I am having too much fun putting this website together!  I have been thinking of this as a digital alternative to the traditional classroom newsletter.  In the past, I would use a newsletter to tell parents about our current units of study and remind them of upcoming events.  The newsletter would include the latest words added to the word wall, suggestions for activities at home, and reminders for all-school events.  A website will have many advantages.  It will mean that parents can access the information any time.  It will create an automatic archive.  It will hold much more information than I could fit on a single sheet of paper.  Plus, it's just fun to include links and photos of student work.

My Dear Friends, please help me by telling me what you think!  If your child were a member of 1-H, what would you want to see on this site?  What have you appreciated most from your children's classroom newsletters? 

A note on privacy:  I will obtain parental permission to post a child's photo on our site.  Children will be identified by first name only, and that will require parental permission as well.   
 
My middle-schooler and I discovered that we have something in common -- we both are drawn to exploring new technology.  He knew I was experimenting with a couple of different options to build a classroom website.  The other day, he came home from school and said, "Mom!  Have you seen weebly? It's the best way to build a free website!"  Imagine his surprise when I showed him my work in progress!  Perhaps Dear Old Mom isn't as out of touch as he thought.  Though it's a near thing, certainly.  :-)

Anyway, it's time to see whether or not I can successfully post a video clip.  Wish me luck!

Please keep in mind that this is just a test.  But I do hope you love this performance as much as I do!
 
Working with technology is always an adventure!  I feel so fortunate to have this time to prepare for a wonderful group of first graders next school year.  I am busy organizing lessons, books for read alouds, and doing research into innovations in education.  Task number one is to build a classroom website.  I would like to maintain open communication between school and home, and I would also like the students to know that they can share their work with a greater audience.  I hope one day that parents and family members will be inspired to comment on our blog and make suggestions to improve the site.