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Morgan Kuchta September 1, 2010 Blackboard.com Overview Blackboard (Bb) is a company with a website (Blackboard.com) that is similar to eCompanion used here on the UW campus. It provides an online domain for teachers to post assignments, announcements, proctor tests, host chats and discussions, and post grades. It is an interactive site for teachers and students to communicate and use as a resource. Bb is obviously aimed at the education audience and has different tools for everything from kindergarten to college. I have used Bb in the past in high school and it was always a very effective tool. It was dependable and very user friendly. I would highly recommend this site to all educators wishing to use an online forum. Content Summary At first look, Blackboard is an extremely well organized website, it gives its purpose on the home page and all major pages for the site have tabs clearly labeled at the top. The author information is not available, however blackboard is a company that provides an online forum for teachers and schools to use as a means of communicating with their students and promoting online learning, so it more than likely has more than one author. There is an email address for any support that you need and they also have a frequently asked questions section, broken down by the type of client you might be, i.e. teacher, student, designer, or administrator so you are likely to get your question answered right then and there. The site is very up to date and claims to be adding new features about once every few months so it stays current. The Information quality of this site is great, it is obviously a business and their purpose is clearly stated and easy to understand. It has links to all their concurrent sites that have other tools you can use to make Blackboard more accessible to you and your students i.e. Bb Mobile. Design I had no trouble downloading the home page. Although it is not full of bright colors its appeal states its purpose: efficie

Amanda Lamey January 24, 2010 Overview The website is designed for people who are eager to think outside the box and like puzzles. This was a ".com" site allowing me to find a website that had more "no" checkmarks then "yes". This particular page did not list an author or copyright date. It was clearly laid out and easy to read. It had step by step instructions. It had pictures of each move to help individuals who are visual learners complete this task. The point of this website was to help you solve a Rubik's cube, but without the last two steps it makes you think outside the box to solve it. Leaving you stranded like that could make it frustrating or make you mess up your previous steps, leaving your cube unsolved. Evaluation of Design This site was not very appealing to the eye. I think that it could have used a little more color and used more colorful words. It seemed to the point and simple. Although I have tried to solve a Rubik's cube a few times and it's a lot harder than the directions appear. You can move through the website easily and understand the content. There are not directions or any other tabs that allow you to navigate to a related page. The directions are clearly laid out in steps. The last two steps are missing and in order for you to get them you have to purchase them. At the very bottom in small print you can click the contact us tab for further information or questions regarding general information. Content This website was not copyrighted or revised at any time. It is a ".com" meaning that anyone could have added their own spin on things and it was not edited or reviewed by a group of higher individuals. There is no address or frequently asked questions. There is a contact tab that leads you to three different emails. The site is a trademark of Seven Towns Limited. The grammar and spelling was accurate. The site was easy to navigate through and understand. The purpose of the site is to show you how to solve a

Alyssa Maurer The website Teaching Channel is designed to connect teachers to one another across the world. The site also provides video demonstrations of in class techniques that can be used for video reflection and coaching. The audience is for teachers across the country that can influence and assist one another. The entire website is based on connectivity between all teachers who visit the website. The website also acts as a social networking site by allowing visitors who register with the site create profiles. My impression of the website is that it could be a very useful tool for teachers to continue to improve their lesson plans and to be able to retrieve constructive criticism. The Teaching Channel as a website seems to be very useful as a teaching resource for teachers. It was created specifically for teachers to connect with one another and share their experiences in expectation that the audience can gain knowledge from others practices. As a visitor of the website you can also select grade level and topics to further a specific search of videos. Along with the videos which is the main portion of the website they also have a blog, newsletter, and questions and answers page. The website is created by a non-profit organization that clearly defines their mission, contact information, terms and conditions of the website, discussion guidelines, video guidelines, media coverage, and frequently asked questions. The site seems to be quite user friendly with a modern look to the setup of the website. A critique of the website would be the visual aspect of the website. It also only allows teachers to interact with one another and forgets to include students and parents. The site does seem to be modern and created in our generation for easy access and navigation. The videos are filtered by subject so that each teacher can easily navigate through the website to reach the desired subject area.

Overall of Website This website is used to help kids study by using online flashcards, hangman, and a bug chase. The audience this website is intended for are children who need help studying. There are many different subjects that can be studied and tests that you can study for using the games. The site has a good purpose but everything seems really cluttered together and it would be annoying trying to find the subject you want to study for because the website is not organized very well. Content Summary At the first look of this site it was clear what you could do and what the site was used for. It clearly states who the authors are and where you can find more information about them. There is contact information so you can ask more questions that can be answered by the site authors. The information is all up to date as of 2011. But the information is not updated frequently only every year. The quality of the information is good for studying and can help you but it seems hard to get to and many different links can be confusing. The information on the site is up to date and accurate. Design Summary The website loads fast and the links are all pretty fast to load. The main page of the website is cluttered and not well organized and the table of contents is not organized well. The copyright date is there and noticeable at the bottom of the page. It is hard to move through out the website because it is poorly organized but once you find your subject of study it's easier to navigate through. The website has a good graphic material and has a clear purpose. As far as content presentation, the content is labeled clearly but not organized very well; overall the website is not well organized.

