Group items tagged

Katherine Kerpchar ITEC2360 I found this site to be very easy to navigate and easy to understand. This site also had a lot of good information about the elements and principles of art. This site was not very visually appealing though and did not have very easily found contact information. I couldn't find any information on the last update or the author of the information. It was also impossible to find any contact information to the site with no "about us" page  or anything else of that sort. 

Gary Schmitt September 1, 2010 www.the-art-institutes.info Content: The content of this site is well organized with headers along the top and side margins of the home page. The main purpose of the site is clearly displayed on the home page. Contact information including a phone number is also available in case you desire more information. Most of the content is about the school itself so there is few outside sources being used to construct this web page. Design: The design of this web page is very clear and easy to navigate. Visually the page is very aesthetically pleasing. The visual elements and photographs on this web page suggest that the page is set up to attract younger people who might be interested in college. Overview: Overall this sight seems to function very well and is easy to navigate through information that you might be looking for. It seems as though many design elements were also taken into consideration. The web site uses warm colors that also create relaxing and inviting atmosphere. This web page seems very resourceful and professionally done.

Korinne Thoren 14 September 2011 The Artist's Toolkit Overview: The Artist's Toolkit is a site for students around grades 5-8 that provides an interactive way to study the elements and principals of design. The site is a fun way for students to learn about important art concepts that are at the foundation of all works of art. Overall, this is a fun and educational site. Content: As previously mentioned, The Artist's Toolkit is a site designed to teach students about elements and principals of design such as line, space, balance, and movement. Examples and interactive games are provided for each concept giving the user the ability to see examples but also create their own work. The website contains a link of credits to the creators of the games, etc. but users must link back to the sponsor's page to find any contact information. This site would definitely be beneficial for younger students learning about basic design but would not work well for older students. Design: The design of this site is very appealing and student friendly and the same basic design is used throughout. The website does not, however, contain external links to other educational websites and some of the games did not work on the first loading. Information on the site is well organized and informative and there are lots of good graphics and sounds that enhance the overall site experience.

Posted by Kelsey Potter on January 24, 2010 This website was designed for teachers and schools. Content: Entering into School World it was evident who the audience and what the content was intended for. The content of the website accomplishes the purpose clearly. There was no specific author for the website although the group that published the site was reliable and easy contact information was access able. The website was created in 2010 so it is still a fairly new site. All of the links and content are working appropriately and appear to be complete. The links and information on each of the links are easy to understand and sufficient to the content. There is a plenty of information for each of the links and for background on the website. The website is not biased but rather informative about schools using a content management system and a center for communication and education for the teachers. Design: The website loaded promptly and the homepage was an appealing to the eye. It was clear as to what the purpose of the website is and the different index tabs were descriptive to direct the reader in the right direction. The site sponsor was clear and background about the sponsor was also clear. Contact information has easy access and a 1 800 number was clearly identified at the top of each page. Copy right was easy to find at the bottom of each page. Directions for using the website were not provided but rather self explanatory to use. Each label had more specific labels underneath. The animations were for more of a decoration than a purpose. The website as equal access through different browsers. The organized information on the website was apparent and made the website very resourceful. The same goal is visible throughout the website although nothing was repeated. Summary: Overall this website is a very resourceful place to come for a teacher or a school. School World gives valuable information for the needs of diverse schools and teachers. Teachers

CONTINUED: Teachers have access to a website with content and design for the in the classroom and outside the classroom. School World is build by three elements including: "applying Web technology best practices, proactively listening to district and school personnel, and staying abreast of the education industry's trends and happenings." The website has accomplished many different awards in the limit time it has been offered. This is a very reliable, useful and beneficial website.

Overview: This website is directed toward preschool and childcare professionals. Its purpose is to teach these professionals more about play based learning and how to bring these elements into the classroom. Content: The content of this site is reliable and professional. The creator of the site posts her entire background of working in childcare facilities. Her seminars are posted for viewing and the information given has resources to back it. The site also provides different links to sites that use this play based learning approach, and you can browse their sites for more information on how they run their programs. Design: The design of this website is good. The pages load quickly and all the URLs are correctly linked and are available. The pictures used are relevant and tie to the material. Navigating this site is also very direct and easy to follow.

