ITEC2360

Shaya Wolf - 2/26/2013 Overview This website is for teachers who are frantically looking for lesson plans. All of the plans are fairly complete and need minimal changes to make them fit a teacher's specific needs. These sites are not intended for students! It is intended for teachers and it is my personal suggestion that a teacher use these lesson plans as a starting point, not using them in their entirety. It includes many resources, but the ones that are useful to the user (a teacher) are the ones on the main page. The other links are helpful; however do not provide direct help. Overall, this site is very useful and provides quick and easy lesson plans organized by grade level and subject. Based on the content and design quality of this site, it is definitely worth your time to visit this page. Content At first look, you can easily tell what the purpose of this site is and any user could immediately identify that it is intended for teachers. The information providers are clear and easy to contact. They clearly identified the author at the bottom of the page and a link is provided to contact them. The sponsor is also clearly identified. I like how they put the author and sponsor information together so that the information is all easy to find. All of the information is current, as of 2007. It is important to note that if it were a news site, 2007 would not be current. However, lesson plans tend to be good for quite a few years before they become outdated, therefore, I consider 2007 to be current. All of the information is of quality. There is no bias obviously, but the resources given are all of good quality and they are resources that a teacher could actually and tangibly pull off the internet and use. The main content downfall is that there are no links are included to other sites that are related to what a teacher is really looking for when they need a lesson plan. Design This site loads quickly and includes an attractive homepage. The person looki

Katrina Swanson February 26, 2013 Overview: This website was created by a kindergarten teacher who wanted to share her ideas and lesson plans from inside her own classroom. It is intended for the kindergarten aged level but teacher access only. The teacher looks at the material and then creates her own ideas from it. The site gives tons of lesson plans for every day of the month and even extra fun things to do with kindergarteners. Content: The content of this site is very helpful to kindergarten or early childhood teachers. It is easy to determine what the site contains and also that it is created by a former kindergarten teacher. There is contact info available to contact her if there are any questions or ideas that come up. She provides updated content to the site daily and the links are all working correctly. The site is intended for others to get information as well as entertainment from to use in their classes. Design: The design of the website is very fun and entertaining. It includes lots of visuals of example lesson plans, words, links to different places on the site, videos and even has printables! The pages load efficiently and the links are correctly labeled. The information is organized in a way that everyone is able to view easily. It is a great website for any kindergarten teacher to have to spice up their classrooms!!

Overview: This website is a great website for children to explore. This website offers some great games and learning activities. This website is not only for science, but many other subjects. All over the website are characters from the movie Madagascar which Is a smart move for the website as a whole because it grabs the learners attention with the characters that they like to watch on the TV. This is a great website to use as a teacher because it has fun interactive games that students will enjoy doing.  Content: The content on this website is not only for science, but for other subjects as well. There are tabs for games, activities, videos, and mobile devices. The games and activities available are very informational and help teach the different subjects. There are informational videos as well that have the characters that all of the students enjoy to watch as well. There are science lessons, math, English/ writing, and geography lessons available to learn.  Design: The design on this website is very creative. The designer of this website used characters from the movie Madagascar to draw the students attention. This is a smart way to get younger children to go onto your website. The pages of the website are very colorful and welcoming to students. There are no advertisements, but there are links to share this website on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and some others. This would be a website that I would use a teacher because it isn't a boring page with links. This website would keep my students engaged and they would learn as well. 

Katrina Swanson - February 25, 2013  Overview: The purpose of this website is to engage young children in elementary school but specifically focusing on a kindergarten aged level. It allows students to explore different games and activities regarding letters and numbers as well as incorporating the use of technology. There are numerous resources for children available to use from this website such as learning their numbers and letters while using a computer.  Content: The content of this website is pretty decent. From the first look of the site, the user is able to determine what audience the site is intended for and also to tell the basics of the site. There is no clear author or creator provided due to the fact that it is a student oriented site and not a site with "specific information." The site works properly and all the links provided are available and easy to access for students. The purpose of this site is very clearly indicated that it is for entertainment and learning at the same time. It is very well organized and easy for young children to maneuver around and interact with. Grammar and spelling are correct and this site has great content for students to learn about letters and numbers.  Design: This website is very intriguing by first look. A student would be enthused to use this site and eager to do the activities. The pages are attractive, and easy to access the different links to games as well as other things on the site. The site is very user friendly for young children due to the fact that they can easily go around the site. Lots of pictures, colors, and sounds are used all throughout the site to engage the children as well. It is also a great site because although it looks fun and intriguing it is also very informational to young kids.  Great website!! 

