Group items tagged

Emily Lewis 4/15/15 This website is the teacher's website on PBS.org. It is called PBS Learning Media and provides lessons and resources for grades pre K-12. The website is intended to be a resource for teachers to use when looking for lessons, videos, games, or activities. Overall the website looks helpful and well put together. The content of the website ranges from a variety of lessons and videos from different providers. The name of the provider is clearly posted under the link to the resource. There is a list of media types you can select from such as images, documents, webpages, videos, lesson plans, and more. There are various subjects and grades available to use. The website is current and presents quality information that achieves its intended purpose effectively. The content is consistent with the standards and free of bias because it is merely a way for teachers to find resources. The design of the website is very pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate. The homepage is attractive and there is a column on the side to easily narrow down your search. This column includes grade level, subject area, language, accessibility features, permitted use, and media type. The websites that appear on the page include a picture, a title, the media type and the name of the provider, which makes it very easy to navigate. The option to find resources in Spanish or English can help teachers cater to the students with English as a second language.  Overall the website is very well designed. 

Sara Scribner Students will use this website in my webquest to investigate advantages and disadvantages of the newspaper in today's society.

The site is a collection of articles and blogs as well as many other events and resources for teachers to keep updated on education around the world. The article in this link is about social media and teachers using it in their classroom. The audience is a teacher base. This is for teachers and leaders who are competing with social media for students' attention. The website is clear and concise. As a first time viewer I can see right away what information is available to them.

Kerensa Aris 10/12/12 North Carolina and the Civil War The purpose of this site is Civil War education. The intended audience is students, teachers, parents, etc. It is appropriate and educational for any age level. Resources available on the site include links to external sites, pictures from the museum, and interactive media such as videos and virtual tours. My overall impression is that this is a very high quality site maintained by reliable sources and very well designed.  The website was very well designed and easy to use. All pages load quickly and are compatible with multiple browsers. The homepage is attractive and you can tell where you are immediately as well as the site sponsor and the index is readily available. Navigation is very easy, links work properly, and directions are provided for virtual tours. The site contains vast amounts of information that is easy to find and revised often. However material is not added often as the entire site is about the Civil War.  Based on content, the site is very useful for information needs. The content and intended audiences are quickly and easily determined. Authors of the material are clearly defined and information about the authors and sponsors as well as contact information are provided. The purpose of the site is clear, content is complete and well organized, and information is accurate and sufficient for user purposes. Interactivity is provided through various media. Information is reliable and educational. 

Lyle Wiley September 10, 2011 Overview: Shakespeare Help is clearly a for-profit site focused on attracting educators which attempts to sell Shakespeare teaching resources on a front page. But this site contains many linked educational resources from other sites for 10 Shakespeare plays which include current links with lesson plans, texts, power points, and current research articles. The linked resources are the gem of this website. These appear to be frequently updated, relevant, and helpful resources for the teacher approaching a Shakespeare play. With that being said, Shakespeare Help itself has very little free original content to contribute on this site. Content: The bulk of the useful content on Shakespeare Help is found in the linked material to external resources. In many ways, the site works as a nicely organized list of helpful links for the educator approaching Shakespeare. This is helpful to notice, as the authorship information for the original content on the site (which is being marketed to sell) is not readily available to the reader. This puts into doubt the reliability of content, but as the mass of the free useful content is external, this does not make the website unusable for educators. The site is updated frequently and many of the links would definitely be helpful for Shakespeare educators. Design: The relatively simple design of the site is easily navigated even if it is not extremely eye catching. The website loads speedily and follows simple indexed lists for informative links to be found. The frequently updated links all appear to be live and are extremely useful for teaching purposes. There is very little original site content available for free, but the available information is well organized and easy to locate. There is little media content on the site, but there are some nice external links to some quality media content. Essentially, Shakespeare Help works well as an external links site for teaching resources.

