Creating websites - why?

Today we started our new IT unit, creating websites. Mrs. Wilson had originally planned to create websites in groups and enter the annual Think Quest competition, but it turned out that we are not allowed to do summative group projects in Grade 10...we're still making these websites, but we'll be having our own contest. We will each be creating our own website from start to finish, on any topic of our choosing.

The internet is slowly taking over our entire lives. When I was younger, browsing the internet was just a hobby that I took up after school. Nowadays, I do nearly all of my research assignments online, I keep a blog for my IT grade and I was even internet-schooled due to the swine flu! As we saw in our last unit, more and more people are going from passive internet users to active content creators. It has become a lot easier to upload your own point of view on the internet, and this new trend is nicknamed "Web 2.0". More than adding a little to a Wikipedia article, however, it is good for teenagers like us to actually take initiative. Creating an entirely new website develops our risk-taking, writing, critical analysis skills: all competences that we could really use in our daily lives. Designing a website is not only an initiative project, it can also help people express themselves. When chatting to friends online, or participating in web boards, I'm usually more outgoing than I am in real life. For shy people, creating a website can really be a way of passing on information that may be useful to others but that they were not eager to share. Finally, websites make us understand we are part of a global community. Anyone will be able to access our finished sites, whether they are in the classroom or in Brazil! The internet breaks distance limitations and gives us a chance to inform not only the people we know, but the entire planet.