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Megan Switzer September 11, 2011 Overview: Overall I was thoroughly impressed with the ESL lounge web site. The purpose of this website was to familiarize on with information about ESL through teacher's stories, guides, books etc. It also provided lesson plans as well as activities to do with students in your classroom depending on level whether beginner, intermediate and so on and so forth. The targeted audience of this website is mainly teachers, although there is a link which leads you to a site for students. ESL lounge for students provides children the opportunity to learn through activities, guides, exercises, anything that may be helpful in their learning of the English language. Multiple resources are available on this web site and are clearly labeled for easy accessibility. Overall this website is organized and clear with information that pertains not only to teachers, but also to students. This website seems like a good resource for those interested in learning about ESL. Content: The content of this website was extremely helpful as well as appealing. Not only did all of the links work, but the information was easy to navigate, understand and accurate. The date of when it was last revised seem to be current and although there did not seem to be any information providers such as an author, the information still seemed trustworthy, consistent and accurate. The way in which the information was organized was clear and easy to find the concepts one would most likely be looking for. Design: Overall the design of this web site was extremely satisfactory. It had an appeal to the eye, was easily understandable, it provided a helpful guide as well as was organized into sections. All links were up and working, the information was extremely helpful as well as relevant. Although I could not find a creator the information was up to date and helpful. Overall this was a site that was easy to navigate and the purpose of it shined through. If one has any que

Brianna Gillespie 9/14/11 OVERVIEW: This website is for teachers. The lesson plans on this website can be used for any grade of students; there are ABC lessons, Odyssey lessons, and many in between. This would be a very useful site for all teachers who are having troubles finding or making lessons plans. CONTENT: The content includes lesson plans, rubrics, web quests, worksheets, and teacher tips. The lesson plans range from the main subjects like math and English to physical education and poetry. The worksheets range from first grade to eighth grade. The teacher tips include different commonly asked questions for teachers. DESIGN: This website is very colorful for being for teachers. It is easy to navigate and very self-explanatory. Also, the lesson plans and worksheets are grouped either by grade or similar activities, making it very easy to find what you are looking for.

Clayton Christensen 9/20/2009 The website is geared for teachers, parents, and students. The site is intended to help teachers, students, and parents get through math problems and lessons. The site provides math calculators, tutoring links for students and parents, lesson plans for teachers and many other useful tools. Content: The website is a math website has helpful content for all math levels from basic and everyday math to trigonometry and calculus. The site has a link that parents can use to freshen up on their math skills and even lesson plans for homeschooling. The teachers link has many useful links the one I found most interesting a link that generates worksheets to give to students as practice. Students can use the websites calculators to help with math and also visit sites that have tutors. Design: The design of the website at first was a little difficult and looked as if it would be hard to navigate, but after playing with it for a little while it was easier then expected. The website is not very attractive and my turn people off at first glance but after using the site I think that it could be very helpful in all levels of math whether it be teacher, students, or parents. I would defiantly use the site for future reference.

Posted by Kirsten McAlexander on 9/20/2009 abcteach provides a variety of printable materials for teachers from grade k-8th. The website provides activities and games that you can print for a variety of subjects. Content: This website is an excellent website for teachers because it allows you to print a variety of material. The website has everything from baseball bar graphs to sound flash cards. The website has many different topics including sports, seasons, art, writing, phonics and so on. It includes several different printable pages for every topic. Design: This website is very easy to navigate. It labels all subjects very clearly and does not take much time at all to find exactly what you are looking for. Attribution: This website does have a membership fee, but allows you to print many things for free. It does not ask for a sign in to print, or to navigate away from the homepage. The links work well and are very quick.