Lyle Wiley September 10, 2011 Overview: The About.com Shakespeare site is a resource site for educators and students dedicated to the Bard. The site is intended for educators and students and would mostly benefit the novice in all things Shakespeare education. The site contains many linked brief articles with Shakespeare information, historical background, lesson plans, teaching tips/ideas, and a frequently updated blog. While the site is housed in a template web page with few interactive media features and little eye appeal, it is well organized and certainly provides some useful information and ideas for educators needing a jump start in Shakespeare studies. Content: The basic content and intended audience for the website is easily discernable. Furthermore, the author of the content along with his credentials and contact information is readily available. The content of the site appears to be frequently updated and the author looks to at least post a blog entry monthly with new or updated site information. The information is well organized and easy to access and understand. While the site is relatively free of bias, there are a number of advertisements which often distort the flow of information but not severely. There are few external links (outside of About.com) on the website and no real media interactivity tied to the information. However, the information on the site looks to be accurate and certainly provides some good information and ideas for educational approaches to the works of Shakespeare. Design: While the homepage downloads quickly and the site navigation (complete with clear indexes of site content on the front page) is easily managed upon entry to the site, the immediate feel of the site is a naked template. This may not be eye catching, but the ease of information dissemination is handy. There is essentially no multimedia in play with this informational site, but the information communicated is worthwhile, succinct, and well organized.

Chelsea Eisenbarth 9/11/11 Overview: This website was developed by the Missouri Historical Society in devotion to teaching about the museums, history, and educational ideas with Lewis and Clark. The site has a page devoted to and made by educators with lesson plans as well as other pages devoted to information using different media types. There is video as well as written information on the topic. Content: In addition to providing information on the Lewis and Clark expedition this site also provides a section devoted to educators and lesson plan ideas. The lessons were developed by teachers and provide a rubric of content covered in each lesson and the different grade levels that they can be associated with. The content seems up to date and all of the different links are in working order. There was possible bias in that they are trying to get people to visit their museum but overall the information seemed valid regardless. Design: The design didn't appeal to my personal taste, I thought it was ugly but it still served its purpose and the site was in working condition. I liked that there was different media options for obtaining the information and the lesson plan page was convenient. Everything seemed to be in working and current order and overall the website looked to be helpful for a future teacher.

Kaci Philpot Overview: The intended purpose of this website is to provide elementary level students with fun and engaging games that build different skills and knowledge. Teachers can use some of the games for supplementing lessons such as; "volcano explorer", "chill the spill", and many more. Even games that don't seem like they would be educational are full of facts about various subjects and environmental awareness. Content Summary: For "First Look" I could not highlight the information because it was not in a text format, but the audience and basic content of the site are very clear. There were no specific authors listed for the games or information. The credibility of the authors is evident though because at the bottom near the copyright statement, it states that the company/sponsor is #1 in non-fiction media. It also has a very clear link for any questions about the site that works properly. I found it hard to find the latest revision date, most likely because the website mostly has games, but the content must be updated frequently because it has games that are up-to-date with the environmental issues today. All links to other sites work properly. In the "Information Quality" section of the evaluation, the website received all yeses. There are biases. However, they are clear when glancing through the content of the games. There was not any further information related to my purposes, but I did not really need any because I was only looking for games and activities to supplement lessons. Total yeses: 18 Total no's: 2 Total N/A: 1 Design Summary: The homepage uploaded very quickly and received all yeses. It has very strong eye appeal, it's clear what website you are visiting, and the copyright date is clearly stated at the bottom of the homepage along with the sponsor/provider. The navigation is easy and instructions for games and such are very clear and easy to follow. All internal and external links work properly. And internal links a

Brienna Gregor 10/11/12 Overview: This site would work best for students from late elementary to high school levels (5-12). This website is intended to help students and other educators understand the underlying factors of predicting volcanic eruptions. Available resources provided include: Melting Rock, Dynamic Earth, Judging Hazards, Forecasting, Coping with Risk, and more. Initially I predicted that this website wasn't going to do well in the content standards because the design standards were a little bit lacking compared to other sites however, I have come to find that this website is a very handy tool and does well in both content and design standards. Content: This website is very good in that its information is always up to date, the information quality is great, and it provides more information. Some sites lack in giving the viewer options to leave the site and look at links that are provided. This website does lead viewers to learn out of their site in a constructive way while instilling learning on their site as well. Design: This website isn't the most appealing to the eye after following the introductory page. Despite this fact, it is fast, easy to navigate, and uses videos as a media source. It gets the job done in fulfilling its purpose by instilling the idea that natural disasters, such as volcanoes, can be predicted (not stopped) and then can lead to less of a disaster through preparation. Information is what is most important in educational websites and I believe this website is great due to that aspect.

