Group items tagged

Posted by Lyndsey Neelands on 9/19/2009 Cool Science is an education website branched from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The purpose of this website is to inform the community about science. Content: This site clearly identifies its material and the authors. This website is authored and updated by a medical institute so its information is up to date and accurate. The information is also for many different ages and skill levels. Also, there are resources for teachers available at this site. The links to other sites are relevant and working properly. This website would be helpful to any elementary or secondary science teacher looking for up to date research. Design: This website is very easy to navigate and very appealing. The website is organized and all of the graphics add to the purpose of the site. The links are appropriate and contribute to the value of the website. The sponsor is clearly identified and is easy to get information on. This Cool Science website is an extension of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute so a lot of the links go to other resources from Howard Hughes Medical Institute. This is significant because the design of the pages is consistent, even when using a link to navigate from the homepage of Cool Science.

Overview Report: This website is called the "Institute of Education Sciences" and it functions on educational research, assessment, development and statistics. They strive on helping raise the bar for all educational research and evaluation. They work on developing a better understanding of education and schools, as well as studying how development and research can help create more successful schools. Content Summary: I was quickly able to determine the basic content of this site. Right when you open up the web page, it talks about the "Institute of Education Sciences" and I knew right away that it was an educational website. The intended audience was for educators and researchers. There are further websites for more information, and the links are placed in an organized manner according to content area. The purpose for this website is informational. It is informing and educating people on the importance of educational research. The content of this website shows that it is made specifically for the importance of educational research and the further knowledge of educational resources. Design Summary: The homepage downloads quickly and efficiently.There were different tabs that were displayed for different areas of knowledge, and there were tabs that told me about who the director was, and what her credentials were. There were a lot of links that provided further contact information, and there were many links that lead to other websites as well. I felt like this website was reliable and relevant to my research.

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.

Posted by Kelsey Potter on January 24, 2010 The web page was intended for students looking to pursue their education in the education field. Content: The web page loaded quickly and the audience is obvious to the reader. I could not find an author or any contact information to contact a source. Although the source of the website was very clear on each page. No information was given that the webpage had been updated frequently but each of the links was working appropriately. The purpose of the webpage was clear upon entering the site and each of the links was purposeful for the content of the site. The webpage was a little overwhelming with all of the links everywhere throughout the page and the information is also somewhat confusing. Although with all of the links there is a sufficient amount of information given on the webpage. The webpage is designed to fill in information to directed someone to a more specific topic which is a beneficial. None of the information on the webpage is bias, it is all given facts. The information is consistent and grammar is accurate. Design: Loading onto the webpage without very much color and a lot of words is not only overwhelming but is not as appealing to the eye. Although the information on the page is clear and there is several index to guide someone in the right direction. The sponsor is clearly identified but information on the sponsor and contact information were not identified. Copy right date was included on the webpage. Moving around the site was overpowering in that there were so many different links to click on and without directions was a confusing process. There were no graphic on the webpage which would have made the page more appealing. There is enough information on the site that makes visiting the site worthwhile but maybe almost too much on the first page. The same format was not used throughout the webpage making the page harder to read. Summary: Overall the webpage was overwhelming and confusing. T

Elise Verley September 9, 2011 http://artofsciencelearning.org/ Overview: The site is a resource for using art to help students understand science. Its intended audience is teachers and is developed by The Learning Worlds Institute. It is a great idea but they don't have any ideas available for how to combine science and art. There are several conferences listed to attend, this is their primary focus currently. This may be a young site and there will be more information available on the site soon. Content: They have articles of research available that proves that using hands-on artistic approaches to teach science attract and retain students in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. They have related websites and articles listed so there are more sources to find out more information on the topic. Design: It is a basic website, that is easy to navigate the information available on the site. There is not a search function but the information on the site is easy enough to find that it may not yet be necessary. There is an RSS feed that has their most recent postings as well as profiles on social networking sites. There is a forum for teachers to interact and share ideas.

