Group items matching

in title, tags, annotations or url

Gary Schmitt September 1, 2010 en.wikipedia.org Content: While Wikipedia provides tons of information, most of it is out of order and irrelevant. When I searched the word fine art I found that a lot of the information seems confusing and even a little bias. This web page draws information from lots of different sources so it's hard to tell what is true and what is just hear say. However it could be used to help somebody get a quick overview of a topic. Design: So just as the content of Wikipedia is unsatisfactory, so is the main design of the page. It's plain white background makes it seem as though little effort was put into it. Also when searching general topics you will be shown random pictures that aren't always explained very well. Overview: Wikipedia is a loosely constructed web page that is changed many times every day. Knowing this I would have to say that it is not going to be the most reliable place to find good information. If you're looking to get a quick overview of a person, place or event it might provide a starting point but if you need credible information it's not a good place to find it.

Chaun Ary Teaching with Technology Professor Yeshi 1 September 2010 Website Review for "The Learning Network" Content 1. The website was great at first look because it is sponsored by the New York Times which is a reliable source. The site was clearly meant to give teachers more interacting teaching tools. The authors were provided but their contact information wasn't. The site didn't mention their credibility but it did give all their past publications which in a way is credibility. The information was all current and updated to the current date. The content of the site was complete and well organized with links to specific areas such as civics, global history, and American history. The information is good however the reader must understand that they do have links to NY Times editorial links which are always biased. The site also has interactive maps and teaching tools which is invaluable in teaching. Overall the site was definitely worth while.

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.

Sarah Skinner on January 22, 2010 Overview The purpose of this website is to allow teacher to find literacy web resources. There are a variety of different links available for primary grade teachers that are beneficial to their students and their learning. You can learn about some favorite books and authors and also retrieve lesson plans that use the tips provided on this page. My impression on this site sit that it's very useful. There are many links available that can be used as a teacher. Content It is very easy to determine the basic content of the site and the intended audience is clear. The author is not on this site and no information is available about the site so it is unclear if they are qualified to give out this information. The sponsor is not clear as well and there is no contact link to ask questions to the sponsor. The latest revision date is available. It is very out of date. The last time this site was revised was in 2007. Links all still work. The purpose of this site is clearly informational. The content seems to be complete and well organized. It offers information related to my needs. The content seems to be not bias. There is no interactivity that increases its value but does have a lot of useful information that is consistent with similar sources. The grammar and spelling are correct throughout the page as well. Design The homepage downloaded efficiently, but the homepage is very plain and not very attractive. The page tells you where you are. There is a clear index at the top of the page that leads you to many other links. There is no sponsor provided that is clear. There is not information for contacting the sponsor and there is no copyright date provided that is easy to determine. It is very easy to navigate around the website. There are directions to help you where to find information. The links to other pages are appropriate. The graphics fit well with the information that is being provided. I have only tried Internet Explorer a

Megan Ridings ITEC 2360 Website Evaluations January 24, 2010 Overview: On the website, Hotchalk Lessons Plans Teaching Page, is to have information and sources on all areas of teaching, including receiving a degree. It is clear that this website is designed for an audience of elementary school teachers, student teachers and parents who are homeschooling their children, and those hoping to obtain a teaching degree. Overall I feel that the site is well made, and clearly organized, and easy to understand. The site is easy to easy to navigate, and helpful in many aspects, but not necessarily made with the intention of helping with lesson plans like I was looking for. This site is a little bland, and is not one that really caught my interest. Content Summary: I have found the content of this site to be "worth bookmarking for future references." The site is up to date and current, and it is easy to tell that the purpose of the site is to be informational. The content of this site is well organized, easy to navigate and understand. In addition this site is full of information of all types. The site appears to be complete, and offers a sufficient amount of information for elementary school teachers, however is not solely intended for those interested in elementary school lesson plans, and therefore does not provide a large amount of lesson plans. The information provided appears to be accurate, and up to date. In addition it seems to have authors that are qualified and reliable. Design Summary: On this site the design doesn't lack much and is easy to appreciate. This site downloads efficiently, and is full of information that is colorful and designed to entice the audience. The site contains a large amount of multimedia, and graphics that serve a clear purpose. As for navigation, the design of this site is easy to follow and has a massive amount of information of all types that is well organized. Based on my evaluation I would say that the design of

