At the PTSA Web Training seminar this year, Vice President of Membership Amanda Hockley taught interested members how to update the PTSA website.

Hockley hoped that the PTSA would be able to divide the responsibility for the website development process by putting each member in charge of a page on the site. This would allow any member to keep the website up to date.

During the seminar, held on Aug. 13 in the library, members were shown how to use WordPress, a website management system. They learned through a hands-on approach, adding media and text and publishing edits to the website simultaneously. One member who attended was PTSA president Alysa Sakkas, who felt the seminar was beneficial to the organization as a whole, as well as for individual members.

”I think that each PTSA member should be in control of their own information, so that they can contribute to the website,” said
Sakkas.

According to PTSA Officer of Emergency Preparation Bonnie Hirsch, older generations have to adapt to new technology in order to keep up with those who have grown up using it.

“Everyone, even older people need to learn new technology in the high tech age,” Hirsch said. “My job: they just made an
announcement that they are using Twitter and we have to learn how to use it.”

The PTSA hopes to expand their presence online and teach more members how to use the website. While the changes initiated by the Web Training seminar will not be visible to many users of the website, they may simplify the development process for the PTSA itself.

“I think that the seminar was a success,” Hockley said. “Everyone seems to have learned something new.”