ITEC2360

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

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

Ross Lindstrom - September 21, 2009 Website Evaluation #1: The American Political Science Association (APSA) The American Political Science Association's website is an aesthetically attractive website that also contains a wealth of information and additional resources. The Association brings together 15,000 members to form a community of political science study, fostering a healthy discourse and exchange of information. APSA organizes conferences, seminars, and produces publications for both students and teachers for the purpose of promoting the scholarly research of political science. My first impression of the website is a complete trust in the legitimacy of the information presented. Any student would find this website invaluable when looking for resources to do anything from simply understanding what political science is to writing a graduate dissertation or finding an internship in Washington. The website displayed efficient organization of the various areas of the site, a challenge when so much information is contained within. It had enough visual appeal to not become redundant while browsing and yet still retain the professionalism that should be inherent in such a field of study. However, a high school age student may find the website a bit dry and the content a little too advanced. Most of the publications of the website aren't available in a direct .html format, but download speeds are quick. There is significant information overlap among the publications, but in a field of study where slight opinion difference is a cornerstone of the conversation, this can only be a credit to its legitimacy. The first glance at the APSA website yields both an understanding of its purpose and a desire to explore the website's resource. The content is clearly organized based on subject matter as well as practical application. Proper credits to authors are prevalent, new content is regularly added, and old content is constantly maintained. One of the

Ross Lindstrom - September 21, 2009 Website Evaluation #3 - Politico.com This website is a flashy, attractive website that provides news stories on the American political arena in an easily digestible and easy to navigate format. The audience is pretty vast, including anyone interested in current events in politics. The purpose is to provide newsworthy political articles as well as a forum of discussion to debate content areas such as public policy, congress, lobbying, community, etc. My impression of Politico.com is that it is a well-designed, well-written conglomerate of differing opinion covering a wide array of political topics. However, at times it tends to emphasize the gossip aspect of Washington, running articles such as "Palin emerges as Facebook Phenom". Politico.com is incredibly well designed, with coherent organization of topics and content areas, relevant information regularly at the top, and an easy platform with which to navigate the many intricacies of American politics. There is a healthy balance of information and multimedia without the multimedia being too distracting and without the information being too monotonous. Loading and downloading times are quick. Gossipy stories about Washington tend to get more emphasis on the main pages, but browsing around the site and reading a few articles will tell you Politico is a heavyweight when it comes to intelligent political analysis and debate. The information is current, and links to other useful websites are prevalent. The first look at politico effectively tells you the purpose of the website, as well as the wealth of information it contains. The authors (and their legitimacy) of the various articles are all easily identifiable. The content of the website is all interesting, well-written and fresh. The website tends to lean on the liberal side of the spectrum, but still endeavors to include all dissenting viewpoints. The multimedia section contains a vast amount of information av

Bryana Wilson September 21, 2009 Website Review http://petrarch.petersadlon.com/sonnet.htm "Francesco Petrarch and Laura deNoves" is a site that goes into great detail about the life and art of Francesco Petrarch. I felt this site did a wonderful job of describing Petrarch's role in creating and perfecting his sonnets. It's a very useful site in researching Petrarchan sonnets and taking a look into the man who perfected them. The site is very well organized, and fairly current. CONTENT Petrarch is the subject of this site. It is made up of a variety of a wealth of information on Petrarch, his writings- including the infamous Petrarchan sonnet, as well as information on other things. I particularly enjoyed the quotes on the top of the page. There are links on this site that allow you tips on writing a sonnet and teaching a sonnet- which I found very helpful. There are links to all of the sections in the site on the homepage. These include pictures, writings, books, essays written on Petrarch, and so on. I personally enjoyed the web links section that sends you to a variety of sites concerning Petrarch. The site is most assuredly aimed toward both students and teachers wishing to read and gain insight into Petrarch and his writings. If there are any questions or comments about the site, there is a link to contact Peter Sadlon with any questions or comments concerning his site. Considering all the information was researched by Mr. Sadlon with links to his resources, I believe this site is a great tool. It was last modified in 2007, but I believe the information is applicable to modern day. DESIGN This site is clear cut and easy to maneuver around in. I personally found its organization refreshing and aesthetically pleasing. The information is easy to find thanks to the table of contents on the main page that moves to a vertical section on the left-hand side once switched over to a new section. This helps when you are trying to ma

