Adrianne Lauman
September 02, 2011
Overview
This free website is supported by a non-profit educational organization that promotes the preservation of Native American culture and languages. The purpose of the site is to provide information regarding the culture, history and languages of Native people of the Western Hemisphere. The resources are intended to provide teachers and children with educational information, while promoting the revitalization of the use of Native American languages. The content of this site is difficult to navigate. The site provides numerous links to additional sites that are not reputable educational sources.
Content
The content of the site is poorly organized. The headings of the content are listed in columns that reflect disarray. The authors of the material presented are not identified within the text and the updates to the site are not current. A visitor to the site may have difficulty in determining the accuracy of the information.
Design
The website information is not augmented by graphics, animation, video or audio files. The links within the pages are to sites that are selling goods or to other WebPages that lack credibility. The homepage is not attractive and the page layout does not encourage visitors to remain at the site. Information is difficult to find and it requires the visitor to utilize more than three clicks of the mouse. When investigating another link within the page it is difficult to return to the homepage.
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.
Overview:
I did consider this website to be very significant, because it discusses the major problems with cyber-bulling, what it is, why it's a problem, where does it occur, etc.m along with information on other problems teachers encounter such as texting, cheating, and cyber-bashing.
Content:
Overall, I would consider this site to be very sufficient. At first glance you are able to quickly determine the content of the site, who the intended audience was, as well as the sponsor is. It also provides the latest information, and is well organized. It also appears to have consistent information with similar information I have found about the topic in the past.
Website Design:
Overall the homepage downloads efficiently, and is easy to navigate through, partially because of of the index that is located on this site, and a search bar. It also is very current and has various links for further information.
Overview: This website has a little information such as flags and mottos, competition, and medals. However, there is not a whole lot of information, and nothing that teacher's can use if they are looking for activities for the classroom. The information given is about a paragraph long and seems to be information you can find anywhere. The content can be used if needed, but if you are looking for more information there really isn't a whole lot to offer. The resources are other websites that give information on the Olympics and are good websites to use and better than this website. The design is poor, the site title is nice and big, but everything else is just text and there isn't any huge design within the website. Overall, if your needing some quick information on competition, medals, and flags and mottos, then this would be an easy website to use, but not one that I would recommend if a teacher is needing good information.
Content: The copyright for this site is 1999-2011 so the information is up to date, but when it comes to seeing the actual information on the site, there isn't much to offer unless you need only information on medal, flags, and about the competition of the Olympics. The resources are reliable and up to date and are better resources than this website is. Reader's can quickly determine the content of this site and it easily loads, this site is also for teachers and students, but there is not a whole lot of information on a broad range of topic. All of the links to the other resources are reliable and provide much more information than this website. This website would not be something that I would ever use if I needed information and not something that I would ever return to either.
Design: There is not a whole lot of design to this website. The websites site title, eHow, is nice and big in bright colors, but that is the only design to the website. Everything else is text and there is a lot of advertisement within the website as well. Th
Elise Verley
September 9, 2011
http://technologysource.org/
Overview:
This is a basic site to review the articles from the peer-reviewed bimonthly periodical "The Technology Source". The purpose of this site is to allow educators to view the articles published, from 1997 - 2003. The periodical published articles to assist educators in integrating information technology tools into the classroom. Since the periodical stopped publishing in 2003 the sources may become out of date.
Content:
This site had many articles, but may be difficult for someone without a particular article they were searching for to use. Since this was a peer-reviewed periodical the articles can be reliable as sources. There are articles on a variety of topics.
Design:
There were two ways to search the sites articles. Users could either browse articles or search with a library like search tool. This is a very basic site with a white background, black text and blue accents, there are no pictures.
Michael Gonzales
September 13, 2011
Overview: This website is perfect for any educators who are considering teaching Spanish as a foreign language in their classroom. This site focuses on information regarding Spanish vocabulary and grammar. It's filled with activities that you can easily incorporate into your classroom that will stimulate students to have fun and learn. It also provides additional information of projects that you can use in your classroom.
