It's hard to believe but MrHarrold.com was originally started three years ago this month. Originally, the site was just created as a way to get my worksheets published in a digital space where students could access them later. I realized that even if I was skilled at providing make-up worksheets and activities in class the following day, the students were still behind. This way, they could stay caught up without missing a beat. The site worked well the first year, helping to provide a lot of information, though it still didn't radically change the course.
In year 2 and 3, I added a number of other features including Twitter feeds, my daily blog, but more importantly was my incorporation of Google Drive. One of the old problems of the website was that if Word Documents were changed, they needed removed and replaced with each revision. Google Drive, on the other hand, was seamlessly synced with each revision. Now starting its fourth year, MrHarrold.com serves as the showcase for course video and projects,the hub to other classroom sites like GameLab and Collaborize Classroom, and a solid tool for the internet at large. I've gotten many emails over the years, as the site has gained more links on Google, from other teachers who have used and had questions on my resources.
The reason I bring this up is not just to talk about myself, but to say how far the platform has come. A few years ago, there were very few website creators, but today I had the chance to attend a Weebly training by another teacher, Chris Reilsono, discussing his site and teaching how to design a classroom webpage. With about 15-20 other teachers in attendance, the Weebly revolution looks to be catching on as other teachers begin to make their own pages.
Technology always catches on in waves. There's a few who are oncutting edge (and sometimes get burned), the early adopters who test the waters, the general public who joins later, and the traditionalists who join kicking and screaming. While the traditionalists are still holding out, it's clear the general public is now on board.
In year 2 and 3, I added a number of other features including Twitter feeds, my daily blog, but more importantly was my incorporation of Google Drive. One of the old problems of the website was that if Word Documents were changed, they needed removed and replaced with each revision. Google Drive, on the other hand, was seamlessly synced with each revision. Now starting its fourth year, MrHarrold.com serves as the showcase for course video and projects,the hub to other classroom sites like GameLab and Collaborize Classroom, and a solid tool for the internet at large. I've gotten many emails over the years, as the site has gained more links on Google, from other teachers who have used and had questions on my resources.
The reason I bring this up is not just to talk about myself, but to say how far the platform has come. A few years ago, there were very few website creators, but today I had the chance to attend a Weebly training by another teacher, Chris Reilsono, discussing his site and teaching how to design a classroom webpage. With about 15-20 other teachers in attendance, the Weebly revolution looks to be catching on as other teachers begin to make their own pages.
Technology always catches on in waves. There's a few who are oncutting edge (and sometimes get burned), the early adopters who test the waters, the general public who joins later, and the traditionalists who join kicking and screaming. While the traditionalists are still holding out, it's clear the general public is now on board.
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