Scott Chanthongthip January 25, 2009 Overview: The site offered interesting facts about sea turtles, but the majority of the organizational site purpose was to raise sea turtle awareness for conservation efforts. As a teacher, it may be useful to refer to the site for simple informational tidbits, but it is not a primary source for all turtle research. The site offers species only secluded to the Caribbean eco-system. Information on efforts to support the conservation of sea turtles helps website viewers get involved. People can volunteer, adopt a turtle, or donate money to sea turtle conservation. Content: Information offered on this site can be useful to teachers and their students. Easy to navigate the site has many interactive tools like the turtle tracking map, where one can pick a turtle and see where s/he has traveled. Tracking gives Information about the migration of the turtles often and updates site viewers about sea turtle behaviors. CCC is the longest .org website of its kind that lends its attention to turtle conservation. Dr. Archie Carr was the founder of the CCC and research efforts have accumulated almost 50 years of experience. Many of the people that edit this site and review it are turtle researchers giving it a credible source for information, but it also leans towards conservation efforts as its premise. Conservation may be the sites main priority, but lesson plans for teachers with available turtle modules for students to learn are helpful. I do not know if the website charges for the downloadable PDF files for teachers, but one must register to gain access to the teaching modules. The sites message is clear, so it provides multiple ways to contribute to the funds for seas turtle conservation. The site gave me the necessary tidbits that help me learn more about turtles, yet not a good place to start to teach about turtles. I would recommend this site more for making learning about turtles more interesting and possibly integrat

Overview: This website is fun and informational providing many items on common questions and articles. There is an updated homepage with photos articles polls, quizzes, and videos. This site aims to explain everything from DNA coding to car transmission problems in simple articles and videos. This site's intended audience is for adults due to the article and links provided. Content: This website provides up to date headings and topics on anything and everything you may want to know. It has tabs for adventure, animals, auto, communication, computer, electronics, entertainment, food, geography, health, history, home and garden, money, people, and science. When you access the site is easy to determine the content and intended audience. There is available information and the authors and researches for the different articles. The information is always constantly being updated and revised so nothing is out of date. The links also are easy to use and work properly. The information and content presented is not biased. All the articles also are valid and have an intended purpose to entertain or inform. Design: The design of howstuffworks.com is easy to use, organized and attractive. The homepage provides many interesting headings, photos, and videos. It is easy to read and very understandable and accessible. The website downloads efficiently and the site is appealing and grabs tor attention. The sites also provide copyright informational the provider is clearly identified. The links are clear and helpful and all the information including the photos videos and articles serve a clear purpose to the site.

Overview The first website that I evaluated was howstuffworks.com. This is an educational website aimed at all age groups that can answer questions about how many different things work. The website offers a variety of different resources. An example of the resources would be how the site teaches skills that everyone should have on topics such as money. Overall, I thought this website was great. It's easy to navigate, and offers many different types of educational materials. Content Not only is this website educational, but it is fun as well. You can come to the website to find out something serious, but you can also come to find out something that's entertaining and fun. The content of the website is easy to understand for any age. Things are explained simply so that you can actually learn at your own pace. It's also easy to find out about the website by clicking on the "about us" link at the bottom of the page. There you can find who sponsors the site and where the content comes from. Design The website is very easy to navigate through. As soon as you get to the homepage you are faced with many different tabs and also a search bar so you can find exactly what you are looking for. In addition to the tabs, there are resources such as videos and blogs that you can get access to through the site.