Posted by Tanisha Daugaard on September 21, 2009 This site is mainly intended for middle school teachers, but it can also be used as a resource for students. It focuses on English, writing, and reading. It is a great site to find lesson plans, electronic books and manuscripts, and other useful information for the classroom. Content: This site is very well organized. It is divided into three sections: English, reading, and writing. It has numerous links to other sites dealing with each subject area. It appears to be updated frequently and the website developers also take input on what other sites would be good to add. I feel the content achieves the purpose quite effectively. Everything just flows together. It is easy to understand, and each link has a description of what can be found on the site. The authors appear to be qualified in middle school education. In general, the links work properly and route the users to other useful, creditable sites. Individual contributors are not listed, but an email for the designers is provided. This site also clearly labels the new links that have been posted. Design: The site is designed very well. It is clear of ads and other pictures that are not related to the subject. This site is easy to navigate. Each site that is linked falls under one of three categories. Each graphic serves a purpose and the site doesn't include anything that distracts the users. There is enough information provided that makes the site usable for teachers and students. It covers many areas under English, reading, and writing. The site is modified and the updates are clearly marked. Everything is well organized and easy for anyone of any age to use. Attribution: Using and quoting information from this site can be tricky. Some links clearly state who the authors are, but others don't at all. Overall, I think this site is used more for getting ideas than actually quoting someone. The information provided is very useful, but one has to be careful

Mike Wilson Site review September 18, 2009 Science Buddies Free Science Fair Project Ideas, Answers, & Tools for Serious Students Introduction This is a very detailed and comprehensive site to facilitate student science fair projects. It can be used by the casual science fair student though the stated target student is the serious science student. Detailed information is provided for students and teachers K-12. The site is supported by 30 major science and technology corporations and is run by a staff of 18 not including the Seagate IT people. Anything to do with a school science project, this is your stop. Google ranking is 6/10 with 321 backward links. Content Evaluation First Look The home page and site are by no means fancy. Simple and clear what the information is and where to go on the site. The depth of the site is extensive. As you start your information search you can easily select your target grade level. Information Providers The purpose of the site, sponsors and fact there are real scientists involved is clear. Information Currency Site is fully operational and current. No daily revision date is given but 2009 Copyright is in place. Extensive links to other sites from each specific science project page for additional information. Information Quality Content is extensive, selectable for grade level. Very well organized and effective science fair development and projects for students, teachers and parents. Massive resources on the site itself with additional links out as needed. Design Evaluation Speed Science Buddies is very well designed to be a quality information site. Fast loads. Very text oriented, limited and simple graphics with properly sized thumbnails to keep page loads quick. Home Page & Ease of Navigation 9 tabs across home page top or easily 9 home pages. Actual home page is 85% above the fold. Very easy and quick to move around the site. The 'Topic Selection Wizard' is very functional, grade, gender, subject

Posted by Tanisha Daugaard on September 21, 2009 This site is designed for aiding student and basically anyone with learning the English language. It includes grammar games, practice exams, and other useful rules on English. Content: The organizational level of this site isn't as high as others that I've seen, but it is still easy to navigate. It has numerous links that are organized by subject areas. The purpose of this site is easy to determine and it can be used for many age levels. The sponsor of the site is easy to determine and a website is given for them. As for the designer of the site, I was unable to determine who it was. I was able to find a couple spelling and grammar errors, but other than that it seemed rather creditable. Overall, the links work and bring the user to other educational and important sites. This site can be a great resource for getting help with English, grammar, and writing. Design: I think the design of the site could be improved. There are numerous ads that don't relate to the subject area at all. There are more ads than actual information on most of the site. The links given are useful, so I was able to look past the ads. I found it easy to navigate and the links useful. There is a substantial amount of information given and I found it to be worth going to the site. It has different sections for parents, teachers, and students. I was not able to find any information regarding how often it is updated or modified. Overall, it was easy to navigate and had good information, but there are a few improvements that can be made. Attribution: As far as using and quoting information, the site doesn't include authors for each link. It doesn't have a lot of information that would be quoted; the main use is to look skills up and practice English online. It doesn't have anything about the site creators or who to contact if questions come up.