Overview: It is very obvious upon entering this webpage who it is designed for, as it states in bold at the top of the page within tabs: "For Clinicians, For Patients, For Institutions, For Educators". I'm not sure it could get clearer than that. Also very obvious is the purpose. The biggest words on the page are: "Tap into the world's largest clinical community". I think this is a very credible website because all of the articles and websites within the main website are edited and written by doctors (MD). The biggest downside to this website is that you must subscribe to the website to see all of the content and a subscription is very expensive. Design Summary: From my first look, this site appears simple, yet very easy to navigate. There aren't a lot of bright colors or images to distract from the information of the page, which is beneficial, because you can find what you are looking for immediately. At the bottom of the page, the site provides a list of sponsors or partners including; Society of General Medicine, The Endocrine Society, American Academy of Family Physicians, Wolters Kluwer, etc. I had no problem using the website in Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer. The information is very up to date (as the name suggests!). Finding contact information is also simple (1-click) and they provide a phone number, fax number, many special purpose email addresses, and an address for an office in the United States, as well information for their international offices.

Scott Chanthongthip on January 23, 2010 Overview: The National Science Foundation (NSF) website offers diverse areas of science studies. Many of the research articles are conducted by educational institutions, which the NSF provides grants or funding to. The homepage offers an update on the most recent research released in the press. NSF website can be useful for students that may want to look into topics of interests. I would recommend this more for teachers to grasp a subject matter better, so teachers may choose age-appropriate science knowledge for students. Content: The website was last updated on November 5th, 2009, but it has updated press releases related to science from the past few days. The NSF funded research studies posted on the web site. The search tool bar at the top right of the home page offers an easy way to look for a scientific topic of interest. Each search renders multiple links that relate to the search query, and none of the links is broken. The pages on the website have a lot of content and to many people that use it, the conglomeration of links and words can be overwhelming. The purpose of this site is clear, because it states it at the bottom, "Celebrating 60 Years of Discovery." The NSF research posts are credible because most of the information is tested through research from higher educational institutions. Teachers for K-12 can click on the link "classroom resources", under "site features" on the right side of the home page. I found this part to be helpful in finding interesting ways to teach science in the classroom. When teachers choose "classroom resources" links, site re-direction may proceed to help teach subjects of interest. There are also educational grants and science funding for teachers for K-12 and for classrooms from K-12. Design: The design of the website has so much information and links that it may be intimidating to try to navigate. Once one spends a little time at the site they

Beau Pitt 1/31/2011 mises.org Overview: The Ludwig von Mises Institute is an educational website with a clear bias towards the education of the Austrian School of Economics. Its main purpose is to advance "the scholarship of liberty in the tradition of the Austrian School" of economics in opposition to the commonly taught theories of John Maynard Keynes. The website is generally directed towards more advanced students who are interested in a more practical view of economics and is particularly geared towards those individuals already interested in the subject who wish to further their education. This is a very powerful website that offers updated daily articles, audio and video presentations, blog discussions, various events, and even offers online courses through the Mises Academy. Additionally, there are a variety of links to related social networking sites and information sites that greatly add to the quality of the website. The website further expands on its quality by presenting a well-designed home page with an attractive "coat of arms" style logo that catches the eye and helps to achieve credibility. Content: At the first look, the user of this website is able to determine the basic content and audience of the site simply by reading the title. Authors are clearly identified and information is provided about who they are and it is even possible to e-mail the author about their articles! All information is presented either as daily updated articles or in an archives section with dates provided for when the contents were first published or presented. All links are current and work properly. The site is very well organized and easy to navigate. It is clearly biased in favor of Austrian Economics and more conservative principles, but the information is accurate and well-researched. There are many educational options and activities that aid in furthering the user's understanding, and articles are all reviewed by the operators of the web

