ITEC2360

Erin Kirby January 23, 2011 Overview: The sight http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/gw.html is a good sight for young children and older children. The purpose of the sight is to teach kids about global warming, allow them to play games, and tell them what they can do to help. On the website it allows you to pick a topic and learn a lot of things about it. The sight is simple to work because there are simple links and there is not a lot of distracting stuff going on. The sight could also be good for teachers, it could allow teachers to learn about this topic and find ways to teach it to their students. The sight seems simple to use and there are not a lot of things in the way. Content: This website is pretty simple and seems easy for most age groups. It is easy to see what the sight is about, it allows children to learn interesting facts. The site may be hard for very young children who cannot read because the sight does have a lot of words. There are not a lot of pictures so kids may become bored. The games are fun for children to play and they test the knowledge of what they have been reading. The author of the site, and words from the author were not available but it does say who the sponsor of the sight is. The content of the sight should all be educational and correct because the sight is a government website. The last time this sight was updated however was in 2006, so some stuff on the site may be old. The links on the site are helpful because they are picture and all of them work and don't take very long. The grammar and spelling is fine and there does not seem to be anything that is bias. Overall the sight seems simple and fun for children to learn. Design: The website comes up very quickly and the site run very quickly. The homepage is simple and the links are easy to follow and use. The graphics of the sight are clear and keep it more interesting for kids. Every game on the site seems like it has accurate information and all the information overall

Lynnsey Patterson January 23, 2011 Overview: The purpose of this site is to give artists of all ages and media the opportunity to showcase their work on their very own website. I believe this could be a great site for high school art students in giving them the opportunity to put together a digital portfolio that can be viewed by anyone, anywhere in the world. Content: The content of this site is well organized with a header containing all the links one needs including examples of other user's portfolios and an about section. There is also a side bar with information about how many images they currently have displayed as well as portfolios and users. Design: At first glance this site looks very unprofessional. The background of the site is contains images of unicorns, clouds, and other fantastical creatures. However, the portfolios the site hosts are very beautiful and professional looking. All the links work very well and the entire site including the portfolios are easy to navigate.

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.

Becky Stewart 1/24/11 Average site Overview: The site http://gseis.ucla.edu/ is a site for people interested in the areas listed in this site based on the college. There are no advertisements for anything that isn't related to the site. The purpose of this site is to inform adults about the graduate school, and the subjects that are involved in it. This site is for very old students or adults because this is a program that young kids wouldn't understand or be interested in them. The site provides a lot of links, and a lot of it is basic information which isn't really helpful if someone is looking in depth. Content: The site really isn't complicated to look at, but that is because there really isn't much on the site. The authors aren't clearly stated, however at the bottom of the page there is a copyright date and very good information such as an address. This site was last updated in 2010 so it is a very recent site, which is a good indication that the information is good and up to date. Since this site is more of an information and direction site, there is no indication of bias. There are no grammer mistakes or any indication that anything is wrong with the site. The website doesn't have a lot of extra information. Its is very basic, and that can be a good or bad thing. The sites URL helps to indicate that it is a good credible site where the information can be trusted. Design: The homepage for this site took some time to download because they have a big moving picture on the page and a lot of color and links. This is most likely the reason that the site took a little longer to load. The homepage is very simple and only has a basic information paragraph on it. Overall the site seems to be pretty organized and easy to follow. There is no overload of pictures or animations on the page to confuse people. Its is very easy to move around the site, the links do what

Amanda Larsen 1/23/11 Overview: This is a website designed to provide people with a vast library of images current and historic art pieces. It is especially useful to collegiate students and professors because a professor can set up a library with images that they are focusing on in class.  Content: At first glance it is obvious that the content includes images of art pieces. The featured images are constantly being updated with a clear description of foundations and sponsors for each group of images. There are announcements of new collections posted often. Images are categorized in a variety of ways including author, time period, collection, etc. Design: Navigation from the home page and throughout the website is user friendly. Images have fantastic quality with a quick loading time. The libraries of images are constantly being updated for the most current collection. Directions and help for optimal use of this website are provided with tabs at the top of the screen. 

Lynnsey Patterson January 23, 2011 Overview: The intended audience for this site is anyone interested in modern art. The Museum of Modern Art is the be all and end all for artists today and this site is a great resource for finding anything ne would want to know about the modern art scene including the artists, shows, and to see example of how different kinds of media can be used. Content: I find myself feeling a little lost on this site. There is no clear side bar , header, or footer that contains links that I would consider important. The homepage also contains several pictorial links that could be confusing. Aside from the poor organization, the site does contain very useful information about upcoming events at the museum as well as the current collection. Design: Like I said before the organization of this site is questionable but the look of it is very aesthetically pleasing and professional looking.

