Need Suggestions for "Homework Site"

[MMiz]

Hello,

This might get a bit long, but hang in there :) I know Chicken is a teacher, so I thought this would be the right place to come. I also know that many of you have been in high school or college recently, so this is also a great audience.

I am currently in the process of designing a "Homework Posting / Educational Portal" for Michigan Teachers. As a Secondary Ed student, along with having parents very involved in Michigan education, I have been able to get a lot of feedback on features, but as Chicken will tell you, most teachers can barely use a computer. My mother was in charge of ordering laptops for the entire school district, the largest in Michigan, and when presented with a choice between Dell and a Mac iBook, she picked the pretty one. Just a little background for you, I need you to think "Outside the box."

The site is planned to allow teachers to post their homework, class guidelines, pictures, documents, and other similar items at http://domain.com/teacherid . I know there are similar sites out there, but I also plan to have it integrated with VBulletin to allow teachers to interact. Do you have any great ideas or suggestions I can list for the programmer?

My biggest limitations are server resources (I will only be running this on 1 server), money, and COPPA regulations. I am unable to collect student information. Ive been there, done that, had to get a lawyer, so I dont want to go down that road again.

Enough rambling. Do you have any great ideas or suggestions for this service? Besides allowing teachers to post such information online, could I add additional related features?

Thanks in advance :)

-Matt

[Chicken]

Well, in some ways we are on similar paths. Being the only one at the school who knows how to slap an HTML page together (and not very well), I've been asked to do the school web site. Now, I'd be a bit more gung-ho about the whole thing, except:

Majority of the parents are Spanish speaking (and reading). I'm not.
School server and connectivity stinks.
District web site which leads to all the individual school sites stinks.
Someone started a crappy site, so they can finish it.
Parents are not involved, nor do they have/use computers.

I'd like to do a site, but if it isn't used (which it wouldn't be), then I don't see a point in spending my time (presumably unpaid).

For yours, if you don't integrate it with vBulletin too much, it should be just straight web design, no?

[MMiz]

I actually did a school website a while ago, it turned into a huge legal issue, ultimately having extremely serious consequences.

This new site Im working on in solely for teachers to post their assignments, and that sorta stuff, with the option to interact with other teachers.

So many people go on and on over at WHT about legal this and that, when in fact they havent contacted a lawyer. After talking to multiple legal sources, ultimately contacting one that specializes in educational law, I have found involving students in a live interactive process, no matter what time, leaves me legally responsible, a position I want to avoid.

That being said, are there any additional features that you think would be helpful? Im not looking to make a profit from this site, but instead attempting to increase my chances of getting into my university's Secondary Education program, which is very competitive. Im here to impress.

What would you want for features? My mom, head of her district's IT program, someone who barely can sign online, has no idea of the internet's limitations, and what is possible with a limited budget. I thought you, Chicken, and the rest of the sites visitors could point me in the right direction. ;)

-Matt

[Chicken]

Well, are you going to do the site for the school too? Meaning, pictures of the school, employees, calendar of events (when parent meetings are, breaks, report cards, etc.), ummm...

For the teacher sites... things you can do at home to increase your child's test scores, basic home teaching (mental math, time, money, etc.), ummm...

[MMiz]

This site I am currently working on is SOLELY for teachers from all over the state of Michigan, no specific school, to post their homework assignment online.

That being said, in the bigger picture, IGNORE REGARDING THIS TOPIC, You know just as well as I do that websites for schools are lacking. I plan on offering this homework site for free, and then creating somewhat of a school portal, for a single school or district. I would charge a consulting fee for it, as most of the scripts are free or cheap, but integrating them all into one system is my aim.

I currently have a chat room, bulletin board, alumni directory, staff directory, and a few other items working together. I hope to develop many choices that the school can decide as it fits their specific needs.

Maybe this is a dream that will never take shape, Im not sure, but as I count all the domains, reseller accounts, and scripts purcahsed over the years, I think its about time Ive done something with them.

Right now Its barely on paper, and just starting to take shape on the web. If there is anything Ive learned from all the failed hosts, real-life businesses, and through the few business classes Ive taken, Im not ready to put a "Product" on the "Market" until its ready to go :)

Back to the main topic though, do you have any ideas, as it would pertain to Michigan Teachers, from different schools and districts, posting their assignments online. I have a CafePress store, Teaching Resources, and VBulletin. Anything else? What features do you think would be nice if your child was to view their homework online?

Thanks for all your help, and I think this forum is great. I hope you begin to advertise it a bit more, I think its an additional great resource with a solid foundation :) Best of luck.

-Matt