Hannah Streeter 2/1/2010 Overview- This website had great potential. Unfortunately, it falls short in my opinion. It's a spelling game, but its content is weak, and It doesn't do a lot to help improve or correct. Content- You open the website and come to an explanation page for the game, which honestly would be hard for anyone but a teacher to read if they were there to use the website. Once you start the game, there are five categories to choose from. when you open the topic, there are a bunch of pictures and a wheel of letters. you pick a word and try to spell it. If you get it right, they congratulate you, and you move on. If you get it wrong, the website only tells you you got it wrong. It doesn't do anything to correct you, or help you learn. I see this as a MASSIVE flaw. Design- There isn't much going on on the website. It is very simple. The pictures are clip art animation. I like the fact that the word is spoken, as well as the letters as you pick them. The letter wheel does this spin thing that seems cool but takes forever to load the letter you pick or find letters, due to the fact that it stops at the arrow, then doesn't reset so A is at the top, which is frustrating to me as an adult. There are no links to anything else, except the "contact us" button. So its kind of a cool idea, but it could definitely be instituted better.

Nathan Wonnacott 9/9/11 Overview: The Smithsonian Institution web page is a way to allow people to access the galleries without visiting the museum and provides insightful ways to teach students as well. The target audience is parents, teachers, and even students. Some of its topics are history, science, art, and technology. I believe this site to be a very useful tool in educating. Content: The first impression of the Smithsonian webpage is a sense of variety. There are pictures of exhibits and links to others not depicted. It doesn't appear childish, but more for anyone interested in American history. Once I explored, I found that the links work successfully and are full of up to date information. The website does leave out links to other sites, which limits resources to the site alone. It also doesn't specify an author, leaving only the sponsor to be contacted. Design: The setup is both fast and easy with organized pull-down menus. The pictures and references to their exhibit are detailed, useful, and attention grabbing. Activities are also available, and help to locate new information. The pages are current, last revised on July 6, 2011. The site is effective and worth visiting.

Posted by Mitchell Clark 9/18/09: HippoCampus is an interactive homework site that provides homework help in math, science, psychology, history and religion. Content: HippoCampus is a simple but very effective homework help site sponsored by the Monterey Institute of Technology and Education. This site uses a combination of resources to help students understand the basics of nearly any level of math, science, psychology, history or religion class that they might encounter during high school or college. The lessons on this site use images, audio and user interaction to help with the comprehension of the material at hand. In addition to this there are also Spanish options for subjects such as calculus and algebra. There are also links to actual text books, but they are deceiving. It turns out that instead of being able to view the text, the user is presented with a video interview of the textbook's author about a certain subject. This can display a certain bias if the interview is conducted poorly. Another potential problem with this site is that it was last updated in 2007. Now for some subjects such as math or language arts this is irrelevant but for subjects such as science and psychology this could result in the absence of new and important information. Aside from the "textbook" links, this site is so well organized that the user can easily find the exact chapter or concept that they wish to review with just a few clicks of the mouse. Design: This site is well designed and very easy to navigate. There are four advertisements but they are organized neatly on the right side of the screen and are nothing more than links to scholarship information and additional resource sites. The sponsor of the site is clearly stated at the bottom of the page and there is a link to their contact information. The site is mainly composed of two sections, the first being a list of general subjects that the user might be interested in, i.e. math and the second section is where

Elizabeth Schnell Overveiw: This website provides information about the American Revolution. You can navigate and click on the articles that are relevant to your class that day. This is user friendly to the teacher and the student. Context: The context of this website is reliable. They are sources out and provide information a good textbook would but in a different format that is more interesting to a student. Design: I don't like the way the navigation is setup on this website is. it makes it a little more complicated to find the information you need.

Casey KarchOctober 6, 2012 Overview:  The purpose of this site is to inform the reader on current news happening in, on, or around the ocean. It is set up so all ages can use it, but the home page is more for a literate patron due to the scholarly articles. Children can use all kinds of programs throughout the site, such as ocean portal, to learn about the ocean and it's inhabitants. Educators are benefited with an entire link to help with lesson plans. Resources are abundant and vary in type. There are articles, media videos/pictures, and social networking connections to name a few. Overall, a user could not go wrong with this site for an educational purpose. The Smithsonian sponsors Ocean Portal and all content can be trusted as a viable source. Content: At first look, the content is exceptional. Content of the site is easily determined. Information on the author is not available because many people compose this site. Authors for individual articles can be found though. The information is current to date, new articles are always added and old ones kept on the site to reference. Information quality cannot be rivaled; all information is acceptable for education. Design: The design of this page is extremely well done. The home page is eye catching and informational as well as all the subpages. When the user wants to navigate, links are clearly labeled and it is easy to maneuver. Multimedia is everywhere; a form of multimedia backs almost all articles. The revision times for Ocean Portal cannot be found, but the site is well kept. 