Overview: This websites main focus is to breakdown simple mechanics of almost anything from how a toaster works to economic policies of the year 2011. This is a source to explore the world around us and understand the things that we encounter and use daily, as well as providing a guide for users ion new endeavors into of learning. Concept: The classification of materials found within this writing is more vast than an encyclopedia. It includes multi-media and interaction presentations to gain the attention of the reader and create a better understanding. The material can become more complex and technical, but can be a resource for any researcher. I would recommend for teachers seeking to better explain concepts or to satisfy the curiosity of a learner. Design: Clean, simple, and precise. This website has a rather challenging searching process, but a pursuing researcher can use the search tool to peruses topics that coincides. The clean layout of the material and explanations make the learning process something to be a part of. As well as a social network application installed to share the knowledge of "how stuff works".

Kayla Rider January 23, 2010 Overview This site, I believe, is a very resourceful website. It is for those intended audiences looking for more information on Queen Elizabeth 1. This would be useful for any history course involved with the years of which she reigned, or any Shakespearean class. I have used this site many times throughout my collegiate career. It has some great information within it and is easy to move around in. Content The content of this website is as I afore mentioned. It allows you the choice of U.K. or U.S. English to follow along to. It gives you a table of contents to divide the history and story of Queen Elizabeth 1. This website has a vast amount of information about her and does not get boring. It has a section about the author, giving her credit for this website, and also letting the readers know if she is credible, which she does seem to be. It allows you to e-mail her with questions in the About the Site link. Overall, I believe it is a credible and reliable source to venture to. Design The design of the website is very appealing. It catches your eye at the moment you log into it. However, it doesn't over power the content of the site either. It allows for pictures within the text to help you follow along with the times in which Queen Elizabeth ruled. Overall it is very appealing and informational.

Posted by Kelsey Potter on January 24, 2010 Content: The content of the page is clear but the audience is unclear for this webpage. The author is unknown and there is no information on the contact anyone for this site, the sponsor of the site is clear at the top of the page. There is no revision date on the page although the information seems to be kept up to date. The purpose of the page is clear and understandable. The content is well organized and easy to understand. There are a lot of ideas throughout the page and is sufficient to the reader. It is free of bias and consistent throughout the webpage. Design: The webpage opened promptly and was interesting at first site. There is a clear title and captions on the page and the index is clear to directing the reader in the right directions. The sponsor of the site is provided although information on the sponsor is not given. Copyright date is available. There are no directions in the site but they may be needed to guide the reader to what they are looking for. There was only advertisement graphics which did not benefit the webpage's content. The basic format was different throughout the webpage making it hard to browse through and ding information. The links are well organized and easy to use. Summary: This webpage is not a very reliable source although it is only science projects so it does not necessarily need to be. There are several good ideas for science projects for teachers to use in the classroom or for students to perform outside of the classroom. Although clicking onto the homepage is a little overwhelming with different resources for science projects to use as well. There is different ways of searching for science projects and that makes it easier for the reader to find what they are specifically looking for. Overall this web site serves its purpose by exposing fun and interesting science projects to its readers.

Olivia Mabie-January 24, 2010 Content: This website has suggestions for games, activities, and lesson plans used to encourage team building among elementary school students. There is a description of the website located near the top of the page, therefore if it does not match what the teacher is looking for then they do not have to waste their time on the website. There are hands on activities for parents and students and for teachers to use in the classroom to get the students to start working together. Once the links are clicked on there are many other interactive activities on those websites also. These links have many subjects incorporated within them, which is nice that the students get to work together and learn about the subjects at the same time. Design: There are no pop-ups or ads on this website which makes it very easy to navigate. One nice thing about this website is under each of the links there is a description about what will be on the website. If a teacher is in a hurry to find a link they are not wasting their time trying to figure out what is on the website. The layout of the website is very neat and organized. Who published the site, when it was published and last updated are all located at the bottom of the page and helps knowing they go through and get rid of the old information and websites which are located on the home page. Overview: This is a great site for teachers to use in order to get their students working together. I liked how this website stated at the bottom of the page that there have not been standard assigned for this source. This site has all the information that needs to be posted on the website such as, who the publisher is, who you can contact if you have any questions, and when it was revised, which means that they have gotten rid of any old information and sites.