Brienna Gregor 10/11/12 Overview: This website is very useful for students, teachers, and other educators that want to learn more about volcanoes. This website is meant to stimulate the mind through comic book graphics that simplifies the learning objectives as indicated in earth sciences. Available resources include: plate tectonics, volcanoes, volcanic database, games, comics, teach, top sites, and more. This website is great for students and teachers in that it is exciting and easy to go through while serving as a helpful tool concerning lesson plans. This site would work best for students from late elementary to high school levels (5-12). In my opinion, the content and design of this website is well done. Content: At first look, this website looks to be professionally done. The content of this website appears to be current and correct however, the designers are apart of a ThinkQuest team called, "Team 17457". These teenagers did a very good job however; it may not be the most reliable source due to their age, inexperience, and living situations (all three are from different continents). Despite this, this website's information quality is very well done. Design: The design of this website is very well done in that it is very fast, it is easy to navigate, has many different sources of media, and the presentation of the content contributes to the website's purpose. Its design draws you in and makes you want to explore and learn the information provided.

Kerensa Aris 10/10/12 Shotgun's Home of the American Civil War: The purpose of this site is to gain information on the Civil War, most information pertains to the Confederacy. The intended audience is both students and teachers, both can collect useful information from the site and it is appropriate for all audiences. The site contains links to many other sites for available resources. My overall impression is that this is a quality site containing pertinent information. There is some bias since the site is run by a southern college, but upon first looking at the site this fact is very clear.  I assessed the content of this site as worth marking for future reference. The site is run by qualified individuals from LSU, and information is useful and trustworthy. The site is revised frequently but new information is not routinely added because it is a Civil War site. The site is well organized and all external links are in working order.  The design of the website is well done and easy to use. All pages download quickly and site indexes are available. The home page could have more detail to make it more eye catching. There are several different kinds of media such as audio and visual files, and likes to further information and useful sites are available. The site is compatible with other browsers, and the content is presented neatly and is organized. 

Casey KarchOctober 7, 2012 Overview: The purpose of this site is identified right at the header, "E-learning tool designed to facilitate teachers' work and enhance the learning process." Kubbu is intended for teachers and educators, helping them with design and evaluation of lesson plans. Resources are a little slim, but users can create games, quizzes, and crosswords with ease.  Overall, this site is not eye catching, not overly informative, but gets the job done for helping educators. Content: First look on this site is mild; there is not much to look at. There are no true information providers but the content of the designs for teaching tools is very well done. The quality of quizzes, games, and much more is fascinating; they will be an important tool for instructors. Since there is no information, there is no way to get more information. Design: Speed of loading the home page is very efficient. The home page itself is not overly flashy, but it lacks a lot of information. Navigating is easy, links are clearly labeled and few in number. Multimedia is evident in the teaching tools, making the tools requires different forms of media. As before, the presentation could use some work, maybe some different colors. Information is available to contact the designer further.

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. 

Kevin McDougall 9/30/2012 Overview: The purpose of this website is to offer students an interactive and informative method of learning about Unites States Civics. The audience of this website is students enrolled in middle/high school civics courses in the United States. The resources of the site include links to multiple topics covering US civics (e.g. Separation of Powers, Legislative Branch, Executive Branch, etc…) and links to media and influence on civics as well. I was very impressed by this website. Within those topics mentioned above, there are links to games and Web Quests that students can use to enhance their learning. Also, the site is very easy to maneuver and its design is eye-catching. Content: The content of this website is informative and of high quality. All of the topics that are presented are listed right on the home page and links to other topics are clearly listed under the "About" tab. The quality of information was high. Within those topics, the Web Quests and games are effective in engaging student learning because they are interactive and appealing. Design: The design of this website was great. The graphics, font, and illustrations are effective in welcoming visitors to the website. The layout is well done; the main tabs are listed at the top of the page and the topics are easily found on the home page.

Laura Rice 2/5/12 Overview: The purpose of this site is to provide knowledge and promote international art programs. The websites intended audience is for adults hoping to encourage people to seek the arts. I would also have to say this website is more beneficial to those that live in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. They provide information about dance, festivals, film, galleries, gardens, history, libraries, media, museums, music, parks, and theaters. It also provides maps of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. These maps provide access to arts all around the cities. There are also a number of art lesson plans for all ages of students. This website is a great resource for information about different art programs. It is well organized making it useful for anyone that accesses it. Content: This website provides information about different organizations throughout cites. A list of things to do provides information about activities taking place in the cities such as dance, festivals, film, galleries, gardens, history, libraries, media, museums, music, parks, and theaters. The next set of links shows maps of the cities with arrows to the art locations. A calendar outlines all art activities taking place in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. It also provides great resources for parents, teachers, and seniors. For the parents the website has many links that their kids would love to attend such as children museums, music programs, and plays. Teachers are provided with activities their kids may enjoy as well. In the organization section there are links to different types of art organizations. There is also an area that allows people to get involved whether to donate money or volunteer their help. At the bottom of the page there's information about the programs, ways to reach some one for more knowledge, and the legal rights of the website. Design: The website is well organized and h