Posted by Mitchell Clark 9/18/09: CliffNotes is a site that provides free summary-type information and helpful tips for just about anything education related. Content: CliffNotes is a site sponsored by Wiley Publishing that covers just about everything that is involved with education. This site provides free information for subjects such as literature, writing, foreign language, math, science, college, test prepping, and more. The articles found under these subjects are easy to cite but may not provide an author. One of the things that set this site apart from similar sites is that it provides information on topics such as getting into college, avoiding scholarship scams, AP test, college entrance exams and grad school entrance exams. Also this site is updated on a regular basis making the information up to date, but as mentioned before there may not be a credible author. This site also offers full length practice test for the SAT, AP Biology, AP English, and AP Chemistry, but these resources are not free. As far as organization goes this site is decent, it is easy to navigate the main subjects such as literature or foreign language but there is so much advertising that it can be both confusing and distracting when reading down the page. Design: Apart from the advertising this site is well designed and easy to navigate. There is a search bar at the top right of the window as well as multiple tabs that link to various subjects of education. The home page is bombarded with ads, but they are mainly advertisements for student travel programs, back to school supplies or the Army ROTC program. The sponsor of the site is clearly stated at the bottom of the page and there is a link to their contact information. This site uses very little graphics aside from their advertising, but the page is still visually attractive due to the well known black and yellow color scheme. Attributes: This site comes from a credible source for review or study purposes. The infor

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

Ericka Chorniak October 9, 2012 Overview: This site is a guide for writing a lab report for students in a science setting. It provides the students with definitions and expectations of each section of the lab report. It could also be a very good resource for other science teachers looking for a guide for their students to follow while writing a report for their class. The provider of the site appears to be qualified, but it would be wise to check other sources' materials and other guides before settling with this one specifically. This site doesn't have a lot of interactivity for the students to remain engaged in the content, but for the purposes of a guideline for lab report writing, it is worth bookmarking for future references. Content: At first glance, the content of the site is easily determined, as well as the intended audience. The author of the site is clearly identified; in fact his name is in the link itself. The author did not provide any additional information, or give any contact information, but he does appear qualified because it appears to be a teacher. The latest revision date is present, which was October 29, 2010. This date is appropriate for the content of the site because it does not need to be updated frequently, and the links provided are current and work properly. The purpose of this site is very clear, it is a lab report guide (informational), and the content achieves this purpose effectively. The content of this site is complete, easy to understand, is appropriate to my needs/purposes, is free of bias, appears to be accurate, was proofread so that all grammar and spelling is correct, and is consistent with other sources materials. The site does not provide interactivity to increase its value. The links provided are also worthwhile, appropriate, and relevant to my needs and purposes as a student and pre-service teacher. Design: This website has a semi-attractive homepage that downloads efficiently. It is easy to tell where the user is

Samantha Cook-10/11/2012 This site Materials for the study of Ancient Sparta is a very good sight. It is brief and to the point but also gives a range of information that is very useful in one place instead of looking at many different places. The information ranges from class notes to ancient texts like the Histories by Herodotus which is very high quality information. It gives good information for a scholarly student. for the site Materials for the study of Ancient Sparta it is very useful because it is more academic then a fun younger sight. The audience for this would then be upper level high school with more of an emphasis on college because of the use of sighting ancient texts. The resources available in this website range from ancient texts to basic known information to stories. MY overall impression of this right is it is very academic, not many pictures maybe one per page and not very colorful. It does not necessarily catch your eye what caught my eye was how for one organized it was; and two how much resourceful information was on there. This site gives you a very good brief overview of the Spartans without having to look a bunch of places. It would be very helpful to me

Bailey Stanfield Reviewed 10/12/2014       This is a very informational source. The audience it is directed towards is very clear. There are specific tabs for each different audience including teachers, parents, kids, administrators and librarians. Pertinent information for each different audience is found easily under each of the tabs. Scholastics is a book company so they are obviously pushing for the literature aspect of education. The website is very appealing and works well for the target audiences.  The content is very easy to see and is very well provided. Scholastic is a very well-known company, and they are sure to keep the information on their website up to date with quality information. They had a new post on the new books for October so that their audience can always be aware of new, upcoming books that may be of interest to them. The content of the website is very solid and easy to find.  The design of the website is also very well done. On the home page they grab the audience's attention by having a video playing. The theme of the video is "open a world of possibilities". This plays into their company as whole seeing as they sell books, but also plays into the emotional aspects that captivate their audience. The design allows for easy navigation through the website and clearly presents the content. 