Content: This site is filled with files that you can print off and give to students within your classroom to help them comprehend more Spanish words and grammar. Many of the worksheets allow you to color in the words and also provide excellent visual aids to help comprehend more information. The web page is very easy to navigate; this particular page revolves around Spanish themes. There are also several links to games and items that you can print off to test your students in the classroom. This site also offers you to explore more fully and see what else the company has to offer such as templates for holiday decorations and as well over 100 themes that apply to kindergarten through 3rd grade.
Design: The design of the website is very simple and straight forward; the links and texts boxes do not look complex and are very easy to access. The webpage itself is a little boring, only supplying the viewers with pictures of images of what it has to offer. I have taken a few HTML coding classes and I can see that this is something that I can easily duplicate. The site is not complex but the information that is provided is perfect for teachers and students alike.
Korinne Thoren
14 September 2011
Art History.net
Overview:
Art History.net is a website providing information about art history, including: famous artists, art styles and periods, and art mediums. This is a website intended for older students, middle school aged and up. The site does not provide a lot of available resources but I think it is useful for gaining background and basic information.
Content:
This website contains information about art history but there is no information provided about authors of the text or any dates of publication or revision. Basic information dealing with art history is presented, but outside of that the user is not given much else. Also, a disclaimer at the bottom of the page reads, "Information and materials on this web site may be incorrect, unsuitable, incomplete and/or outdated.
Users of this web site are responsible for verifying the accuracy, completeness and suitability of all information and materials" making the user wary of trusting the site. The content of arthistory.net is well organized and easy to read, however I personally cannot get over the disclaimer, making this a site I would only use to gain basic, informal information.
Design:
Art History.net's website design is not as exciting or clever as the other websites I have explored, however the overall design is simple and somewhat appealing. The site's information is displayed well and easy to navigate because the same site layout is used throughout. There are also a few graphics on the site, but they do not really add much to the overall appeal or serve that much of a purpose. Overall, the design needs some work but the site is usable.
Overview
Spanish.language&culture is a website aimed the teacher of Spanish. It is a well formatted site and may be suitably adjusted for use in all grade levels. It may also be used individually by students in Junior High and up. It allows the student to "see, hear and say" the language. The format provides activities that the student engages, instant feedback and corrections and study modules that support the ideas of the lesson's text. The modules allow the use of the language in 'real time' and cultural context. Overall, it could be a useful and relevant site for use in the classroom as a technology resource.
Content
The site contains Announcements, Study Modules, Home resources, Activities and Verb conjugation charts. Each of these links open to other exercises, lessons and information.
Design
The unassuming design of the site draws the eye to its benefits. It begins with a white background. Centered on this is a white page with a gray outline shadow. the page contains three sections. The Announcements portion tells who and what the site is about. Study Modules are located beneath the Announcements. the study modules are separated by photographic pictures and module contents written in red. The right third of the page is divided by a vertical space bar. To the right of the bar are the links to Home and the Activities site. Across the top of the website is a red ribbon which contains the name of the site and its promoter.
Billie Slyman, 9/11/11
Purpose
The Kidstorm site is actually a section of a larger site dedicated to storm chasing. The rest of the site is fine, but the kids section has, in my opinion, the best resources and information. However, the information, while good, is pretty basic and could easily be found on other sites. So my overall impression is that while this site is okay for information about severe weather, its real value is in the photographs and resources that can be found there. There are tons of links to other sites, some on the main kids' page for general weather, and then more on each page about a specific weather. These links lead to good sites and would be a valuable resource for a teacher or student looking for information.
Content
The content on this site is appropriate for students in 4-6 grades and for adults as well. It is set out clearly, but the vocabulary would be difficult for younger students. Again, the information is basic, although the extensive safety tips are nice, but the pictures are great. There are high quality photos of every type of weather covered and more. These can be viewed online, and it is stated on the website that students can use them for paper reports in class as long as credit is given. The external links given are useful and would also be a good resource for student research.
Design
The site is easy to navigate and nice to look at, interesting while not being overwhelming. There is a lot of text on each page, but there are also a lot of relevant photos, so it is interesting to read. It is easy to go from one section to the other without having to go back to the homepage, and the external links are always at the bottom of the page. It's a well put together site.