Becky Stewart 1/24/11 Average site Content: The site is a little complicated at first glance, and there are a lot of different options. Without looking into it as much the site looks very complicated, and its difficult to find a starting point for it. Its hard to tell what the exact purpose of the website is, and who it is exactly for. The author(s) are very hard to find on this website, however the site is sponsored by the government which gives it more legitimacy even with missing authors. The website has a lot of extra information about location, phone numbers etc, but there is no simple way to find out when the site was last updated. The site has plenty of good information, as well as many links to bring the user to different areas to look more in depth into anything. This site is probably used more for adults because of how complicated it is. However, The information on the site seems to be very good and a good resource if used correctly. Design: The site had a lot on the homepage, but downloading quickly. There was no significant wait time for everything to load. The home page is very strong and makes the site look very credible. The bottom of the home page has a list of links that the user can go to on the site, and seems to be pretty organized. The links work well and bring the user where it says its going to. The site is well organized and isn't completely overloaded with videos or pictures. Plenty of addresses and phone numbers are located in a link at the bottom of the page. Overview: The site http://www.ed.gov/ is a site designed for teachers a students. There are no advertisements on the page to be distractions, and the site seems very educational. The purpose of this site is to inform teachers and help out students who may have questions or concerns. In some ways it does this for teachers as well. This is a complicated site so it wouldn't be for younger st

Lynnsey Patterson January 23, 2011 Overview: The purpose of this site is to give information to potential students about the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. Overall it is a very nice site for its intended purpose. It is easy to navigate and the design appears very professionally done. I personally, like the orange, white, and grey color scheme complete with the pictorial layout. It makes the school look very inviting and fun. Content: The content of this site is very well organized and achieves its intended purpose effectively. Everything needed is accessible on the right side bar of the homepage including admissions information, degree programs, and a place to apply. I also like the footer of the page where it contains links to both community and school events. This could serve as a great way for students to become involved with the school before attending. Design: All information I clearly labeled and organized on this site and it is very easy to navigate. The homepage is very attractive and all links, pictures, and graphic serve a clear purpose. This site is a great starting point for finding information and applying for this college.

Posted by Riley Kallhoff on 1/25/2010 Overview: Funschool.kaboose.com is a site for teachers and students. It is a place where teachers can find educational games for students. This site has a lot of stuff going on in it. There are a lot of advertisements and just unneeded things in the website. The purpose of the site is to make life easier on teachers and help them in the classroom. The website is a little out of control and I would think this makes it hard to navigate. I had some problems figuring it out at first so I think students would struggle as well. Content: This is a website that is a little overwhelming when you first come in. There is a ton going on and you really don't know where to start. I would say it's a little hard to determine what exactly this website is used for at first. It's hard to tell if it's a teacher or a student website. The authors of the site are hard to find and the site is hard to navigate in its own right. You will click on one thing and it will take you on a little bit of a wild goose chase to find what you want if you ever do find what you are looking for. The links on the site work fine, but there are very few of them and most of them are distracting advertisements. I'm still not sure if this is supposed to be an educational site or if it is suppose to be for games. This site is hard to understand and I'm not sure this is a good site to send students to. Design: The website comes up very quickly, and is a fast site as far as downloading goes. However, when you get to the homepage you are confused from the start and you are overwhelmed with chaos. There is far too much on the homepage and it is like to much stimulus to know what to do next. I found it hard to navigate my way through the site. There are advertisements and it takes way too long to get to your desired destination. I think the graphics and animations are very hard to follow and take away from the site instead of enhancing it. The informa

David May 1/23/11 Fun site of games and entertainment. Educational to younger children. Overview: The website is filled with games and fun quizzes for younger children. The games look interesting, but they aren't filled with meaningful information for anyone with a mild understanding of history. The history information quiz is very basic such as who was the first president of the U.S. There are links to crafts and home activities. The website is for children and parents because the home activities and advertisements. Content: The audience is younger children which is clear by the bright colors and the fun game link pictures. Another hidden audience is the parents of the children that will be playing games on this website. This is shown through with the home craft projects and the advertisements for sandwich meats and other child oriented products. The website has a large copyrighted page and a large page of contact information with phone numbers as well as email addresses. Helping children learn is what the supposed site goal is with many advertisements of things that children would want. The clear owner of the site is Disney because the ads and the many links to other Disney sites and online stores on the links areas of the website. The site is very well put together to gain the attention of child and does a good job of entertaining them while hiding a bit of learning with it. Design: The site has wonderful appeal even older than grade school students get caught by this site. Everything is where it says it will be with wonderful smoothness and ease of use. Any type of additional information regarding the copyright, other links, and sponsor (which is Disney) is clearly identified with an entire page or more devoted to it. The site is very well put together and that is easily seen. The games and animations work very well and are quick to load. The games and animations will keep eyes locked on the screen for hours.

