Rethinking the website

[Amba SParker]

I'm sorry I ignored you Kathy, I meant to come back to you about your comment. I think you and Fox are absolutely right that it is not a 'site map' in any sense of the word, and that it should not reflect the structure of the actual website.

However, it is incredibly useful as a diagram of what Schome is about, how the ideas are developing and what "matters" for this project. I think it is important for those involved to have a 'feel' for all that, otherwise it is difficult to focus our energies in a way that helps us to work together with a shared understanding.

As you say, a simple 'table of contents' is a very useful thing to have on a website, but a diagram showing how everything fits together is useful too (in addition to the table of contents). There is evidence that a concave design for a website with a lot of complex content is easier to navigate. Some good basic tips on accessible design on the excellent, ever-dependable TechDis website http://www.techdis.ac.uk. (Also just stumbled upon this when looking for a bit more about concave designs... http://psychology.wichita.edu/optimalweb/structure.htm ... looks useful, but I know nothing about these people)

... but anyway, I believe Gaea said at the meeting last week that she and Olly had already done a new version on the website 

[Marsbar9 Schomer]

Is this more of a site map? I know it's unfinished...

[Gaea Sparker]

but anyway, I believe Gaea said at the meeting last week that she and Olly had already done a new version on the website  Huh?

Becca is thinking Peter forgets things too easily 

What I have done is produce an advertising leaflet for Schome which, after the suggestions of many staff (and children of staff  ), will now be linked to a webpage (it will hopefully be www.schome.ac.uk/info) with further information regarding each of the aspects in the leaflet.  These include evidence of what students are achieveing in Schome such as videos, images, links to project work on the wiki etc. 

The purpose of www.schome.ac.uk/info is to provide an area with concise information for students about the project, how it works, what they can do in it, how they can do and learn stuff they can't in school, how it is another creative medium etc etc as nothing clear, concise and organised like this exists on the wiki of the main Schome website.  It is something that is sorely needed - and i am not comfortable advertising Schome in any shape or form untill that is sorted out!  I think a draft page should be done by beginning of May/possibly end April.  Naturally i shall point staff to it, to get feed back about what to include/not include.

After the student one has gone live, i plan to work on the "Teacher/parent" info page (which will lead from a link on the www.schome.ac.uk/info page.  On it we can include information regarding safety/security of the island etc etc and the computer specs required to run Second Life®.

The webpage isn't live as Olly still isn't back yet.   

The style/design of the page will be in keeping with whatever is the current Schome design - i am merely collating useful info and evidence in one place!

[Euphloozie Phlox]

I very much like Dan's portal idea. I think it would keep the website looking dynamic. Marsbar's map appealed to me as well because of its simplicity, and meaningful simplicity is very hard to achieve

I also like Peter's map, whilst agreeing with all those who say it's not really a website map. This is true, however it seems to be a very good way for showing not only the history of Schome, but also the evolving framework of the project. If I look at it and think of anything I've been involved with in Schome, like the Home Educators workshop, it is easy to find a place in which to put it.

I think it has potential as a kind of onestop page to show people how the various parts of Schome fit together, especially if you add short paragraphs of rollover text giving a little more info on each node, and have each node link to further information, or to a specific area of the wiki or webpage.
Euph