Word Reference.com is a language translation site that came highly recommended to me by my Spanish professor. Its sole purpose is to translate English words to and from Spanish, German, French, Italian, and Russian. Content: This is a free site and is a good recommendation for any language translations on the internet. One of its beneficial features is the online forum which helps dictate more traditional or slang words that may not be listed within the sites database as a dictionary. Design: The site is plain and simple. Its intended use is easily accessed and is at the top of the page. There are no flashing advertisements, however an offer is made about an application they provide for iPhone and iPod Touch. Other than that, the site provides a very usable layout with nothing to sidetrack its users from their intended goals. Attribution: The point of this site is to make crossing language boundaries easier. I would actively use this site with my students as a means for them to enhance and better understand a foreign language

Bridget Stein 9/14/11 Overview: This is an excellent source to use, not only for students but teachers as well especially when you are learning or teaching a foreign language. This site has verb conjugation, and many different language dictionaries available for your use. Content: Within this website, there are numerous resources available to use. There are language dictionaries ranging from Spanish all the way to Czech and Polish. Also available is the language forum, where you can search questions and have conversations with people about a question you have, or want to discuss a language with someone on the web. Design: This site has a very simple layout to it. It basically is a dictionary online, so it is very straightforward and easy to see where things are that you will need.

Mandy Schumacher 1-24-10 Overview: Internet 4 Classrooms is a website with many components. The purpose of this website is to help teachers use the Internet effectively. On the "Home" menu the user can choose to visit any of the seven links posted. Those include: Grade Level Help, Links for K-12, Technology Tutorials, Assessment Assistance, Daily Dose of the Web, On-Site Training, or About Us. This is a free website that is designed to help teachers find free Internet Sources to use in the classroom setting. Content: This site is full of information and consists of many separate components. This site is mainly visited by teachers who are hoping to find a way to integrate the Internet into their classrooms. From the site the user can choose a specific grade level and subject. Once the user has selected a grade level and subject a list of sites that can be used for classroom instruction appear on the screen. For example, if the user chose Language Arts for Elementary Students, sites such as "American Literary Classics" or "Brain Food" would appear and the user would then choose one of those links to instruct their students. These links can take you to anything from a list of good books to read in the classroom, word puzzles to challenge your students, or anything else related to Language Arts for Elementary students. Design: The website is somewhat organized, however, it can be a little confusing to navigate since there are so many separate links on the Home page. There are also several ads which can become distracting. Overall this site provides good information for teacher and students about using the internet as a learning tool.

Scholastic.com Learning Activities (Grades K-5) Sara Scribner 1/23/10 Overview: I found this website to be very helpful. It has numerous resources for student activities and links to other sites with information and resources for teachers. Ads are present throughout this site, but they do not overwhelm you. Also, on the primary page with learning activities for students there aren't any ads at all. Not only would I use this source in my classroom, but I would recommend it to others. Content: Scholastic, a website for teachers is very credible. Information found on this site is current (updated and links work) and information to contact or learn about the sponsor/author is available. There does not seem to be any hidden agendas on this site. This site is organized according to grade level, K-2 or 3-5, and has activities for both age groups. Its information is consistent/accurate, easy to understand, and organized making it easy to navigate. Another positive aspect of this site is that it has activities for subjects like math, science, language arts, social studies, and Spanish. Design: This site is definitely worth visiting. It's content and links to other useful websites makes it a valuable resource. Content layout is organized and everything is clearly labeled. Graphics provide a glimpse of what each game entails and add appeal to the page/game description. Animations and sounds make one's experience as he plays the games enjoyable and exciting.

