Originally posted on December 13, 2011
1 Comment
Have you ever wanted to have students create a website, but either a) students did not have accounts on an appropriate hosting site (i.e. wordpress, blogger, google sites, wikispaces, etc), or b) you don’t want students to waste time on complex coding or layout? If so, then CheckThis.com might be what you’re looking for.
This site is a simple tool for creating websites for quick feedback, but without the hassle of having to log in. It’s as simple as heading over to CheckThis.com and clicking the Start a page now tab.
1 Comment
Have you ever wanted to have students create a website, but either a) students did not have accounts on an appropriate hosting site (i.e. wordpress, blogger, google sites, wikispaces, etc), or b) you don’t want students to waste time on complex coding or layout? If so, then CheckThis.com might be what you’re looking for.
This site is a simple tool for creating websites for quick feedback, but without the hassle of having to log in. It’s as simple as heading over to CheckThis.com and clicking the Start a page now tab.
You or your students will be directed to a blank slate ready to insert information and links quickly. Add a title, and then select one of the green tab options to insert text, a link, or a video. Unfortunately there is no content uploading feature, so images and videos need to be hosted on Flickr or YouTube rather directly on the page.
Once you have inserted your content, then in the top right corner of the page you can select from a few options before publishing.
Selecting the Settings Gear will allow you to mark the page public/private/hidden, as well as how long the page will last. This second feature is great for concerns of privacy. Students work can be marked Hidden and to expire in One Week. This will give you time to assess the information, but greatly reduce the chances of someone maliciously finding your students. This combined with the anonymous nature of publishing provides parameters for strong protection of students that other publishing platforms cannot provide.
The Paint Drop will bring up various Appearance options such as the background image and basic color selections. This will allow you to customize your page, but not provide so many distractions for students needing to quickly publish their information.
When the page is completed, selecting the Publish option will allow students to publish their site without a sign-in or opt to use Twitter, Facebook, or Google to save their work. If work is published without a sign in, a link is given to bookmark for future editing if modifications are needed.
Suggested Student Uses:
- Quick 1-2 period websites to present research
- Share group brainstorms with the rest of class
- Create a website instead of a report and include video and images
- Create quick web portals for various learning topics
- Create quizzes that will expire in one week
- Make a simple class website