Content: This website was designed for math homework help. It has the four distinct categories; addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and levels each visitor might need help in. Visually this website isn't very appealing, but the games look interesting for teaching students and help the promotion of a fun learning environment. Clicking on different tabs takes you to the different perspectives of the classroom i.e. the teachers, the learners, and the parents. There are also numerous links to other homework help websites as well. Design: Overall I think the design of the website is good and user friendly. There are a lot of links and tabs, but become useful when it is designed for not only students, but parents and teachers as well. The only downfall to the design of this website is their selling of products gets mixed in with some of the learning material too, so it becomes a little overwhelming. Attribution: I would encourage my students to check out the games on this website because they are a fun way to learn math. I would also encourage parents to play along with their students because it would also familiarize them with the material their students are learning too. The visual aspects of this site promote a fun learning environment and nothing vulgar or inappropriate is presented, making it a safe site to encourage students to visit.

Content: This website is also designed for all kinds of homework help in numerous subjects. They have different kinds of references, tutoring, and levels, although it looks mainly for upper level (high school and college) students, so for elementary children would find some difficulty using. I do feel like there is quite a bit of ad space taking up pages, so visually it becomes overwhelming. Design: The design of this website is good overall, because it looks organized and clear. It is easy for students to look up what they need research on, but any free space given is taken up by ads. I think that getting rid of all these advertisements would sure make this website more efficient in providing a positive and productive learning environment. Attributes: The purpose of this site is to help student's understand what they are bringing home for homework and research. It's a supplement to the textbooks they have and available information student's need. I don't think I would send my student's to this website because there are too many distractions, and it seems like they would get lost in the ample of available information. It's also hard to have online instruction because message boards and chat rooms become off topic without someone there regulating what goes on in those environments.

Bryana Wilson September 21, 2009 Website Review http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/ "Shakespeare's Sonnets" is a site dedicated to 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets. This site gives a lot of input about the sonnets and their essential meaning. It's a great means of obtaining a look at the already acquired material as well as gain insight into each sonnet. It is a nice collection, put together relatively well, and contains a great collection of pictures in the gallery relating to his sonnets. CONTENT Shakespeare's sonnets are the core subjects of this website. It is made up of a collection of 154 sonnets written by Shakespeare and includes a commentary for each one. These sonnets are written in the Elizabethan period- so the site includes a variety of Elizabethan paintings as well. There are links to all of the sections in the site on the homepage. You can view the sonnets in groups of about 50, as well as groups separated by categories- such as Valentine poems. The site is aimed toward people, probably students, wishing to read and gain insight into Shakespeare's sonnets. I found the information very valuable. If there are any questions or comments about the site, there is a link to the Oxquarry Books Ltd website. Oxquarry Books is a trustworthy organization and I trust the information given is authentic. It was last modified in 2009, and given the subject, I believe they are ahead of the game. However, it is true that information can always be refined and edited. DESIGN "Shakespeare's Sonnets" is put together in a rather spasmodic way. The information is fairly easy to find but is set up in a jumbled sort of manner, including a table of contents on the main page. I thought it could have definitely been organized in a more efficient manner. When entering a new section of the site the table of content remains at the top, making it fairly easy to maneuver about. There are also semi-clear titles below the table of content