Gary Allen Jan. 23, 2011 Overview: I really enjoy the History Channel because it is both entertaining and educational. This website is very much the same. Not only does it have an endless array of topics to study, it also has games, videos, this day in history, and many other neat items. Content: Like I mentioned above, this site is packed full of content that can be used in numerous ways as an educator or as a student. The A&E Television Network authors the site and it is being updated all the time. Here you can find pretty much anything you want to concerning any part of world history. However if your search terms aren't specific, you can get an overload of results. Design: The site is designed very well with plenty of eye catching elements and graphics. Main navigation is made very simple across the top of the page and with most systems and connections the site still loads quickly. Overall I think the design is more than sufficient to keep your attention without being too distracting.

Regene DePiero 9/5/2011 Overview: The purpose of this site is to provide resources for math teachers.  It provides publications, teaching standards, and classroom resources.  It offers a long list of helpful tips for math teachers as well as project and lesson ideas. It is an easy to use site with a clean design layout and provides lots of relevant information. Content: The site offers complete, well organized, and easy to understand information.  Although lacking in any real interactive elements, it fulfills its intended purpose to serve as a comprehensive resource for math teachers.  The content seems to be updated frequently although no revision date could be seen aside from the copyright notice.  The sponsor of the site is clearly listed and links to other relevant sites and resources are provided.  Information appears to be accurate, although no specific author is credited. Design: The layout is simple and easy to navigate.  The table of contents is clearly listed to the left  and is accessible from any area on the site. A similar layout is used throughout the site and links are well organized.  Contact information is easy to find.  The site is lacking in multimedia elements but the links provided bring you to more interactive sites.  There is definitely enough information provided her that makes this site useful to any math teacher or future math teacher.

Content This site is very informational, and helpful when searching for information on the cattle disease Brucellosis. The authors of this site are easily found, and show that these are credible authors. The information reaches its attended audience well, and the site has very reliable information. The site seems up to date, and has all the needed elements to get a brief overview of the disease. The content of the site is free of bias. Design The design of this site is more plain, but still has everything needed to make a nice internet source. The site has many hyperlinks to other diseases which makes it helpful to find lots of information in one place. All links are working properly, and add to the content of the site. This site is well worth visiting if you are interested in cattle diseases such as brucellosis. Attribution The site has its multiple authors listed at the bottom, and also contains a Privacy Policy link. This site has many different places the information was obtained from, and it sites all of those sources at the bottom.

Posted by Allie Parrott 09/17/09\nEducation World as it says on the site is "an educator's best friend". On this site there are ideas for lesson plans, education games, and even ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. Content: This site has a ton of information. Although there is information for all ages, it seems more geared toward elementary school teachers. There are links for every subject. Math practice, punctuation of the day, and writing instructions are all in one spot. However there are five main categories to make a teacher's research quicker. These include: Lesson Planning, Professional Development, Technology Integration, Administrator's Desk, and School issues. There is even a convenient search bar located at the top of the page if the previous options do not fit that teacher's needs. The site is updated daily. This is extremely beneficial for a returning user. There are a lot of links and buttons to push before the user reaches their destination, but once there the information is clear. Most lesson plans are completely done for the user. There are also educational game instructions ready to be printed out. It's very easy for teachers to use. Everything is copyrighted by Education World and they can easily be contacted by selecting the link at the bottom. I would consider this site very credible and useful tool. Design: The design is fantastic. The most important links are at the top of the page in bright colors. Almost every link is in alphabetical order, making it easy to come back to a particular one. It is very colorful and flashy. There are a lot of advertisements down the right side of the page, but surprisingly they do not draw attention away from the information. The links work flawlessly and quickly. The feature that lets one searcher on the world wide web, or strictly in Ed World is also a helpful element of the design. Attributions: I would feel save using this site to get ideas for my class. There is contact information.