Zachary Donnan 2/5/12 Overview: This website is a free information website for teachers specifically geography teachers. This website has several different types of media and an extensive amount of tips to assist geography teachers with their lesson plans. This website is essentially a blog and resource site for geography teachers. Content: This website contains a huge amount of resources for geography teachers from games to slide shows to general tips for presenting information to students. This website also guides teachers on using technology and technological resources such as google effectively to assist them with teaching. There is also a wide range of free materials to access such as free ebooks, all in all a pretty neat website. Design: The design of this site is pretty simple to navigate, and it has a professional feel to it. This website seems to be extremely helpful to teachers and also has suggestions to guide you to other helpful materials. There is definitely a focus on the use of technology within the classroom on this site, and although there isn't really any contact info I still found it to be a good useful site.

Zachary Donnan 2/5/12 Overview: This site is essentially a blog site for teachers to bounce teaching strategies off of each other. This site also includes lessons along with what ages that the lessons apply to. There are also opportunities on this site to rate and comment on lessons which could be very valuable for those who are trying to adapt their lessons to their own classes. Content: This site contains a great amount of useful information for teachers focusing upon geography. There are many lesson plans and even examples of assignments for teachers to use in their own classrooms. This site could be very useful for most any teacher at any grade level for a range of different subjects. Design: The design of this site looks like it may be a little outdated, but it still uses many modern facets within it. This site has a good set up that seems to be user friendly, and it includes all kinds of different media to help present visitors with the information included within it. This site seems to be very useful for most any teacher and also seems to be very helpful for working teachers.

Tyler Rogers February 4, 2012 Overview: The purpose of this website is to provide educators with activities and lessons for space science. This website is geared towards educators. Viewers will find classroom activities, a list of standards that the site address, and links to other educational space science sites. The site is very easy to navigate, and the lessons and activities provided are of high quality. I would recommend this site to educators because of the excellent lessons, and because of the simple, yet effective layout of the entire site.  Content:  From the first click, the content is clear. Information about the author, including contact information, can be difficult to find. Revision dates are found at the bottom of the home page. By picking one of the listed topics, users will find activities and experiments created by the author. These activities can be effective for many grade levels. They are free of bias, and all the links function properly. Most of the activities contain printer-friendly pages for both the educator and the students. Design: This site has a simple design. The home page is clean, and the table of contents is clear. Copyright information and recent revision dates are available near the bottom of the screen. The site is remarkably easy to navigate: any link in the table of contents will take users to a list of every activity or classroom experiment available for that topic. Selecting an activity will then take users straight to the printable lesson. The actual lessons are all in black and white so that they can be printed easily.  This website uses very little media, as pictures only contribute to the home page, and title the banner of any other page. This site is compatible with multiple web browsers. 

Caleb Huber 10/13/14 The URL article is a news story about a teen suicide. I chose this website as an example of a potentially biased source of the effects of cyber bullying. Although it has some pertinent facts, I would want to use it with caution. The web page is intended to convince parents that cyber bullying can lead to teen suicide. Its intended audience is parents. I would rate the design of the webpage as good but the content as limited. I would rate the content of the overall website as limited and the design as exceptional. The webpage was last updated November 19, 2007. There is no available link to contact the website. At first look, the content of the page looks informative. The web page is an extensive new article, but it is a little outdated. Since it is a new site there are links, but they are mostly unrelated top stories. The article has quotes and facts from credible sources. The article itself doesn't seem biased, but it is always important to realize news articles rely on sensationalism. The individual author of the article is not posted, but it is clear he works for ABC news since it is posted on abcnews.com. The website doesn't have a lot of interactivity, but it is a well written article. As an example of cyber bullying, this article has good content. However, one article is limited in scope. A paper on the effects of cyber bullying would need more references. A large label on the top of the page shows that the article is funded by ABC News. The article is clearly labeled and easy to navigate. The design follows a typical news format and is not eye catching. As a news site, it is designed to put the hottest and latest news first. This makes finding older or more specific articles somewhat challenging. The homepage can be easily found, and the website loads quickly. The index for the website can be easily found, and there is a variety of media available. However, very little of this media pertains to cyb