Posted by Mitchell Clark 9/18/09: HippoCampus is an interactive homework site that provides homework help in math, science, psychology, history and religion. Content: HippoCampus is a simple but very effective homework help site sponsored by the Monterey Institute of Technology and Education. This site uses a combination of resources to help students understand the basics of nearly any level of math, science, psychology, history or religion class that they might encounter during high school or college. The lessons on this site use images, audio and user interaction to help with the comprehension of the material at hand. In addition to this there are also Spanish options for subjects such as calculus and algebra. There are also links to actual text books, but they are deceiving. It turns out that instead of being able to view the text, the user is presented with a video interview of the textbook's author about a certain subject. This can display a certain bias if the interview is conducted poorly. Another potential problem with this site is that it was last updated in 2007. Now for some subjects such as math or language arts this is irrelevant but for subjects such as science and psychology this could result in the absence of new and important information. Aside from the "textbook" links, this site is so well organized that the user can easily find the exact chapter or concept that they wish to review with just a few clicks of the mouse. Design: This site is well designed and very easy to navigate. There are four advertisements but they are organized neatly on the right side of the screen and are nothing more than links to scholarship information and additional resource sites. The sponsor of the site is clearly stated at the bottom of the page and there is a link to their contact information. The site is mainly composed of two sections, the first being a list of general subjects that the user might be interested in, i.e. math and the second section is where

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

This website provides more insite into the world of art through the study of art history. Content: This website has an art history timeline on its homepage that can show students the main movements and periods in art history and when they occured. The website also has a side bar complete with all major movements and artists that the veiwer can click on and learn more about. Upon clicking on an artist featured in the sidebar, one can see some of the artists work, a biography of the artists life and what style, medium and country their work was done in. The same goes for clicking on a style of art, the veiwer is given a detailed description of the art style, shown examples of work done in that style and artists that practiced it. This is a great website for older students to find out more about art, so they can better their own work and write papers

This website provides a comprehensive explaination of different time periods in art history. Content: This website has easy acess to different periods in the history of art. when you click on a time line, the site gives you a range of years, then different countries that you can click on to get what was happening in that particular country at that time in the history of art. The website is fairly easy to understand and navigate. The information is credible, it comes from a museum website. It also provides the veiwer with a detailed bibliography. This would be a great website for high school students to learn about where art has been, where it is today, and where it is going. The information found on this site will help students write papers with a credible source.

Content: This website's purpose is easily determined within moments of looking at the page. Although I do not specifically want to teach science the information it provides makes the idea a lot less threatening. The content that is displayed provides a variety of topics that have to do with biology (whether it is human, animal, ECT…). Even though, the website is pretty short the attention it demands when you open the screen is remarkable. There are links to several other websites that all open and are available to further education in other areas of biology like I said previously. Design: From exploring this site, I believe that it is a reliable educational website for the use of teaching science topics and providing stimulating visuals to assist in the students learning. This is a website teachers can use for a variety of grades as it is grade appropriate website as it suggests. The homepage not only opens quickly and efficiently but exhibits other science based activities and strategies in other tabs; it is very clear and directive for the users Attribution: Overall this website is one that I would most likely use if I was going to be a science teacher. From the moment you open the site you see that the intended audience is for students but also provides valuable information for the teachers. As far as what links connect the user to where seems to be very clear. The media that is presented in this site is both interactive with the visual effects and descriptive which amplifies learning. From what I experienced, everything runs smoothly and is up to date with the current knowledge of what is to be expected in the classroom when covering these topics as well as making learning fun, which is equally as important. There happens to also be various links in which the user can use to seek out help.

Content: Although at first sight this website doesn't immediately catch your attention due to the lack of color on the page, the information that is given seems to be very valuable. Throughout the site it examines a variety of things that creative writing teachers might consider doing for their class. It suggests an array of things that can perform in an effective and an age appropriate way. It deals with problems and concerns that may arise when teaching this class, while also providing suitable solutions that have the amount of dependable resources that are available to children that are on a wide scale of learning skills/ levels. Design: Overall this site is designed pretty well. Although, it seems only usable for adults and teachers the information that is given is very helpful. The layout ( navigation) of this sight is incredibly self explanatory and does not seem to be displayed in a confusing manner. The author's information is also very accessible to get to, and they also provide other forms of contact information in case users have other questions. Attribution: The purpose of this site is to educate teachers on what the best way to approach creative writing in the classroom. Although this website lacks in the creative side of design the content is very intriguing and guides the educator in teaching the most efficiently. I would feel safe using this site, due to the number of resources they used. Just to make sure they were credible I checked a few and everything panned out, so in the future I would most likely use the site to get some ideas.