Kara Mitchell 1 February 2011 This website is lacking in bright colors and animations, because it is intended for an older audience such as high school students. This site looks into world history as well as history of children, women, the French Revolution as well as a few other specific areas of history. The site provides a wide array of information that could potentially be overwhelming. When choosing one site from the title page the student is then faced with another title page breaking down what the specific section includes. The site is easy to navigate as each sub title page is identical. Content: In each sub section is a listing of the sponsor or professor responsible for the information as well as the copyright and date. However the site is dated for 2006. History will not change because it has already happened but the site should be updated to show it is being maintained and not subject to falsification. The site loads quickly and efficiently, with no grammatical or spelling errors. However, there are no ads or links to other sites that may be beneficial or provide more evidence. Design: The site is easily maneuvered and there are no loopholes to finding information. Every page is the same format and there are no distractions. However, this would not be a good site for younger children because it lacks colors and animations. At the same time, no distractions are available to hinder work. Overview: I would use this website in my high school class because so much information is available. Primary sources are easily accessed as are reviews if a student needs clarification. There is no music or videos that I would find helpful however pictures and images of primary sources are at the students fingertips.

Overview: This is a learning website for young sutdents. When visiting this website they can play games and learn at the same time. Gudli has lots of puzzles that you can complete and other games. You have to sign in so that is a little bit of a hassle. Design: Gudli has lost of bright colors. The website makes it easy to access games for the young students. There are cool looking cartoons that will interest the students. Content: This website is lacking in content it only has material for students preschool-2nd grade. You have to creat an account so that is an extra hassle the student cannot just go learn and play games. there is no authors or creaters of this site and there is no created date. This means it is not a very credible source. The games are not very fun to play compared to the other websites.

Caroline Wittman (Virginia) January 31, 2011 Overview Ology is a fun website that allows children to collect virtual trading cards and use them to make online projects as they learn about different science topics. The list of topics is varied, including anthropology, archeology, astronomy, biodiversity, the brain, climate change, earth science, genetics, marine biology, paleontology, water, and zoology. Each area presents a plethora of interactive applications for children to explore: games, animations, quizzes, and suggestions and guidance for completing simple offline science investigations and experiments. There are also book lists and other helpful internet sources that can be consulted for further information. Content Ology is sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History. Accordingly, information was accurate and up-to-date. It was also well organized and communicated on a level that elementary school age children can understand and relate to. Information is also in line with what is covered in the typical elementary school science curriculum. Although specific authors of articles are not usually listed, it is easy to find contact information for the sponsoring organization. Links to other internet resources were relevant and informative. Overall, the content of the site serves to ignite children's curiosity about the natural world. Design The Ology homepage, as well as its interactive applications, downloaded quickly. The overall design is appealing to elementary school children, incorporating lots bright colors and bold shapes. Navigation is simple, even for young children. The major areas of the site are located in an obvious place on the homepage. Information is easy to locate within each of these areas. Directions for games and other interactive content are very straightforward and explained clearly. Close inspection reveals that each detail of the site's design works toward enhancing children's learning.

David May 1/23/11 Good site for base knowledge. It has fun videos and animated activities. It needs more eye appeal. Overview: This website gives history a multimedia and fun twist. Within the simple design on the homepage it contains links to old educational videos, activities, and, movies based on historical events. The educational videos are from decades past such as the 1950s. The videos are accurate, but they leave out some facts such as Native Americans and women that are part of history. That is from the age of the videos. The activities are not really that entertaining at least the ones I used. They do capture one's attention because of the progressive story line and multimedia pictures and animations. These however do have some accurate information. I played around with the Boston tea party activity and the information included in the activity was accurate and explained it well. Overall the website is an okay way to spend some time getting base knowledge on history. The site shouldn't be used as a source though. Content: When first arriving at the homepage it is clear what the site contains. History can be seen with the various pictures and clickable items around the home page. Where the information came from is hard to determine there is so citing of material or authors listed. The site is not clearly marked with a sponsor, but there is clear evidence that it is connected to Amazon.com because in the store section it says powered by Amazon. The most recent update was made in November of 2010 which makes it seem active. The copyright at the bottom of the page is for 2009. The links section of the site send the user to not so credible sites and some links do not work. Informational is the main target of this site with a mix of business which is made clear by all the Amazon.com ads and links. Content seems to be good if base knowledge is already with the user making the information good for most uses except college level detail. Navigation is simple