TeacherTube is an educational resource found at teachertube.com. It is a filtered, child-safe video website based off of the popular video site called YouTube. The site, geared towards teachers and students, was initiated by a superintendent from Texas named Jason Smith and is maintained through uploaded user content. TeacherTube is a fantastic source of videos to supplement lessons of all subjects in an elementary classroom. All content on this educational website is current, and its copyright has been updated as of 2015. All video links are informational and relevant, and some information about the people who uploaded each of the videos is available; however, no contact information is provided for the website. Also, the audience and subject matter of the videos are easily determined. The site's credibility is improved by its associations with the American Institute for History Education, Glogster EDU, NASA Ares, and other highly esteemed educational online resources. Over all, TeacherTube provides reliable, audience-appropriate, educational content to students and teachers alike, making it an excellent tool to use in a flipped-design classroom or to supplement any lesson in an elementary classroom. The website's design allows users to easily navigate TeacherTube's videos. The homepage displays a sample of educational videos and organizes them into rows by audience and then by subject matter: teachers, parents, students, and then math, science, and history. Each video shows appropriate content according to the subject and audience it is labeled. Additionally, users can search video channels or specific usernames of people who upload videos. This simplistic format of the homepage is consistent with all other pages, making navigation easy for users of many ages and ensuring efficient loading on any web browser. Clearly, TeacherTube is a well-designed, user-friendly, educational resource for teachers, parents, and students to find credible and informational

A free community for sharing instructional videos and content for teachers and students. We are an education focused, safe venue for teachers, schools, and home learners.

Jaymes Talkington January 23, 2010 http://www.gilderlehrman.org/ Content This is a great American history site. It is full of historical documents, maps, and podcasts of historians by era. This site also contains curriculum models and quizzes for history teachers to use in class. It also has a lot to offer for students as well. Most of the information is either talked about by a historian, or comes from digital copy of a historical document so it is cited and creditable. The content of the site seems to be updated daily. Design The website is pretty user friendly and simple to use. The headings are noticeable and specific. There is a search box instead of an index. The site loaded regularly with no delays as did the podcasts. There is no unnecessary advertising on the site. All the links I tried seemed to be sufficient. The browser capability works for Internet Explorer. There doesn't seem to be any 'out of date' material on the site. Overview The web site seems to be mostly for the use of teachers; however I think it has a lot of information that can be used by students. The historical documents, maps, and podcasts are primarily for students, but can also be used by teachers. Its main purpose is to educate, and aid teachers with American history. I think this site would be very useful for teaching an American history class or even writing a paper on a certain event in American history. I was impressed with the amount of information the site contained.

Information on child development including prenatal, physical, intellectual, language and social development.

Ryan Pinkston January 22, 2011 1) The site provides the information and tools parents need to understand the uniqueness of children and to enable them to help each child develop into the successful human being they were meant to be. Their mission is to help parents develop a positive parenting style that leads to a family where parents and children can listen to each other, support each other and have fun playing and enjoying family activities. 2) Content Credibility- It is easy to determine the basic content and intended audience. The authors of the material are available and easy to find. According to the information given the authors appear qualified to present information of this topic. I couldn't tell when the last update occurred but information seems up to date. The website is well organized and the information is easy to understand. 3) Design Overview- The page downloaded in a timey matter. It is a little boring to look at, however, it is clearly organized and has tabs highlighted in different colors depending upon the information you are seeking. The site definitely has information worth visiting; the information is all clearly labeled and organized. Information is easy to find and the links are easy to use. They have links that lead you directly to the staff that provide the information for this website. 4) This is a website that I would use to help parents understand their children. It has a ton of information that can be used to help parents better understand and help their children.

great resource for finding images