Revising Websites

[ginlindzey]

I'm in the process of revising my Latin website. You can see the progress at http://www.txclassics.org/drippinglatin.htm. I don't have all the pages done, and I just now changed the home page ever so slightly. I have in the header, like I do at the www.wheelockslatin.com website, a revolving list of Latin phrases that change every time the screen refreshes.

I thought I'd also add a sidebar of tips for studying Latin, reading Latin, etc. So now I need to compile a list. I had a "tips" page on my old website, but it was more lengthy in its description of things to do. Students need simple things. I confess I've gotten this idea in part from playing BRAIN AGE on my son's (now mine because of behavior--his not mine!) Nintendo DS. That is, on BRAIN AGE tips for stimulating the prefrontal cortex often appears after you finishing "training."

ANYWAY, websites can be very important. It is often the first thing that parents or other teachers see of you; it can be the first thing students see of you.

A good website has to be USEFUL. It has to be something that will attract students, and not just because of links to games or online worksheets that the student lost the first time you gave it to him/her. In fact, I have no interest in having my worksheets online. They shouldn't treat worksheets as something that can be lost because it can again be retrieved offline.

I need to find out about Latin chatrooms....I don't know enough about the vRoma moo stuff; time to figure it out, I guess. After all, this could satisfy, in some ways, that 5th C= Communities. Maybe it would be better to have something like a blog that others can log onto...like what eClassics has set up (that I have not yet signed up for). A discussion...

OH...I could have a web page for writing/revising stories in Latin! Think of it...one for each level of Latin. A voluntary composition page that would JUST BE FOR FUN! Rewriting endings of CLC stories would be fun, or writing other stories...

Extra credit COULD be given to those participating in the construction of new stories....

Ah, brainstorming here is always *good*.

Comments

[ancientstudy.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

I appreciate you making available your Latin web site. I will certainly make use of it for further reference!

New lj username

[filialucis]

Hi Ginny -- this is Polyphonia speaking. I just changed my LJ username and wiped out my friend-of list in the process, so could you please re-friend me under the new name?

alternative stories

[(Anonymous)]

Remember Publius and Furianus? For our latin class we wrote continuations of their "adventures" as well as alternate versions of Hamilton's myths.....If your AP goal is Vergil, mine his vocabulary for fun words--use Pharr if you want the most frequently used words.

Some kids find this fun, some don't

ken

[terrathree.livejournal.com]

I was just looking at your web site again and noticed your "The Latin Zone" powerpoint, and have to tell you how much I like that! Do you use it at the beginning of the school year, or at recruitment events, or is it just up there for students to access on their own? I'm really impressed with it; if you don't mind, I'd like to steal some of it to use with my new Latin I kids.

[ginlindzey.livejournal.com]

I use it at the beginning of the year with the Latin 1's (it was originally designed for my middle schoolers), to help them understand the importance of endings before we ever begin.

I had a student comment the year before I developed the PowerPoint that Latin started out so easy...and then it got confusing with the sudden realization about the endings. It was as if endings didn't matter for the first month or so.

Therefore I decided to explain up front that it is designed to get you used to the language and simple sentences up front, that complexity would grow with the endings.

ANYWAY, Rick LaFleur has the PowerPoint downloadable on his new distance learning methods course. I probably should change how I have the powerpoint posted too.