Content- This site would be very helpful in finding different lesson plans, and tools needed for Ag teachers. This site is very easily navigated, and the intended audience is very obvious. This site has many authors, but gives main credit to the Georgia Agriculture Curriculum. There are many links to other sites, and they all seem to be working properly. There are many different links to lesson plans that would be very helpful for a teacher. This site is very well organized, and has many different helpful elements. This seems to be a very worthwhile site with very great information. Design- This is a very "busy" site, but has so much great information that the amount of activity is very helpful. All of the graphics are very helpful, and add to the content of the site. This site has a great amount of information, and is very well worth the visit. All information is easy to find, and would bring many new ideas to a teachers classroom. Attribution- It is easy to contact the administrator of this page, and the copyright name and date is on the bottom of the site.

Alyssa Maurer ITEC-2360 Prof. Craig E. Shepherd Web Resources Evaluation The website, Americans for the Arts (www.americansforthearts.org) is an interactive resource website that specifically dedicated to promoting, sustaining, and supporting all art education within the United States. The main intended audience of this website is educators, professors, students, and individuals interested in supporting the arts within their communities. The website includes the local, state, and advocacy for art education to precisely portray their purpose to their audience. The research for supporting the arts is included along with forums to connect to resources and alliances within communities across the nation. The website seems to be full of valuable information and ways to connect with others within your community to share and explore ways to support the arts. The content of the website is specific and to the point. The mission of the organization is easily found and the creators of the organization can be contacted directly through email. They have a newsletter section along with blogs that keeps the viewer up to date and able to comment and discuss topics online. Their research studies and publications are all uploaded to the website showing that they have dedicated research to proving the importance of the arts. There is a lot of content within this website which is almost overwhelming though when first visiting the site. It would take a lot of time to explore the entirety of this website. The design of the website is modern and nicely organized. The drop down menus allow for the design elements of the website to be consistent throughout the entire website. Important links to different parts of the website are shown in bold blocks that are in yellow and red, demanding attention. The images shown are usually of individuals allowing you to visualize the author and or the subject from a lecture that is summarized. Ways to connect to the website is shown through soci

Posted by Craig Shepherd on 9/16/09 Overview: Wikipedia is an open-authoring encyclopedia. The purpose of the website is to provide information about any topic to the general public. Content is generated and reviewed for accuracy by the public. Although public documents can include inaccurate information--particularly on hot topics, much of the content is stable. Links to other pages generally function properly, and content is easy to understand. Content: Although maligned by many individuals as a site that promotes inaccurate information, Wikipedia has much educational merit. However, based on the Wiki style of web design, anyone can make changes to articles and can do so anonymously. This means the learned as well as the ignorant have equal access to contribute. Although references at the end of articles may support the credibility of a work, they do not guarantee it and require additional time to peruse. Because authors can post anonymously, it is difficult to tell whether the article is accurate, timely, relevant, authoritative, and so forth. Yet, recent news events highlight the work of this organization to increase credibility of their content. Additionally, one of the purposes of a wiki is to foster collaboration and group authorship. Although individual contributors may not be listed, inaccurate information can be quickly corrected--though it takes some understanding of wiki syntax which may be difficult for beginners to learn. Despite potential inaccuracies, Wikipedia is a good place to begin your research if you realize that contents may contain biases, inaccuracies, and unsupported claims. Design: The site is well designed. A common look and feel permeate web pages, ads and other distractions are not posted, graphics and other visual elements often highlight important points, and links to related articles are prevalent. Several languages are also supported. Modification and revision dates are clearly displayed and the wiki allows you to

Trevor Lenell The first website I am going to evaluate is Wikipedia.org. The educational site that we have been told to never use for a paper because it is editable by anyone. The intended audience for Wikipedia is someone who just wants a quick overview of the subject they are looking for. It does not cover in-depth content or have large amounts of research in the articles. Everything is available on Wikipedia. All you have to do is search anything in google and Wikipedia article will almost always be in the top three links to show up. The design of Wikipedia is actually fairly good. It loads quickly there's a table of contents for each page and it is easy to find the information you are looking for. The content of Wikipedia is where things get a little shaky when it comes to looking for quality information. Since anyone can edit any page aside from a few that have been locked the information of Wikipedia is not necessarily the best way to find information. We do not know who has edited the site or what their credentials are and we have no way of knowing whether it is a great set of information or a joke put on by someone with an internet connection. There is however a bright side. At the bottom of each Wikipedia article there is the references. These are a great tool to find what was used and what is available to use outside of Wikipedia with the same information. These references are a great way to find academic information from good quality sites and can be used when searching through Wikipedia to find actual research. The design of Wikipedia is pretty good. It works equally well on my internet explorer, Firefox, and google chrome. It loads easily, is easy to navigate, and easy to read. Each graphic and audio file on the site serves a purpose to support the material being read. Overall Wikipedia is a great site to navigate and its shortcomings stem from it being able to be edited by anyone. The next website I will evaluate is NationalGeographic.com. An ed

