TheApple

 Here's an interview with a teacher who came up with a cool idea:

1) Mark, I understand that you are giving away free website services to 100 K12 school districts. How did you come up with the idea of a quick and easy way to develop web sites in the first place?

I was a teacher, so I know how hard-pressed people in school systems are for time, and yet how much they want to present themselves professionally to the community.We took at look at the current technology in the market, and felt they were too difficult for most people to use, and if they did, the results were mediocre anyway.So we built School Loop Standard.

2) Now how did you come up with the idea of giving away web services to 100 districts?

We have a fantastic upgrade to the free service called School Loop Plus.We figured that it was worth the cost of giving 100 districts free services because so many would love it and want to upgrade!

3) What do you mean by a New Web 2.0 drag-and-drop content management system?

Web 2.0 is really about community-driven content.We married that idea with some cool technologies that make it easy to build and redesign sites on the fly, including drag-and-drop page layout and design, and site management.

4) I know that some people think "web sites" are the way to communicate , but not all parents have access to the Internet. Your thoughts?

Web sites are lame ways to communicate.They are one way, and worse, in most districts, they are organized around the institution rather than the user.School Loop Plus builds sites around users, so not only do districts and schools get great sites, but users get custom homepages.The information comes to them!And, if you don't have a computer, we are finalizing a relationship with TeleParent to help teachers deliver key messages via phone to people without computers.

5) I guess that a web site for schools would be a great way for parents to know about upcoming football, basketball, track, soccer, cross country, tennis and golf matches. 1) Mark, I understand that you are giving away free website services to 100 K12 school districts. How did you come up with the idea of a quick and easy way to develop web sites in the first place?

I was a teacher, so I know how hard-pressed people in school systems are for time, and yet how much they want to present themselves professionally to the community.We took at look at the current technology in the market, and felt they were too difficult for most people to use, and if they did, the results were mediocre anyway.So we built School Loop Standard.

2) Now how did you come up with the idea of giving away web services to 100 districts?

We have a fantastic upgrade to the free service called School Loop Plus.We figured that it was worth the cost of giving 100 districts free services because so many would love it and want to upgrade!

3) What do you mean by a New Web 2.0 drag-and-drop content management system?

Web 2.0 is really about community-driven content.We married that idea with some cool technologies that make it easy to build and redesign sites on the fly, including drag-and-drop page layout and design, and site management.

4) I know that some people think "web sites" are the way to communicate , but not all parents have access to the Internet. Your thoughts?

Web sites are lame ways to communicate.They are one way, and worse, in most districts, they are organized around the institution rather than the user.School Loop Plus builds sites around users, so not only do districts and schools get great sites, but users get custom homepages.The information comes to them!And, if you don't have a computer, we are finalizing a relationship with TeleParent to help teachers deliver key messages via phone to people without computers.

5) I guess that a web site for schools would be a great way for parents to know about upcoming football, basketball, track, soccer, cross country, tennis and golf matches. Do you think schools could or would share information about (gasp!) academics?

Websits are great ways to build the "brand" of the school.The core information families need are the day-to-day assignments, grades and so on of their kids.We make it easy to do both, and many districts do just that.

6) I assume that a web site would allow parents to communicate directly with teachers and teachers to communicate with parents- am I correct?

Most websites provide a way that parents can email teachers, but because it's public, there's no way to get rid of the all the spam, viruses, and otherwise mean-spirited email that could flow in from the outside.School Loop Plus includes in in-network email system called LoopMail.No spam, no viruses, everyone publishes in their real name.

7) Would parents be able to communicate with principals and or the guidance counselor?

Yes, per above.

8) Any fears about hackers getting into people's e-mails? (I recall somebody got into Sarah Palin's e-mail recently). (And if they can get into a governor's e-mail, that's really scary!)

Sure.The biggest vulnerability is password protection.Users should be careful when creating passwords. Try not to use your own name plus the number 1, for instance.And under any circumstance, do not share your password!

9) Do you have a web site where people can learn more about School Loop? What other products do you have to offer to teachers, parents and schools?

Visit us at www.schoolloop.com. Our two services are School Loop Standard and School Loop Plus, and both are fully explained on the web site.

10) What question or questions have I neglected to ask about SCHOOL LOOP?

Why did I start the company?

I was teaching at a high school in San Jose, and saw that things could be much better for everyone, and that few kids would fall through the cracks, if people had a system to collaborate and communicate that was designed especially for K12.So we built it.



Published October 12, 2008