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 Fun website full of games for all ages. Captures attention right away with the bright colors and clickable items. Overview: This site promises to make learning fun and it sure succeeds. Many games are at the user's disposal of learning and having a bit of fun. The games have a game part to learn and then another option of taking a quiz to prove that information is actually learned. The science games are fun and have animations which help show the user what is being learned. The history game is more of a pop quiz that has some interesting things that not that would know. The website has testimonials of users explaining how much they enjoy the site. The entire website has many things for children all the way up to adults and college students. The website has some questionable content in the history quiz portion asking about facts of playboy the magazine which isn't so good if taken by younger children. Content: The user is easily able to discern what the content is. The audience is younger children with the colorful pictures and animals all over. An email is provided with easy access to the email through the contact link. The author is listed as well as everyone involved with the website is listed in the about link. The author is listed with credentials and with the amount of patents he currently has. The website doesn't display any kind of updating date nor a copyright date. The website claims that the sole purpose is for educational purposes. On closer inspection one can see that the purpose is to sell software games to schools, teachers, and parents. The site gains loyalty and then sells software. The site keeps the attention focused and doesn't lack in entertainment with all the games. Any type of game is easily found by category. Some games have to been dug for with multiple clicks. The games do provoke learning, but none of the information is listed where it came from. Design: The website has good appeal with the bright color

Lynnsey Patterson January 23, 2011 Overview: The purpose of this site is to give and promote information about artists in the US as well as to advertise the magazine Art in America. I believe this could be considered a very valuable resource for anyone interested in modern art. The authors consist of very highly qualified individuals such as an art professor of Yale University and a highly respected art curator and critic. Content: This website is packed with content. It contains archives of past issues of the magazine, links to events taking place in the art world, featured artists of the month, books, videos, news, and more. Everything is very well organized in the top margin of the homepage and the contact information is very well labeled under the "contact us" link on the footer. I would however, call this site a little bias in that it only contains information about art in the United States but I wouldn't considered that to necessarily be a bad thing. Design: This site is very aesthetically pleasing in design and is very easy to navigate. Everything appears to be very clear, concise, and appropriate for the audience it is trying to reach.

This page was reviewed by Joseph Scherden on 1/23/2011 Content Review- I picked this page specifically because the other two pages I have reviewed were valuable and credible web pages. This one, however, is not so much. It does not list the author, publisher, or date published even. It was turned up as a result when I searched "teaching methods," on Google. This web pages information does not seem farfetched, but it would need to be verified through more credible sources. Design Review- The design of this page was another reason I picked it. The page is not as "retro" in appearance as Jewwatch.com, but it is still obviously not intended for research purposes solely. The home page loaded poorly on my computer when I linked through several of the page links. The tab set up separates different topics clearly and links are imbedded inside the information to provide definitions. Although some pieces of this pages designs are novel it should still be noted how many ads are on the page. Overall Review- This page has information that may be used as a jumping off point. It would be useful for learning key terms that are used when discussing teaching methods, but it is not a credible source on its own. I would say this site may be useful to education majors, but I emphasize its lack of credibility.

Rebekah Asay January 23, 2011 Overview: This website offers a 3D close-up-look of earth and the features on it. Content: This website is fun and interactive. It allows you to scour the globe and look at the features on it. It would be useful for a geology class in learning about geological features. Design: The design is easy to use and is fun. It is virtual and interactive.

Rebekah Asay January 23, 2011 Overview: This website is an online game that quizzes students on geographical information. It includes quizzes on locations, climates, industries, physical systems, population, culture, environment, and society. Content: The website is fun and educational. It has many categories to choose from and tests students on their knowledge of the world using fun, educational questions based on those categories. The content is mostly for older middle school or high school students. Design: The design is fun and interesting. It is easy to navigate and is engaging.

Rebekah Asay January 23, 2011 Overview: This website is to help students or adults better their English. There are a number of games including hangman, crosswords, matching games, typing tests, and puzzles to help improve grammar, typing skills, and vocabulary. Content: This website has fun games that are fun and educational. There are many other links for videos, teachers, writing, vocabulary, and pronunciation. There is a lot of information and it is a good resource for someone learning English. Design: The design is easy enough to navigate but isn't very attractive to the eye and is slightly unorganized. There is a lot going on on the webpage and it is overwhelming.

Purpose: This website is a section of the Discovery website designed for children. It is used to help kids learn about the world they live in. In this section, it is a lab area and children can follow instructions to many science experiments. Content: The website is easy to use and looks fun. The labs are fun and educational and provide explanations at the end of each one describing why these phenomena occur in science. However, though all of the science experiments are interesting, not all of them would be useful in a science lesson.

Rebekah Asay January 23, 2011 Purpose: The purpose of this site is to allow people across the world to see the amazing sites in Venice and to be able to book a vacation there. The website also provides a lot of information about each tourist site and the history of Venice. The site is directed towards anyone who wants to know about Venice or travel there someday.This website has a virtual tour uploaded, audio guides, and HD movies. Content: This website has a great design that is easy to navigate and attractive to the eye. It has verifiable information about each location in Venice.

Haley Brown 1/19/2011 Overview: The purpose of this website is to inform those who are interested in science in a fun way. One thing I really enjoyed was the Science Secret tab. Content: I do not know when the site was last updated. The link that shows files only lists three subjects to look over. On the other hand, this website does give the links to all of the video programs Design: The site catches the eye well. Almost every page has some reference to Mr. Wizard at the top so it is easy to know which site you are on which helps lessen confusion.