Behind the scenes…
Before I get into the nitty-gritty of the project itself I wanted to explain a little more about why I’ve chosen to set up this blog.
I decided to set up this site because I felt it was the most innovative and permanent manner to ensure that my Adopt A Tree coursework project would not merely start and end its life as being a mere scrapbook, battered from over-preparation and destined to live its life on a dusty shelf once the project had been completed.
Though I have decided – and still fully intend – to pursue a physical project, in the practical sense, allowing for the presentation of graphs, data, and materials pertaining to the study of my tree of choice, I have decided to include a more interactive classroom-oriented (teacher-and-child friendly) website in my project aswell.
I hope to utilise this website by uploading extensive photographs, videos, podcasts, etc, allowing other teachers to appreciate how the se of ICT in facilitiating a project such as mine can make for a gripping and exciting way to present a study such as this.
Thus far, the process of setting up the website has been a simple project, given that I have a small amount of previous experience in setting up websites similar to this (for example, I’ve set up the website for the Tallaght Library Book Club in a voluntary capacity).
The site is built on the WordPress content management system, which is a free, open-source downloadable program which, when uploaded to a blank website, offers a very flexible and powerful solution to almost any website’s needs. It’s hosted on Register365, an Irish company, where the adoptatreeproject.com domain name was also purchased for use. So far, because I already had use of the webspace (up to 25 sites can be hosted on a single package for €39 a year) and because the WordPress software is free, the online project has cost me, and is only likely to cost me, €9.20 (including VAT!).
I hope other teachers will look at a site like this and realise that they can replicate what I’m doing, very cheaply, for whatever projects or activities they’re getting up to in the classroom.
So – I’m now at the point where I’m ready to pick my tree, have the website set up, and have an idea about how the physical project will manifest itself.
I truly feel like I’m at the beginning of an exciting journey of discovery. I can’t wait to get started!