Ross Lindstrom - September 21, 2009
Website Evaluation #2 - Teaching Comparative Government and Politics
This website is a blog-based collective of information and resources for the purpose of aiding instruction of comparative government and politics. The audience is primarily secondary and postsecondary teachers of government and politics who are seeking resources about and/or specific examples of comparative government they can use for their class. The impression I had was that it was an interesting and at times very applicable for teachers, but the blog-style format and lack of information accessible on command makes the potential application of this website in a teaching environment limited.
The website took a little while to load, which I believe can be attributed to the length of the continued thread of blogs/discussion. (Excuse my lack of correct internet jargon). The first thing I noticed was a cramped column of text, outside links, and pictures organized in a sequential, most recent blog entry- at top format. The website lacks a visible title. Even the purpose description is vague: "Teaching Comparative Government and Politics is a complex and demanding task. We can all use all the help we can get. This cyber place is somewhere to facilitate helpful interactions." The blog entries usually include relevant pictures and multimedia links. Despite the lack of outside sources, the blog is archived from 2006, so there is a large amount of articles to sift through. Even though I questioned the main author's legitimacy and authority in the area, all the articles contained something that had practical classroom application. The content is also constantly updated, with multiple meaningful posts coming within the period of one day.
It is a bit difficult to determine the exact purpose of the website, as well as the main author. The name Ken Wedding is given as the author, but doesn't offer more information in the way of his legitimacy as an ed
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 Kate Guerrieri
9/18/2009
Title of web page: Tips on Teaching Creative writing.
This website has helpful hints for new creative writing teachers. Content is easy to understand.
Content:
The content of this website is just a list of things that a new creative writing teacher might consider doing for their class. It offers insight from an experienced creative writing teacher, who knows what to expect when teaching this course. It deals with issues that may arise when teaching a creative writing class and offers solutions. This website is short, precise, and just a singular view point about teaching creative writing. It doesn't offer much information but the information is does offer is useful. Most of the idea's can be used for teaching any class and any new teachers might find this website helpful.
Design:
The design of this website is pretty standard. It has a bulleted list that highlights the information of the text. Unfortunately, there are many advertisements on this website that are somewhat distracting. There are no links to additional information. It is just a one sided view point that may be opinionated and it may not be credible.
Attribution:
This website is friendly for everyone. It is copy righted. People are free to use this information as long as they cite the author when necessary.
Monique Koller
Jan. 24 2010
These Stories in These Pictures is an interesting site that gives people a way to break through a writing block they may be encountering.
Content: The content of this website is interesting however once you've read through the information on the pages there seems little reason to return to the site. I enjoyed reading the ideas given to break through a writing block and create a creative and interesting story. The ideas were useful and could be used in your classroom when directing your students in a new direction.
Design: This website was very easy to navigate. You are given an apple and a couple of tabs. The site is mostly text so everything loaded pretty quickly. It had a few resources that linked you to the stories the author referenced or used examples from.
Overview: This site is mostly for professional writers however it can be used by teachers as ideas on getting their students to make creative pieces. This site is worth a visit but I doubt a person would return after reading the content.
Morgan Jenkins
October 13, 2014
The author of this website wanted to help teachers find resources and lesson plans more easily. This website provides many different resources for preschool and kindergarten planning. It has lesson plans, activities, worksheets, math, and crafts. I personally feel that this site is helpful in many ways because it has a large variety of ideas and lessons. You can find specific lessons for holidays or seasons, but it still has generic lesson plans that can be modified for a specific class.
The author of this website, Elaine Engerdahl, is a credible author because she taught Kindergarten for 31 years, therefore an expert by experience. The last copyright was in 2013. I would consider the materials up to date because the lessons all follow common core standards and include up to date technology and methods. There was a contact section that included the email and mailing address of the author along with a phone number. The content is clear and effective because the purpose was to help provide teachers with resources and the site effectively does that. My overall impression of this website was professional and helpful.
This website was easy to navigate and had a clean design. There were buttons for lesson plans, activities, crafts and more. When you would click on the links to other websites they seemed to all work. The design of the simple but fun. There were graphics but not too many. The text was easy to read, and the font was not too big or small. Clearly the website was set up well and is easy to use.
