Dear Otto: What’s a good Website program?

Do you have a tech question?

Dear Otto is an occasional column where I answer questions I get from readers about teaching tech. If you have a question, please complete the form below and I’ll answer it here. For your privacy, I use only first names.

Here’s a great question I got from Kay

Can you recommend a user friendly place to create a class website….preferably free, or close to it! Thanks

I use Wikispaces for my class website. It’s versatile, robust, takes most of the widgets that make a class website exciting, and is free. Here are some of my class wikis:

• K-3^rd grade — http://smaatechk-3.wikispaces.com/
• 4th grade — http://smaatech-fourthgrade.wikispaces.com/ 
• 5th grade —  http://smaatech.wikispaces.com/
• Virtual Keyboarding Class
• 8th Grade Photoshop

I also have my WordPress blog that I know lots of people use as class websites. And then there’s Weebly, which I’ve never used but hear good things about.

An option that isn’t a website, but a great way to hold classes, communicate with students, is Google Hangouts. These are free, though do require a Gmail account to join.

Let me know if you try one.

Readers: What’s your favorite?

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Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-8 technology for 15 years. She is the editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, and creator of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. She is webmaster for six blogs, CSG master teacher, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, presentation reviewer for CSTA, Cisco guest blogger, a monthly contributor to TeachHUB, columnist for Examiner.com, featured blogger for Technology in Education, and IMS tech expert. Currently, she’s editing a techno-thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.

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