I mentioned in my last post that I had recently been introduced to Weebly as a website creation tool. It is very intuitive, incredibly easy to customise, and utilizes the best of sites such as WordPress with an extensive theme library, and Wix with it’s drag and drop functionality. I really liked it and while I was initially planning on using Google Sites, I am pleased that I went with Weebly for this piece of work.
Here is a quick video tour that gives an overview of what’s included in the Exhibition website:
I would love to add other resources to this site. I linked to some great resources on Action by Ed-ucation, a curated library of motivational videos by Terri Eichholz, and the library of Visible Thinking routines by Project Zero. If you have a favorite resource, video, app, idea, or download that you would like to share, please contact me and I can add it to the resources on the site.
I think one of the things I enjoyed the most about curating this website was reminding myself of the amazing resources that are out there to support our students as they go through this process. Two of my favorites are The Playbook and Ship It. Both of these I have blogged about previously here and here (and are available in the Downloads section of the Exhibition Website).
As we progress through the journey as a school this year, I want to add in Weekly Checklists and other organizational tools for students and teachers. I also want to add to the websites, videos, and apps as we come across new things to support student learning.
sonya terborg 
Sonya – how fortuitous that I just popped back into my room after a PYPX meeting with the Grade 5 team talking about which technology to integrate, the pros and cons of possibly adding new technology, how to go deeper with what we currently have in place… to see your new Weebly blog on the same. Firstly, as with so much that you put out there, I love the feel of your blog, it is incredibly Presentation Zen (my personal guide for so much, and probably why I adore HaikuDeck). In the downloads section, the categories you use are very intuitive, but the resources that you share there are incredibly thought-provoking and take both students and parents outside of their comfort zone and ‘demand’ open-mindedness to be able to go forth! Grit and perseverance – two of my favourite attributes that I am sure will be in IB documentation when they next update, and of course, perfect for this unit. I could go on and on, so much inspiration for me. I have shared it on, so expect some traffic your way soon. Thank you again for sharing.
Thanks, Paula. You are so encouraging! I really appreciate your comments. Please let your 5th grade teachers know that I would be only too happy to share ideas, brainstorm etc with regard to Exhibition. Grit and Perseverance – I certainly hope they feature in the PYP upgrade/remix! I was reminded of a cute video that is a few years old now at the AGIS conference which I will share here in a new post. Be on the lookout 🙂
Great site Sonya, thanks for putting this together!
Unfortunately, when I first opened the site, I though it was still a work in progress, as the first page only links through to the PYP Exhibition document. That sidebar to launch the other pages is not something that’s intuitive to find and access. Maybe a different layout would help point to everything?
Thanks again, I’m sharing this with out team that’s new to the Exhibition!
Thanks Brian. I was going for a minimal look. I figured with only one place to look (top left) for anything that resembled a menu bar, I would be ok. I have added some text underneath the main image for now. I am not sure if this landing page will stay the same or become more of a blog interface for updates to our actual exhibition once we get started. The site is only 3 days old so lots of time to work those things out. Thanks for passing the link along. I hope the teachers at your school find it useful. Please remind them to pass along any ideas for inclusion. It will only get better the more we all share!
Sonya, this is an incredible resource! The Grade 5 teachers at my school have really enjoyed looking through the resources you are sharing. The Downloads section is a wealth of resources. We are at the beginning days of our Exhibition and are using some of your recommended videos and inspiring minds as part of our provocation – a day of exploring the idea of passion. It will be very exciting. We have also been going through your reflective journal resources, which host a load of great ideas for getting students to explore their journeys. I am in the beginning phases of starting a google site for the mentors at our school to help guide them through the process. Lack of time prevents us from being able to support our mentors and I think that supporting mentors (I am the PYP Coordinator) will, in turn, support student learning. Once I get this up and running I would be happy to share the resources with you. All the best.
Thanks so much! I am really glad you are finding it useful. At my last school, we had mentors from across the whole school. I met with them at the beginning of the process and then about every 2 weeks or so would invite them to come to my room for lunch if they wanted to touch base with me or just as a group. Having clear expectations of what a mentor is (and isn’t) and reminding them that they are a support person (and then putting in place documentation that helps them see that it is not all on them) is really helpful. I would love for you to share the resources you come up with! Thank you!