Building Bridges

"I first created Mr. Saylor's Virtual Classroom for the children in my classroom and their parents," Scott Saylors told Education World. "I wanted them to use it as a tool to stay better informed about what was going on in my class, as well as in the school."

For Saylors, getting his fourth grade students and their parents to interact with one another and with the computer seemed like a win-win situation that could have positive effects in the classroom. "I hoped that the interaction would strengthen the student/parent relationship, which would in turn help students perform better in my classroom," he explained. "The anecdotal evidence to support that theory has been overwhelming."

Saylors' site offers a Trivia Fact of the Day and a Quote of the Day. In Educational Resources, Saylor provides links to lesson plans and Web sites -- categorized by subject.

"Some teachers are intimidated by the Internet and feel it is not a resource that can be easily integrated into the curriculum," said Saylors. "If my Web site can help break down that barrier in any way, then it's a success!"

Saylors hopes his site will continue to serve as a model for other teachers in his school system and beyond. "I have already helped other teachers and administrators in our system plan and build Web sites for their classrooms or departments," he stated. The teachers in Saylor's school system are already beginning to see how easy it is to create a Web site.

"I hope visitors to my site come away with something that they can take back to their classrooms or schools to share with their students and faculty," Saylor added. "I feel very strongly that as teachers we must continue to share ideas that will enhance our enjoyment of our profession, and thus enhance the experiences of our students."

Article by Cara Bafile
Education World®
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