Posted by Allie Parrott 09/17/09: Homework spot is a site that simplifies the search for popular homework topics assigned to students K-12. It can also be used by parents and teachers. Content: This site covers a variety of topics. There are even virtual field trips. Other benefits this site provides are SAT tips, current events, and how to write a great book report. Students can find almost anything they need here. The site was last updated today. The incoming information is always fresh and relevant to what students are learning today. There are not only articles from their own authors, but also links to articles that may provide better information for the student. Information is presented in a clear manner. The sight is sponsored by a bigger company StartSpot Media Works Incorporated. HomeworkSpot would help any child navigate their way around the internet. It is also beneficial because the sites that are recommended are credible well researched sites. Design: The most helpful part of the design is that is separates the topics in to age groups. There are a number of links under the heading "Elementary" and the same goes for the headings "Middle" and "High School". This way there is no time wasted, looking but information that is above a child's head, or below their level. The only flaw in the design is that the user has to click at least links to find what they are looking for. However, once they find it the information is most likely exactly what they are looking for. There are Google ads, however advertising is only on the homepage and is kept to a minimum. Attributions: The most helpful link for this is the "About this Site" link. It gives the user all the necessary information about what the site is about and who is running it. It makes the purpose very clear. This would be another site I would recommend due to its fairly obvious credibility. \n

Caitlin Pilch 8/31/11 Content: At first look, this website is obvious as to what the content is and who the target audience is. The information providers are clearly shown. The information is current and updated frequently. The information on this site is educational and informative on the subject. The content of the site is clear, easy to use and valuable. Design: This website is organized, quick to load and visually appealing. The provider (NASA) is clearly identified. It is easy to navigate, use, and the directions are clearly stated. The graphics are great and the website works without problems on Internet Explorer. The website and its contents are current. Overview: The purpose of this website is to teach and entertain children about NASA and space. The intended audience is for elementary school aged children. There is a wide array of activities for different skill levels. On this site, users can play games, read about NASA, watch videos, ask real astronauts questions and look at real pictures of space. Based on my summaries, this site appears to be educational easy to use, organized and fun.

Kayla Hyde 10/20/2013 Overview: This website is made by NASA to help children understand and explore the topic of space. They do this with games and challenges to entertain and educator the student. It is a great resource to help add another element to a lesson about space. Content: This Website is very organized and easy for both kids and teachers to use. Just looking at it at first glance, it is obvious who that target audience is, kids of all ages. All the information is current and up to date. Design: This website is easy to use and is organized very well. At a quick glance, it is easy to see what the website has to offer and what you can use to enhance your lesson. The activity links clearly show what the target goal and information displayed in the game.

Overview: This site offers learning tools for students as well as lesson plan ideas for teachers. It offers online resources to teachers and parents as well. It has interactive learning from games to activities kids can do for hands-on learning on topics such as math, science and language arts. Content: The homepage is laid out in a child friendly way. It is organized and grouped in all the different subjects so kids can find things easier. The author is hard to find but it is an educational sponsored site. There is a place on the bar left of the screen that offers a link to ask questions about the site. The site is frequently updated to keep the resources current. Design: The design is fun and brings value to the site with its interactive graphics. It is a great site for children to use as well as teachers. There is a table of contents to navigate to different links easier as well as places to seek help for problems. All links uploaded easy and were very organized so you didn't feel lost.

Randi McInerney September 15, 2011 Overview: The purpose of the BBC Learning School Beta website is to promote and provide educational materials for students, parents, and teachers. This website would be great for k-12 education and teachers and parents of those children. The site offers educational games and learning tools, resources for teachers, tips for parents to help improve their children's education, and education related news articles. The content and design are very visually attractive and extensive. Content: There is a lot of content available on this site, but it is easily accessible. There are interactive games, video clips, news articles, and other activities and information. The website has extensive information for all of the intended audiences. There does not seem to be any reliable contact information available besides a "feedback form" to send criticism or praise and "frequently asked questions" are also available. Design: The website downloads correctly and quickly and looks very interesting and organized. The site is easy to navigate, even without directions. The site could be used by a primary aged school child fairly effectively because of the clear labels and ease of navigation.

This is a great site! I'm definitely using it in my WebQuest.