rather the site's owner can switch themes as they would change clothes, only much faster. Within a couple of mouse clicks the whole site looks different.
Below, some screens from existing sites. (See the 'Recently updated sites' list at top left to see the real things.)
Below are the three base themes, senior, primary and junior. From which we've been working of late. But time to move on creatively, my creative juices are saying.
As plain as plain can be...
Steel bands and theatres
Out in the wilderness of Darlaston, Walsall, but still in our warm community, we've a theatre production that made people cry, from Salisbury Primary (don't forget the Friday lunchtime blog club). And from Kings Hill Primary (still in Darlo) a steel band called Juma.
Not forgetting the usual discussion over at Beechadale Primary.
Not forgetting the usual discussion over at Beechadale Primary.
More skipping?
Wonder if it's a passing fad? Nah! Even my kids here in Dawley, Telford, Shropshire, UK have had a skipping instructor into school, though no news item nor website to point to ;-(
More skipping over at Salisbury Primary, Walsall adding to Croft's workshops.
More skipping over at Salisbury Primary, Walsall adding to Croft's workshops.
Internet safety
The BBC are reporting that children are networking socially on the 'net. Chat rooms, email, blogs... But while they're doing this at home and at school, all their lessons are concerned with computational skills rather than using the internet with care.
I guess this again has much to do with the real world against the perceived needs of employers. But there's to be "no room in the curriculum" for another module on safety.
Here's some links: BlogSafety.com. Keep your name and other personal details off the internet.
From the Australian Governement: Be nice to people, and people will be nice to you.
A US maths teacher's advice on blog safety. Will you be embarrassed years from now when a potential employer pulls up a spiteful, edgy or weird commment? School blogs are an extension of the classroom this means no foul language.
CBS News: "Search for your child's personal blog with key words like email address, names, nicknames, school names, friends names..."
Letters home! Need to send a letter to parents? Here's some examples from the US.
With our blogging service, we monitor and mentor and moderate. We're not teachers; we're systems admin, hopefully us combined with real teachers will help safely bridge the gap between schools and the wild internet. Hopefully, we can show how to behave, lead by example and catch any errors in judgement and use them as teachable moments.
I guess this again has much to do with the real world against the perceived needs of employers. But there's to be "no room in the curriculum" for another module on safety.
Here's some links: BlogSafety.com. Keep your name and other personal details off the internet.
From the Australian Governement: Be nice to people, and people will be nice to you.
A US maths teacher's advice on blog safety. Will you be embarrassed years from now when a potential employer pulls up a spiteful, edgy or weird commment? School blogs are an extension of the classroom this means no foul language.
CBS News: "Search for your child's personal blog with key words like email address, names, nicknames, school names, friends names..."
Letters home! Need to send a letter to parents? Here's some examples from the US.
With our blogging service, we monitor and mentor and moderate. We're not teachers; we're systems admin, hopefully us combined with real teachers will help safely bridge the gap between schools and the wild internet. Hopefully, we can show how to behave, lead by example and catch any errors in judgement and use them as teachable moments.
News round up
Public Technology: "Growing evidence that much of school/H.E. learning is irrelevant of what people need in the labour market and in life." Employers want oral
communication skills, customer handling, problem solving and team
working, not really written communication, literacy skills nor using
numbers.
Socialist Worker: "Teacher training cuts and 'independent state schools.'" And some info on the 2 March rally and demo for a "comprehensive future."
The Voice: Ruth Kelly lays out her plans with reference to black children.
Socialist Worker: "Teacher training cuts and 'independent state schools.'" And some info on the 2 March rally and demo for a "comprehensive future."
The Voice: Ruth Kelly lays out her plans with reference to black children.
