Google Sites as ICT Learning in Indonesia: The Benefits and Implementation

Various information and communication technology products began to be widely implemented in school learning. Elementary and junior high school development is a great time to teach technology. One of the popular ICT learning products is Google Sites. Through a literature study, this study aims to collect, observe, and categorize data on using Google Sites for learning in schools. We collected 85 literature sources from national and international articles to find data on the benefits and implementation of Google Sites as ICT learning. Based on the analysis and literature study results above, it can be concluded that the use of ICT by schools in Indonesia is mostly used as a learning management system. The benefits of using Google Sites as a web-based ICT for Learning are categorized into 3, namely: technical benefits, benefits for teachers, and benefits for students. Google Sites as ICT learning can be implemented to develop learning media, counseling service activities, language learning, and online library services. The results of the literature analysis show that schools in Indonesia use Google Sites more as a learning medium than other activities. Nonetheless, Google Sites is a new challenge for teachers to continue to improve their skills in operating technology to improve students’ digital literacy. Keywords: Google sites, ICT learning, elementary school, junior High School, learning medi

The Use of Web Resources by Elementary School Library Media Specialists

This research study examines elementary school media specialists' use of web resources in teaching information literacy skills. In this study, the school library media center web sites from 111 elementary schools in two North Carolina school districts were analyzed. The criteria that were used to evaluate each SLMC web page were developed based on a survey of professional literature. Most of the examined web sites maintained a list of recommended web resources for students. Based on the results of this content analysis, eight currently-practicing elementary school library media specialists were selected and interviewed. The interview responses helped to identify recommended practices for incorporating web resources into the curriculum. Specifically, schools that followed the North Carolina IMPACT model displayed the best examples of integrating web resources. Schools with dedicated staff members who maintain the school's technology and facilitate its integration into the curriculum presented higher levels of collaboration. This study suggests that the addition of a technology specialist as well as the administrative support of the partnership between the media specialist and technology specialist is integral to the promotion of web resources. Additionally, the study showed that the media specialist's interest and knowledge of web resources did not always translate into higher levels of collaborations with teachers. Successful collaborations more often resulted from the media specialist's efforts to promote his/her skills and services

Analysis of elementary school library web sites in southern New Jersey

Elementary school library media centers have the opportunity to utilize a Web site to promote the goals and objectives of the program, assist students with information literacy skills and encourage students to read more. Organizations such as the American Library Association and the International Association of School Librarianship provide guidelines for creating Web sites. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether or not elementary school library media centers in southern New Jersey were using these guidelines when creating Web sites. Using a researcher designed checklist, Web sites were evaluated for information provided for all students, content for all students; content for students in grade k-2 and students in grades 3-5; ease of navigation, visual appeal and provision of information on site creation and maintenance. Results showed that the ALA and IASL guidelines were not being utilized and the Web sites were lacking in both overall content and design

Using the Web Sites of Kindergartens in Parenting Education and the Present Condition in Turkey

Family is the elementary school for children in the process of acquiring knowledge and skills. Qualities of family affect children directly. Supporting families in terms of children’s education and increasing their efficiencies will also positively affect children. Thus, schools should consider not only children, but also their families while providing education. The objective of this study is to offer a suggestion for using the web sites of kindergartens as an instrument in parenting education and examine the web sites of kindergartens in Turkey from this aspect. The study was conducted by using case study pattern, which is among qualitative research methods. The study group consisted of 81 official kindergartens from 81 different provinces and 20 private kindergartens from 20 different metropolitans. Schools in the study group were determined by using typical case sampling method, which is among purposeful sampling methods. The first official and private kindergartens that were reached in the internet search engine by writing the name of province and kindergarten (for example, Tokat kindergarten) were included in the study group. The study data were acquired by examining the web sites of kindergartens in the study group in terms of their content and the acquired data were analyzed via content analysis method. As a result of the study; it was seen that information contents were involved under titles like; Our School (f=81/ 100%), Connections (f=81/ 100%), Announcements (f=81/ 100%), Statistics (f=81/ 100%), News (f=80/ 98,4%), Classes (f=62/ 76,2%), Photo Gallery (f=60/ 73,8%) and Counseling (f=47/ 57,8%) in the web sites of official kindergartens. On the other hand, the contents were involved under titles like; Our School (f=20/ 100%), Communication (f=19/ 95%), Counseling (f=14/ 70%) and Announcements (f=9/ 45%) in the web sites of private kindergartens. It was seen that schools involved information about parenting education generally under the title of counseling. It was also seen that topic titles like parental attitudes, children’s developmental features, children’s nourishment and school adaptation were prominent regarding parenting education. Keywords: Preschool Period, Family, Parenting Education, Kindergarten, Web Site

Mothers' perceptions of children's food behaviors: use of focus group interview study