Rachel Linke\n8/31/10\nITEC 2360\n\nOverview\n The site that I found that was overall good was called: An Education and Child Developmental Site for Parents. As it implies in the title the intended audience of the site is for parents, and I would also include any adult that is interacting with school-aged students would also find this site valuable. Within the site there are many topics to choose from and therefore many resources available for a wide variety of topics ranging from preschool to High-school. Overall I thought that it was a well put together site with a lot of useful information that was easy to access and organized well. \n\nContent Evaluation\n In the end I scored this website as " Worth bookmarking for future reference." I thought that the content was very informative and there was a lot of information that was organized in a way that was user friendly I think that this is a huge part in whether or not the website is ranked highly. Some of the points that it lost marks on however were the aspects of authors, were unclear and hard to find. I also did not happen to find a lot of interactive elements like video, however the site had numerous levels, topics, and directions to look into and I did not explore everything. \n\nDesign Evaluation\n My overall score for the design of this website was "Very well designed and easy to use." My first impression of the site's homepage is pleasant. There is a lot to take in but everything looks to be well organized and in its place. It has a lot of eye appeal, and there is a clear indication of a table of contents area. The design of this website scored highly for me across the boards. One thing that was slightly unclear was about the date of last revision. The copyright was updated in 2010 but there was no specific date or indication of a date other revisions had been made. \n

Education.com looks to be a site that could even help those who wish to homeschool their children. However, as I was doing my assignment the site went down. I tried several times to get it back up, but was unsuccessful. From what I saw the content was good. The design seemed to be a little bit confusing because I was able to navigate a little before it went down. I hope they get this problem fixed. :)

Morganne Harper. Education.com is a website that contains multiple education resources for parents or teachers. It has things such as worksheets, activities, workbooks and games for children grades K-High school. You can also find articles about education on this site. The basic features and account is free, but to get the "plus" access you have to pay a monthly fee. At a first look, this website is very clear in what the purpose is. If you scroll to the bottom, you can see links that would lead you to who has sponsored and created the site. The last copyright is 2006, but there are articles from 2014, so the site is being updated with current information that is relevant to students and teachers now. Information found on the site seems to be accurate, and there are multiple resources from different sources, so it is not a one-sided website. You are able to see other sites and groups that education.com is related to and working with. They make this very clear and easily accessible. The home page loads quickly and immediately gives you a toolbar that is easy to follow. You can hover over the links on the toolbar to get specific grade levels or content area. Everything is laid out so you can navigate through the multiple pages and resources without any trouble. The graphics that are used are helpful in the areas in which they are placed. They relate to the topic that they are next to and provide hints on what that topic might be about. Overall, the site is organized very well and would be very easy to work with, even for a first time user.

Gary Allen Jan 23, 2011. Overview: As the title suggests, this is a website designed to help kids learn about American history. The site is authored by a man with much experience in presenting history for kids and includes a link to his biography. Content: This site contains many easy to follow links, a glossary, interesting facts, a search box and even some educational games to help present the content. Also included are links to other sites of similar content and a weekly newsletter. There is no date for the last revision of the site, but there is a link to contact the author and ask questions.  Design: The site is fairly simple in design with the main navigation across the top, another menu of links down the left side, and ads on the right side. The lack of flashy elements helps the site load extremely fast however. Navigation is very straightforward and clearly labelled.

