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November 5, 2015By Melanie Mitchell '18
There is a new course for students at VASJ who are interested in expanding their knowledge in managing, editing, creating and updating websites. The Website Management course at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School is open to any student who is interested in learning about all that goes into running a school website.
The course became an elective last school year at the suggestion of the Website Management instructor Mr. Gary Minadeo ’74 who wanted the students at VASJ to be more involved in the school’s website. Though other electives were also recommended, VASJ Academic Dean Tim Neary ’03 saw the value in the Website Management course.
“The Website Management elective was approved over others because it introduces the
students to practical, real-world knowledge,” says Mr. Neary.
The team of nine members in the web management class will be focused on managing the school’s website, incorporating the use of Google Sites, improving journalism skills by interviewing students and writing articles, and overseeing the creation of a new website.
The work done in VASJ’s website management course will impact the students, teachers and staff at VASJ and anyone who uses the website. Most important, it will get students actively involved in the process of improving the site.
The students in the web management class are quickly realizing that managing the VASJ website is a pretty challenging task. From keeping all links and dates updated, to writing and posting new articles in the news section, the VASJ website is constantly changing and expanding. The students in the website management course will help oversee the school’s website and make sure all of the information stays accurate.
Incorporating journalism into the Web Management curriculum will allow more stories about current VASJ students to be shared with the community. The Web Management students can write articles about seniors and their college decisions, students who receive academic and athletic awards, highlight school activities and more. This will help feature more stories on the VASJ website that celebrate the successes of our students. Students in the web management course can also interview and highlight the great teachers at VASJ.
One way to improve the school’s website is to introduce the use of Google Sites. Google Sites is an online application that makes easy, simple, and sharable websites. Incorporating Google Sites at VASJ will allow the teachers to make class websites for their students to post homework assignments, the course syllabus, helpful videos, and much more. Google Sites also can be used for students who want to make a simple website about a club, a sport and other various activities at VASJ.
One of the major goals of the website management course is to create a new, more interactive and functional school website. The new site will help increase engagement in the website by making it more mobile-friendly and allow the students in the web management course to update the site. VASJ senior Olivia Vidmar has taken the lead on the website overhaul.
“Due to the growth of technology and mobile use, VASJ can attract more site users also by having a mobile friendly site” says VASJ senior Olivia Vidmar ’16. “We would also like to make it more creative and add new features into the design of the website”.
Web Management has big plans for the future of vasj.com. The students in the course hope to create as many improvements to the site as possible.
“We want our students to understand a hands-on website, and to improve on journalism,” says Mr.Gary Minadeo. “Most importantly to get the students involved and oriented.”
Even if the improvement is as small as making sure a date is accurate or as big as creating a new website, the goal of VASJ’s Web Management course is to make the school’s website better for the people who are using it.
If you would like to provide feedback about our current site, please take the User Inquiry Survey here.
Melanie Mitchell is a sophomore at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School. She is an honors student with a GPA of 3.6, a member of the soccer team, a student ambassador, a member of academic challenge, is involved with drama club and a member of philosophy club. After high school she plans to go to college and major in theater.