Children's food behaviors have been expressed in a various ways because of recent changes in their family environment. Thus, this study was performed to investigate in-depth qualitative research on the mother's perception on children's food behaviors by focused group interview. This study was designed in four steps of planning, collection of participants, process, and analysis. Participants for the focus group interview were recruited and sampled from households with elementary school students in the Seoul and Gyeonggido areas. Groups were divided by total income and education expense levels. 1) High income household: It is better to improve currently existing web sites for nutrition education. 2) Mid income household: Easy, practical, and inexpensive off-line cooking class/nutrition education classes for mothers are needed. Nutrition programs for children should be developed through mass media and be promoted in the broadcasting circle. 3) Low income household: Motivation is required for mothers' education and the serious nutritional problems of children should be informed through mass media and home correspondence from school. And interesting educational materials should be developed for children to read whenever they want

Web Portal Design Guidelines as Identified by Children through the Processes of Design and Evaluation

The Web is an important source of information for school projects, but young users do not always find it easy to locate relevant material. A critical factor in success is the portal through which they search or browse web content. Traditionally web portals have been designed by adults with young users in mind, but there is very little evidence that the latter make use of them. In this paper design guidelines are elaborated for such portals that are based upon focus group and operational evaluations by elementary school students of two prototype web portals designed by two intergenerational teams, each comprising elementary school students and adult designers. The evaluations offer strong support for involving children throughout the design process for portals that both in presentation and functionality reflect the cognitive and affective needs of young users rather than adults

Middle Level Education Aims for Equity and Inclusion, but Do Our School Websites Meet ADA Compliance?

An often-overlooked component of a middle school website is the necessity for that website to be accessible to those with disabilities, while following the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Workforce Rehabilitation Act. In support of the belief that support the belief that inclusive education and respect for diversity should be integrated throughout the school, this study investigated the accessibility of middle school websites in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio by selecting a random sample of 150 schools and analyzing their homepages using WAVE (Web Accessibility Versatile Evaluator), which reports accessibility violations by annotating a copy of the page that was evaluated and presenting embedded icons and indicators to disclose breaches with ADA. Out of 150 districts, 54% had errors that need immediate attention and all 150 schools had alerts of likely violations that ranged from alt-text omissions and empty or confusing links to issues with color contrast and keyboard-only navigation. The article proceeds to give practical suggestions for eliminating many of the errors, even for those shareholders with less than sophisticated technological expertise

Using Technology to Enhance Pre-Service Teacher Preparation

Use of the internet to deliver a portion of the content in an introductory science, education, and technology methods course for pre-service teachers provides an opportunity for a much needed introduction to basic computer literacy. A web page was developed for use in conjunction with the math, science, and technology educational methods courses at Brooklyn College. Students are introduced to this page as a group in the computer lab, and work in small groups with more experienced students serving as mentors to other students. The Brooklyn College Science Education Webpage is designed as a simple jump page with links to various resources for science education. It serves as a starting point to expose pre-service teachers to a wide range of resources available to them on the world wide web and in the real world. Students use their internet research skills in open-ended assignments throughout the semester. The web page continues to serve as a resource for students in the next courses in the math and science education sequence. The Brooklyn College Science Education Webpage helps education graduates to begin their teaching better prepared to use technology in the classroom

Integration of Technology in Math and Science Education – A Model for Teaching Elementary and Middle School Pre-Service Teachers

This paper describes the development and implementation of a course, Integration of Technology in Math and Science Education, to introduce elementary and middle school pre-service teachers to real technology skills that they can use in their future classrooms. Activities allowed the students to learn technology skills while using the Internet to enrich their content skills and share information with their fellow students. The course was designed to allow students to master a variety of technology skills, and see how these skills can be used appropriately in their future classrooms, while also increasing their comfort level to use the technology and reduce their resistance and anxiety to use it later in their real-time classrooms. During the class hands-on activities, the students became fluent at using the Internet for enrichment and communication, and at developing strategies for using their new skills to present SOL-relevant lesson plans. Students enter this course with very little in the way of educational technology skills, but leave with a teaching toolbox filled with new skills

School Finance Toolkit: How to Create a Community Guide to Your School District's Budget

If your community-based organization would like to launch a school finance initiative in your community, you can use this toolkit as a starting point. The toolkit walks through the major steps organizations have gone through in their own initiatives, offering advice and examples of tools you can adapt for your own use. The toolkit explores the major challenges organizations have faced in this work, and how they have addressed those challenges. And the toolkit points you toward other resources that can help you find and analyze information about school finance. This toolkit is not itself a primer on school finance. Except in passing, it does not explain how school funding works in school districts. You will have to obtain this kind of background information from other resources (some listed in this toolkit) and as you go along.The toolkit contains five major sections:Get Started. This section helps you set a mission for your school finance initiative, organize your people to get the job done, and find the resources to get the job done.Engage the Public. This section discusses strategies for engaging the public up-front, finding out what citizens want to know about school finance -- and why.Crunch the Numbers. This section addresses the nitty-gritty work of creating a community guide to the school budget, offering helpful tips on finding, analyzing, and presenting information effectively.Put the Numbers to Work. This section talks about ways you can use the information you have gathered as a catalyst for community-wide discussions of school finance and its impact on school quality.Resources. This section contains a variety of tools used by community-based organizations in their school finance initiatives, everything from town meeting agendas to focus group questions to budget analysis spreadsheets. This section also contains references to many sources of data about school finance, many of them just a mouse-click or toll-free call away