Jared Mohr-Leiva
October 13, 2014
Grammar is an area of Language Arts that is almost unanimously hated. We are taught grammar in primary school, and the rules become greater in number and difficulty as we progress. Thankfully, websites such as "www.grammarbook.com" exist only to help. From basics (nouns and verbs, where to use a comma) to more complex areas (who vs. whom, prepositions, semicolons), this website has rules galore. Additionally, all the information is taken directly from Jane Straus's "The Blue Book of Grammar and Pronunciation," a published and legitimate work.
On the website's home page is a list of twenty-five subjects, each linking to a page which details what each of the words mean, what they are, how to find them, et cetera. Sections are clearly labeled, examples are given, and rules are clearly outlined. Overall, the website is very user-friendly; It is very easy to find what is needed, and quickly.
Aesthetically, I have seen much worse. Grammarbook.com is very blue, to say the least. However, many of the text boxes are a light orange color, blue's compliment, which is rather easy on the eyes. Labels are large and bold, making everything easy to locate. All in all, a very helpful and convenient resource.
This webside is the virtual museum located in Hiroshima with many specail exhibits online.
Overview: This website is for people of all ages who are studying the effects of the Atomic Bombing on Hiroshima. It includes several special exhibits, including an exhibit on Sadako Sasaki, a famous young girl who died of leukemia from the bombing several years after. This is pretty much a virtual tour of the museum that is in Hiroshima, and is up to date.
Content: The content of the site is not really defined. At the top is a welcome banner that says "Let's Look at the Special Exhibits". From here the students will have to brows the different exhibits to use the one that I want them using. There are no authors listed, or a copyright date. Finding the Sadako Exhibit is fairly easy. The links to the exhibits are all working and easy for students to use. There is a link to a list of contributors for this exhibit which is easy to find.
Design: The color scheme of the website is a little dull. Once you get into the exhibit there are a lot of good photographs, the text is in bold and easy to read. Links to the displays are very clearly marked. The photographs are all clear.
The sites purpose is to provide a second source to Beowulf for the students in 11th Grade English. The site is composed of Beowulf translated into English as well as an index that has links to each individual section of Beowulf. I find the site to be exactly what it needs to be, an accurate, line labeled, online source of Beowulf. It is laid out very simply without distractions. The layout maybe dull, but it should be used in order to look up specific lines, so a lack of visual appeal is fine.
The site is intended to give students an example of the APA format, which is given clearly and effectively. The students will be of the 9th or higher grade level and should be able to follow the instructions and rules set by the site. The site itself also allows students to look into other writing style for future assignments when similar or different styles are required. The site has some visual appeal, an amount set enough to where a student would be able to more likely remember the website when the need for APA style rules are needed. Overall the site is simple enough for the basics allowing students to still try to remain original in their texts without just copying and relying on the site. The general setup of the site is enough to keep interest without interfering with the information it provides.
Content: The content of this website focuses on earth sciences, particularly that of geography and is highly informational. The information given about the author of this site shows that he is highly qualified as well as the many awards given to this site shows that the site is one that is accurate and well kept. The information given requires some previous knowledge, but also most of the topics are well written and students can easily understand what the page is telling them. The site also goes in a predetermined order if you continue to click the "continue along site track" button. Some of the pages seem irrelevant, but as you continue, you understand why those topics were covered. There are some links to other pages but they take time to load but add information to what is being taught.
Design: The design of this site is appealing on the first page, but it does not continue throughout the site. The home page catches your attention and so do some of the other pages, but not all of the pages have something for the students to look at and there are a lot of ads in the middle of the pages so students could get confused about what is part of the page and what is not. However, all of the pages have at least one reference photo for students to look at and be able to somewhat understand what the page will be about before they read the text. There are links to live cameras as well which adds to the appeal of the site. This site is also very easy to navigate as explained in the content evaluation and even if you want to deter off the provided course it is easy to find what you are searching for.
Overview: This site was average to me. The information was really good and I could definitely use this site in the classroom to help explain certain processes that the earth goes through, but I feel that students would get distracted because this site doesn't have very many interactive aspects. There are also ads in this site that look like they belong with the site, but re
