I know that many have found Dreamweaver too complicated for schools, especially primary schools, to build and maintain. I know it can make the best sites, and I would like to use it. But I know that the needs of a school web site are fairly clear.

A School website must be easy to maintain. It must be accessible to update, without significant training, by children, teaching and support staff. It must be possible to add pages without worry. Oh, and it must be stable.

I felt guilty at not using Dreamweaver, and having decided against going back to NetObjects Fusion, I thought it was time to give Apple’s iWeb a fair try. It was at SETT 06 that I discussed how the programme worked with the Apple stand, and realised that it could upload to any server. I have to admit I was impressed by iWeb. If you could use a word processor you could make a web site. So I did!

Actually I made two sites over the Easter break. Two days saw a main school site and another secure site for staff, holding planners, forward planning files, drafts and a calendar. Now is the hard part- getting all the content together, the correct photos and agreed text!

So would I recommend iWeb? Well, I haven’t tried uploading anywhere yet! But if that works, then I would have no hesitation. There are limitations, but I know this can be easily added to, updated and changed. The blog and photo album is a great feature, ideal for classes. So, when it’s live I’ll let you know. In fact, when it’s live, you can let me know!

We have worked our way through the wives of Henry VIII. Much as he did! Time for some consolidation. (I nearly said ‘recapitulation’, but that would have been tasteless!)

The children, in pairs, were challenged to tell the story of their ‘wife’, through a quick-make sock puppet. Scraps of material were provided for costume effect. Bits of white labels created eyes and mouths. Each performance was filmed with the video, by the children themselves, of course.

The result, a short QuickTime film with the wives telling the story. Great fun. And it only took an hour. Honest.

The highlight? A very creative beheading complete with headless body- filmed before I was able to step in and be boring! Again!

(The Finished file is 18 MB so I can’t upload it here- but will send if anyone is interested)

What they can’t convey is the buzz of discussion and excitement as the collaborative story was received and finished. Despite a brief loss of internet connection on Colonsay, all went well. Congratulations to the three other schools for what they did.

Over the next few days, we hope to get some art work photos which we will insert to a booklet layout of the story. Were asking our School Board, on Monday night, to choose which of our story titles is best, and which picture is to be on the font cover.

And then we publish!  I’ll try to upload a copy here for anyone to see. And no, I don’t get royalties. Though it’s an idea…!

Can we create a poem between different schools, within two hours, on the day, using email to sent the poem onwards?

(UPDATE: I would appreciate doing this on the Wednesday- so the poem is ready for the Thursday)

We were able to write a short story between four Argyll schools for National Book Day, so I know its possible. I realise we could use Wikis for this, and they would be ideal, but as not everybody is familiar with them yet, I’d like to try email first.

What I propose is that our class here in Kilchrenan starts the poem with a theme and and sends out for the first, simple stanza along the lines of:

Theme: Cats

As black as coal

lying in the cellar.

This would be sent on so that another line could be added such as: As fierce as lions, hunting in packs. The fourth stanza would return to Kilchrenan where our contribution would be to add a summary stanza like:

Were Mrs Smith’s moggies

Fluffy and Snout!

All we need is to set a time on the day (I suggest the morning- 9.30-11.30) and some people to join in. Is your school, your class, up for a poetry challenge?