Here's a list of my "least favorite" educational websites. Although they are my least favorite, I have to confess that I have a sort of love/hate relationship with each. I've provided information on each site, and given a little explanation for the "love/hate". :)
PE Central.org is one of my favorite websites and one of my least favorite websites at the same time. It is one of my favorites because it has great resources that are in one central location. It is a great place to find ideas for new lessons or find easy to follow lessons that you are already teaching to print for your substitute.
This is also one of my least favorite websites because of how jumbled, busy, and difficult to navigate it is. I use it because it is a great resource and do not have a better option. But the design of this website is terrible and it could be organized a lot better.
This website provides a lot of great resources for teachers to use in the classroom. It provides lesson planning ideas which include interactive activities and games to use in the classroom. Also, professional development activities are provided on topics such as classroom management. Additionally, there are many technology integration ideas provided. There are also newsletters, blogs, and other resources on this site.
I was not a fan of this website because when I first clicked on it a pop up came up. Also, I feel like there are a ton of links and little words all over the website. It seems overwhelming. I did not like navigating this page, therefore it is one of my least favorites.
I use Wikipedia for personal use only. You never know if the information is accurate. Students love Wikipedia for some reason. (It is always the first website to come up for websites).
Wikipedia is a controversial source. I like the source for quick information for personal use, but I do not like it as an educational website. The main complaint for the site is that anyone can change it. That is not why I do not like it. I do not like it because I think it leaves out critical information on many topics. It is a good tool for getting quick easy questions answered but not for in depth answers to tough questions.
Although this website has a lot of good information on it at times, it can not be depended on to provide accurate information to teachers or students. Since anyone can post information on this website, it is not reliable for students or teachers to use in the classroom for important projects or lessons.
I assume everyone's seen this site. If you haven't it summarizes texts and information. But it's one of my least favorite sites, as an English guy. It just cheats kids out of thinking for themselves. It's not 21st century learning-students don't learn to think or read critically, they just regurgitate the information they read here, which does more harm than good.
This site is a favorite of my students, but not one of mine. I have reservations about this site because it teaches our kids that they do not have to pick up a book and read it. It encourages them in a sense to be lazy.
This was becoming popular when I was in high school. Instead of reading a book - just learn about it online. Just another website that makes it easier for students not to learn. (4 of 5 least favorite websites).
I dislike this website because students feel as though they can use this instead of reading the book that is required of them. A lot of times, it even gives false or inaccurate information about the book being searched or read. It only provides students with overviews and chapter summaries and takes away from the details that they could be reading in the actual book.
Ed Helper is one of my least favorite websites because you have to pay for the resources which are only worksheets which as teachers we can access those from any workbook.
Teacher Tube is similar to Youtube but the focus is on educational videos. The reason I listed this website as a least favorite is that is not user friendly. The organization and search feature can be frustrating.
This is my least favorite website because it is similar to Ed Helper however you don't have to pay for the resources. But it is just simply a collection of worksheets.
This site is kind of fun. I put it on my favorite list, but I think the text is way too small. Also, Flash presentations are going out soon because they aren't well supported any more. HTML5 is the ticket these days. In any case, the site is educational and interesting. I had to try several of the drills.
This site has great interactivity and good response mechanisms. I could see kids using this to practice their pronunciation and reading skills. The language allows clicking on individual words, where they then sound out loud. Check out the Earth Day section - you can drag recyclables to the bins and hear the words. Great! Lots of color, sound, kids voices, and animation make this site fun
This website is a great internet tool for emerging readers and struggling readers. Students are able to listen and view tutorials to learn letter sounds, how to use letters in words and how to build sentences. This phonics tool is helpful to students that struggle with traditional instruction but are able to engage with web 2.0 tools to help further their understanding. This website also has additional tutorials and interactive games for holidays, seasons, and more advanced readers.
Starfall is designed for Pre-K-2nd grade students. The goal of this site is to help kids read better by using phonics.This site is on my least favorite list because this site needs to add more interactive elements to it. Students are given the option to click on the words but I feel that having interactive games keeps the child interested