Content: The content of this website is very straight forward. However, at the same time it's well organized and puts off the feeling of professionalism. The main purpose of this site is to express the overall goal for every child, which is to make them into life long readers. Yet, with that goal they need to have guided instruction and engaging materials to make them efficient ones. So with that, this site gives a list of areas teachers can focus on to make that goal achievable (literature, reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, ECT...). Since the primary focus is dealing with 2nd graders, teachers need to be able to present this material in a way that actively engages the students. Once that's accomplished hopefully they will begin to develop a real joy of reading and to read a wide variety of materials. Some might think this site is only for those who are educators but active parents can help guide their children by reading to them and helping with their homework. Design: Personally I believe that this site is designed very well. The colors they use are very appealing to the eyes and it is also presented in a manner that is easily understandable. When accessing this site it downloaded efficiently while also allowing the user to move around the site with ease. The information that is provided is very helpful, if teachers don't already have the basic knowledge of what is expected this site will give a brief insight on what is to be anticipated from each student. Attribution: This site seems to be a very established and projects information that is not only useful to teachers but allows children's development levels to be ranged all over the map. Meaning, this site is designed to help children that are struggling as well as the ones who are already progressively succeeding in this area of learning.

Clayton Christensen 9/20/2009 This website is intended for math students needing help and practice in their subject matter. The site intends to provide help in any way. The site provides homework help, calculators, tutorials and many other helpful links. Content: The content of the site is laid out in a very organized way it has links listed under certain subjects that will help students. The website contains anything from basic math to calculus and even help with test anxiety and standardized test help. There is no revised date but it seems that the website is very informative and on top of math help. When clicking on links it provides more links to more specific areas of study. I like the fact that it has a wide range of subject so that it is not specific to one age group. Design: The design of the website is both attractive yet simple to navigate. The links are well laid out and easy to find the exact subject that a person is looking for. I like that the website is not loaded with animations but that it is simple. It would be easy for students to find there way around the website and do it in a timely fashion. The faster students can get through homework problems the more interested they will stay and this website does a good job of allowing students to navigate easily.

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.

Clayton Christensen 9/20/2009 The purpose of the site is to inform new math teachers of some things that they should keep in mind when starting their new teaching career. The intended audience is both new and experienced teachers concentrating on math teachers. The site provides links to lesson plans, math calculator sites, and many different sites helpful for a math teacher. Content: The content of the site is geared towards teachers looking for interactive assignments with their students. The website provides many links that allow teachers to navigate to other sites for further information quickly. The website provides a link to free lesson plans that will help teachers get an idea of lessons they may want to use that day. The website has not been updated since November 2007, but I believe the content is very helpful. The website shows the many rewards that it has won since it was developed. Design: This website is very simple it is very easy to navigate as all of the links are in a very organized list that is easy to find. The website is not extremely attractive because there is not a lot of color but because of this the site makes it easy to navigate to the other links. All of the links worked effectively and took me to the described site. The website however not particularly attractive it is very easily navigated and useful.

Mitch Sexton January 19th 2009 Spiegel Online is a form of a major German newspaper printed and distributed throughout Europe. I feel that this could be a very significant learning tool for any German student. The only downside to the site is that to navigate the site you must speak a fair amount of German to be able to eventually translate the site. However, whether you navigate the site in German or English you have access to news feeds, online dictionary, news flashes and even sports updates. This can make for a very fun and educational experience. The German language only really begins to take hold in your mind when you begin to use it and what better way than immersing yourself in what is happening over there right now as we speak? I feel that the advantages of this site strongly outweigh the disadvantages and anyone with access to this site would benefit from reading it and learning about what is happening in their area of study at the very moment.

Mitch Sexton January 20th 2009 The page provided by BBC about German culture and language seems to be a very interesting and educational tool to be used by anyone looking to learn about Germany. With so many different links and fun games it is impossible to search this site without learning at least a little bit about Germany and its culture. I feel that this would be a useful tool as a teacher because not only does it provide the site in German but it also gives you news updates, live television feeds, weather and even quizzes about cultural events. The intended audience is obviously any person that is looking to learn about Germany. But it also provides a more in-depth look with the television feeds and translation into German. I think that this is a wonderful site for anyone but a particularly great site for students that will be in my classroom.