Overview: This website's purpose within in a classroom could be for research papers and projects. Each student could choose their own topic and then navigate the links easily to learn more information with concise bullet points, pictures, correlations to current events, and related games. This website included topics in several areas but primarily history, geography, economics, and government. Content: This website has a wide variety of upper elementary social studies information including even broader topics of history, geography, government and economics. The home page had a general toolbar that provided information about the site and the creator. On the left side was a huge bar that linked to many specific history topics such as current events, teaching resources, timelines, and maps. Once you have clicked on a topic from the side bar there are even more links to even narrower research areas. This would be a good site to use for students to create a research project about a topic that they are interested in. There was only one link found that was not up-to-date. Design: The design is not very appealing especially for young children it initially looks a bit bland. Once you have picked a side link and narrowed your topic there are visually appealing pictures and games to go along with the information being taught. The home page took a while to download and had an ad that was generated more towards adults pop-up. The site is easy to navigate following all working links. The website did not work well in Internet explorer but did work well in Google Chrome.

Brianna Gillespie 9/14/11 OVERVIEW: This website is to teach students about the many different subjects related to social studies. Students can use this website to answer almost any questions they could have about social studies. This website is mainly for older children because it has a lot of reading that may be a little difficult for younger children to comprehend. CONTENT: The content includes current events, games, economics, geography, presidents, states, and many more. Within each subject are a variety of links to choose from. Each link is focused on a main point of the subject. There is also a section on the main page titled "This Week in History" with some facts about a certain event that happened in the past. DESIGN: The design has some color, but is a little bland. However, each page has a piece of clipart on it, so it is not completely boring. Children would be able to navigate around this website fairly easily too.

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.

Ryan Magrum Sept. 15th, 2011 Overview: The site is an online game site known as Armorgames.com consisting mostly flash games aimed at wasting time. However, there is a game Armorgames offers called CellCraft. While CellCraft is fundamentally a game, there are many aspects of it that are very educational. The goal of the game is to command a cell to grow and function as an animal and/or plant cell would and utilize all the functions and organelles as would an actual cell. The game explains all of the functions of the organelles you control and gives some information on the different parts of the cell, how the cell utilizes energy, and reproduces and fights off attack. The instruction in the game is similar to a high school biology class. Content: The game has multiple levels. Each level has a specific goal for the cell which the user controls. Each level also give some explanation of the new organelles available for use as well as the intentions of the antagonistic elements that an average cell has to deal with on a regular basis like infection and replication. The game has instruction for both plant and animal cells and all the included features of cells. It focuses on teaching the user how a cell operates and how to create a strategy to help the cell survive. The effects of the game are very close to reality - neglecting the very fine details. Design: It's a game. It comes with instructions. The game goes chronologically, so to speak, beginning from a time where the user can only move the cell around, to growing and fighting off infection, then to exploring new worlds and avoiding extinction. Just like in a biology class room, the student is expected to learn the basics and then think critically about problems using the basic knowledge to solve the problem, so does CellCraft. The game takes the user, educates the user on how a cell works (and I mean just about everything one would learn in a general biology class), and sends the user off to ke

Overview - Kinderart.com is a strong resource for elementary art educators where they can find lessons, teaching kits, supplies, community, and more. Content - The content and the intended audience are apparent from the get go at Kindart.com. The authors of the site, Andrea and Jantje Mulder-Slater are credible in their art education backgrounds and have provided accessible contact information. The site is kept current, indicated by its recent update and its up and running links. Content is purposeful for art educators and should be easy to navigate by its simple organization. My only complaints are in the pop up ads. Design - The design elements at Kinderart.com are clean and crisp for the most part. Aside from a bit of clutter near the foot of the home page the tool bars are easy to spot and navigate. Labels are appropriate and links are well organized. Again, my only complaint are the pop up ads.

Nathan Wonnacott 9/9/11 Overview: The purpose of Kinder Art is to supply teachers and parents ways to teach art. There are many lesson plans as well as supplies at the site. The pull-down menu contains a direct link to several art topics, craft ideas, and contests. Content: The first impression of the site is for teaching children, but it is littered with advertisement on the side bars. The authors, Andrea Mulder-Slater and Jantje Blokhuis-Mulder, are described as active and efficient teachers. Contacting them is a hassle, but possible. Overall, the content is updated and relevant, but is easy to say that major revisions are needed to make this site effective. Design: This site is not particularly fast, efficient, or effective. To obtain information one needs, he or she needs to navigate for a few minutes. I found a few dead ends when searching links. For the time it takes to finish searching, the information is not efficient.