David May 1/23/11 This site is very educational. Great information with a reliable source. Too much advertising the museums. Overview: The website of the Smithsonian museum with a fun educational spin. The site has a few games with animations that are well put together. The games have good images and great animations that put complex things in simpler terms like comparing a planet size with a beach ball compared to a golf ball. The site overly advertised visiting the actual place too much. Everything that was clicked on encouraged visiting and it got very tiresome very quickly. Content: The site is very easy to navigate and find what one is looking for. There is a constant sidebar with information about where you are and what things are easiest to link to.. They list the curator of the museum who is in charge of the content on the website. The copyright of the website is 2010 which shows recent content on the website. There is an informational theme to the site, but the clear objective of this site is to get visitors to the museum. Design: The website is very well put together. It is impressive with the amount of graphics and page design that they put in effect on the site. The problem is that if users don't have the latest flash player they will have to download it and go through the download process. If this is for students the schools might restrict the ability to download the software. The website other than over advertisement is good for information and reliable for what one is looking for.

Laura Rice 2/5/12 Overview: The purpose of this website is to expand educational knowledge and resources for education. The intended audience ranges from educators, families, and students. This website provides many resources for public use. The educators are provided with resources for field trips, professional development organizations, lesson plans, resource library, and online events. For families the website provides information about what is available at the Smithsonian, time you can spend together as a family, and events families can do together. The students are also provided with information about the Smithsonian, topic they can explore, secrets of the Smithsonian, and events available for kids. This website is a great source to a variety of people. The links to each page provide a lot of information useful to educators, families, and students. Content: The website is extremely useful to all types of people from educator, families, and students. Teachers have access to lesson plans for all subject areas ranging from K-12th grade. Teachers are also provided information about taking a field trip to the Smithsonian and the programs it has to offer students. The tab for educators also has a link to online events that are taking place. For families the website contains different activities the Smithsonian has to offer as well as activity sheets for children. Students are provided with events at the Smithsonian that may interest them, as well as topic they may enjoy to see there. Overall the content is very educational and centered around what the Smithsonian can offer to others, and also provides lesson plans that could help educators in their future career. Design: The overall design is easy to understand and information is extremely easy to access. Tabs clearly identify the intended audience from educators, families, and students. Under each tab there are others that provide information useful to each age group. At the bottom of the page ther

Gary Allen Jan. 23, 2011 Overview: This site is great for educators, students, and really just the general public as well. It contains a database of thousands of works by hundreds of different authors that are easily searchable and also easy to find in the index. Content: Countless pieces of literature are contained on this website as well as forums for discussion and even the option for teacher accounts for use in the classroom. Numerous sources contribute to the huge amounts of information on this site which is run through third party company. Design: Another site with a simple yet effective design, The Literature Network is very easy to navigate through and the links are very clearly marked. With an author index as well as a search box and separate links for special categories such as Shakespeare, the Bible, quotes and forums, the site takes no time to get around and the pages all load very quickly so you can spend your time reading instead of waiting. 

Overall of Website This website is a great source for helping students learn in all different styles and with different subjects. It teaches you things from time management to studying to different ways you can prepare for tests. It also has a list of different languages that you can choose from so everybody can use it. The purpose of the website is to help students with schooling in many different ways. It is very organized and easy to find what you need help with. It's a great student help. Content of Website The information providers are pretty clear about who they are it is found at the bottom of the page and you can find out more about who they are. Information Currency is clear the last time the website was evaluated was 2011 by SGS annual report and the material seems correct. The information Quality of the sight is good you can tell the main purpose is to help students better understand schooling. The website is very well organized and the spelling is all correct. Further information is that all the information is appropriate and helpful. Design of Website The speed of the website is very fast it has a good speed. The website has a cool look to it and all the different languages are on the left side which makes the website interesting to look at along with pictures and ads on it. The tables of content really organizes the site very well. You can easily navigate through the website all the buttons and links work. Every link has a specific purpose and it describes what that is before you click on it. There is a lot of information on the website but its easy to get to and understand.