Sarah Skinner on January 22, 2010 Overview The purpose of this website is to give educators some new material for their classroom. There are suggestions on ways to use new tools to get your students more involved and more excited for learning. There are math activity instructions, blogs for people to read about different age groups as well. There are instructions to help a student learn to read music. My overall impression on this site was that it's very informative. Content This site is very easy to determine the basic content of the site. The intended audience is stated in the introduction paragraph that gives a little information on what the website is about. The author is clearly stated at the top of the page. There isn't a lot of information on the author. The sponsor is identified and contact information is available. The latest revision date is stated clearly on this page. The date is a little old but it has been updated in the past year. All links are working properly. The purpose of this site is mostly informational. There are no under construction signs on this page. The content of the site is well organized and is easy to understand. There is a sufficient amount of information related to my purposes. The content may be bias. Articles are written by different people saying what their opinions are. There is some interactivity and the information appears to be accurate based on my own knowledge. The information is consistent with similar informational sites and grammar and spelling are correct. Design The homepage downloaded efficiently but it kind of has a bland look to it. You can tell where you are immediately when you come to this page. There is an index to lead you to different links. The site sponsor is provided and there is a contact link available. A copyright date is at the bottom of the website. I am able t move around within the site with ease. There are no distinct directions for using the site, but it is pretty straight forward. The

Content Summary: The content for this site was decent and the user would be able to determine the basic content of the site right away. The sponsor and the latest revision date are posted on the bottom of the page. All of the links to other sites were currently working properly and were useful extra information that was helpful for the topic. The purpose of the site was clear right when you first looked at it that it has to do with the solar system. There is no grammar or spelling errors throughout all the information on the site. The content appears to be complete and organized. Design Summary: The site is full of information that was organized and easy to navigate around within the site. The home page had a lot of moving objects in the pictures and was a lot to take in when you first get to the site. The moving displays are very useful for the site because it helped show how the planets and other things in space move. The site and the links on the page downloaded efficiently. They had great graphics that fit the idea of the page and topic. There are available working sites for further information on each page if someone wanted to further their knowledge. Overview: This site that provides information about astronomy. The site contained great visual aids for the kids and was entertaining. It also is designed for the audience to be young students. The site was very well designed, easy to use, and contained useful information. The site had the basic important information about astronomy. It also presents its information in a way students can understand.

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.

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.

Emily E. Krabbenhoft January 22, 2011 Overview: This website is a resource for teachers who are using SmartBoards in the classroom. It gives teachers different ideas for using the SmartBoard in Math, English, and Geography subjects. Content: The content of the website is really useful for people who are looking for new and innovative ways to use a SmartBoard in their classroom everyday. The website was created by a teacher in the UK. The website provides a way for teachers to lead the conversation not the entire lesson plan so it allows for teachers to decide what will be learned.Design: The website is very easy to navigate. Clearly labeled titles and links on the left side of the web page allows the user to switch from different subjects easily. 

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.

Amanda Larsen 1/23/11 Overview: This is a website for cooks whether amateur or professional to find virtually any recipe. It could be used by children as young as middle school age up to the elderly. By creating a profile the user can collect recipes in their "recipe box" and also give reviews on other recipes that they have tried to help future users. Content: The content is immediately visible on the home page with images of tasty dishes. A search bar and tabs of different food subjects make for easy navigation and a quick search to just what the user is looking for. At times the site can be cluttered however, with different advertisements and links to many different sites. But, the links are relevant and useful for a cook. Design: The search bar and tabs prove to be most helpful in a quick and concise search. Because the users can create a profile, advise and reviews are helpful in picking recipes for the most successful cooking experience. The site is dynamic in that it provides information for healthy cooking, How-To cooking, holiday cooking, etc.

Sheppard Software is a website for students of all ages in all subject areas. It has hundreds of games for a very wide variety of audiences. However it is a commercial website with as many advertisements as games in the free version. It does have an ad-free version, but it comes at a pretty steep price for a school or school district.  Content: This website does not have a specific audience, it is directed to students in all grades. It covers many bases, but in is mostly online games and doesn't really offer any classroom activities. I was also disappointed by the number of advertisements and user reviews on each page. This only distracts from the true purpose of an educational website.  Design: This website I found to be pretty disorganized. There are breaks in the middle of lists of games for ad banners that do not relate to kids and user reviews of the website. They do have a toolbar at the top that navigates to pages if you are looking for specific types of games, but those are colorless, and still full of review and ads. I also did not see information for when it was last updated or contact information.