First grade teacher Marci McGowan originally created her Web site to provide her students with an opportunity to publish their own work. She also planned to use the site as a way of communicating with their parents. It wasn't long, however, before she realized that the Web site was an effective way of communicating with other teachers as well!

"Publishing my students' work as a way to motivate them to do more and better work has been the driving force behind my use of the class Web site," McGowan tells Education World. "It gives the children a sense of importance about the work they do, and seeing what others have done helps them improve."

McGowan has received favorable response to her Web site, with more than 270,000 page visits since launching in January 2000. Visitors to the site's 170 pages find information about reading and the names of books appropriate for primary students, models of Internet projects and examples of student work, and numerous Internet resources related to primary curricula and creating Web sites. The site also provides interactive literacy activities.

In addition, McGowan explains, "our Web site is 'home base' each day in the classroom. With my help, students find the weather report, search safely on a specific topic, play games to improve basic skills or solve problems, read their published work, and communicate with other classrooms or professionals.

"Almost all our Internet work is done with a partner or in groups," McGowan continues. "The opportunity for collaboration is special, and it offers a chance for many class members to shine; one student may be very skilled with use of the mouse and navigating between Web sites, while another is called on to read unknown words. Both students contribute to the success of the activity and earn each other's respect." "

--Cara Bafile