Rachel Keyes ITEC 2360 01/24/11 Good site http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3070 Overview Scholastic is a well-known company to me because my grade school worked with scholastic; this gives the sight some extra credibility. It appears to be well organized and geared towards teachers that are interested in finding out more about literature circles and how to use them in their classrooms. The purpose of the site is to educate teachers. Content The content is an article written by a teacher who has used the literature circle in her classroom, and her experience with it. She includes an assessment sheet to go with the circle, and how to grade the students. At the end of the article she includes references and other articles with more information. The content is easy to navigate and to understand. There is a link that gives you a biography of the author; she is a teacher and a very credible source. Design There are ads for book clubs, school supply lists, and essay contests for students. There are links that provide more information about the topic. The site was updated at the beginning of 2011. The information was well organized and clear, and easy to access. All of the links are functional and provide good information.

Rachel Keyes ITEC 2360 01/24/11 Average site http://www.alternavox.net/the-graphic-novel-as-a-form-of-literature Overview This site discusses the use of the graphic novel as a form of alternative literature. The main point of the site is an article discussing the history of the graphic novel and where it is today. The audience is anyone who wants to learn more about the educational potential of the graphic novel. The article is from a Canadian site, so that could impact its usefulness to U.S. students and teachers. Content The main content of the site is the article. Other than that, there are no other links to find more information about alternative literature or graphic novels. The article is biased because the author is a reporter who has an opinion and doesn't provide the other side of the argument. The article was published in 2009, so it could be slightly outdated. Design The site has ads and pictures for the newspaper, which could be irrelevant to users from other countries. There is a biography of the author next to the article, but there is no way to contact him with questions. There is no copy right for the website itself. The information is well organized, but other than the article, there is no further information.

Rachel Keyes ITEC 2360 01/24/11 http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/readingliterature/litresponse.html Average website Overview This is a site designed for teachers, giving alternative exercises to help their classes respond to literature. My overall impression is that this is an organized, helpful site. The audience would be teachers who are looking for creative and exciting ways for their students to approach literature. It's a very simple website that has links with the corresponding projects listed. Content The content of the site is well organized and listed. The links on the page go to credible sites with ideas for creative book reports, class discussions, etc. The page was last updated in 2007, so it is possible that the ideas and links could be extremely out of date by now. There are some links that no longer exist and do not work, which is one of the sites major weaknesses. The author of the site is a teacher herself, and repeatedly expresses that the ideas are not hers, and provides the credit for the real authors of the ideas. Design The design of this website is extremely plain. Other than the text and the links, there are no pictures or visual aids. The title is clear and gives the author's name and the purpose of the site. The author reminds the audience that she is merely posting these ideas and they are not hers. The site is outdated, and some of the links don't work because they do not exist anymore.

Rachel Keyes ITEC 2360 01/24/11 http://www.alternativeculture.com/index.htm Poor website Overview This site can be found by searching "alternative forms of literature" (commonly thought of as ways other than classical literature, such as graphic novels, movies, etc.) on Google. However, the purpose of this site is more to discuss alternative cultures and the negative influence that media has on society. My impression of this site is that it was made by a small magazine for a very specific audience. The audience is wary of the media and is searching for an alternative method to receive news. Content The content of this site is extremely random and scattered. At the top of the page there are quotes about being enlightened, followed by a listing of other alternative news sites, YouTube videos, and poems from different cultures about peace. All of the links work, but this site is just a random collection of information the editor believes is important. The editor is a man who, in his biography page, has no credentials other than he really enjoys writing. Design At first look, there is so much going on and so many links and videos posted that seem to be very random. There is a clear title, but some of the links on the page have nothing to do with the others; there is nothing connecting this information. The pictures and YouTube videos are irrelevant to the other links listed. There is no copyright date, so readers have no idea how up to date this site is. The only way to "contact" the editor is by subscribing to his newsletter. There is too much going on to accurately find any information, and because you can find this site while looking for alternative forms of literature, this site would be completely irrelevant to your search.