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

Evonne Raymond September 16th 2009 Content: This website is made to show new things happening in the science world. The audience is definitely for Elementary school students. The authors are dependent upon the article that you access and choose to read, and the site is Society for Science and the PUblic, its a great interactive community that believes in utilizing educational tools to teach more efficiently. It is revised daily as new events are happening in society everyday.Grammar and spelling is appropriate and suprisingly there is a lack of bias in the articles, as many of the new discoveries are not controversial subjects. The site is appropriate for kids. There are several links to other sites, as many articles are located on other sites, the site is current and has great content for teaching science in todays exciting society. Design:The webpage downloads quickly. It is easy to immediatley understand what the website is for as well as to see what link will direct you to what new scientific findeing. There are tons of grpahics and multimedia that do not deter from the web pages but make the links a little more user freindly and interactive.It is compatable with several different servers, so i would definitely utilize this website in my classroom. It is updated daily for new content, and there are some articles that are from years ago, but most are relevant to a recent scientific finding. This website is excellent for kids and adults to use inorder to teach science. Attribution: The purpose of this site is to educate kids about scientific events going on in the world today, real live science in action. This website is interesting in design as wella s in content and I think it is a great way to create some enthusiasm in kids who would be otherwise uninterested in science.

c. Overview: This site was interesting but I felt that for an elementary setting it wasn't the best. It would probably be usable in a fourth grade classroom and up just because there is a lot of reading and if I wanted to read all the article to my second or third grade classroom, it could be fun for them to see the different types of sciences that are out there. There are some really interesting experiments and videos recorded on this site so it could be really useful for students working on projects.

Content: The content for this site consists of science related articles found in magazines as well as made specifically for this site. I chose to look at this site because it could be very useful for students to see that science is not just something that we see in a lab but something that happens all around us. The content is all recent and updated frequently. The authors are those found in the field of science and give detailed accounts of experiments and what scientists are doing in a way that a child could understand. There are a lot of links to sites such as that of NASA and other recognizable science corporations. Some of these links take a longer time to download but there were few that I found that didn't work. The content of this site is also designed for an older audience so about 3rd grade and up. Large words are used and there is a lot of reading for each page. Design: This site was much different in design than that of the other two that I looked at. This sited has a lot more actual photos compared to drawings and all of them were very intriguing. Each picture brought forth curiosity about what the article might be about and a majority of the articles also had videos to go along with them. The site was also fairly easy to move around on. It did require some prior knowledge about what each main topic category was about, but even if I didn't understand them, I could figure it out from the pictures that went along with it. Everything in each category was related to the other as well and so were the links to other pages. This site is set up more for an older classroom setting though due to the large words as well as some of the photos being of complex experiments. When entering the site it looks a lot like that of a website for a newspaper or magazine, which it more or less is.

Overview: National Geographic always has great information dealing with many different history or social studies events. I really like their website because the 5th grade students can navigate to this website and research a topic. The topics are straight forward and even have pictures to help the students understand what their reading about. I'm sure that if the students wanted to learn more about the topics they could research farther from this website. National Geographic has always been a key leader in what is new and coming up in social studies and other areas. Content: There are so many different topics and articles that the students can read I would highly recommend it to other teachers. You know exactly where the information comes from and if it wasn't true you know National Geographic wouldn't publish it. It is a very trusted source of information. A lot of the information on the website will change with new events. Design: As I was learning about the website I found myself wanting to read some of the articles that they offered. I stopped to read about the tattooed mummy and found it really interesting that it was a female but in the place where the mummy is from there was only male kings. Obviously if they can draw in a 19 year old college student with just a picture and a title the students shouldn't have a hard time finding something their interested in. The website has of course the yellow color scheme but also has other little pictures that offer some intriguing items. I'm probably going to read some more after I'm done with this!

Overview: I really like this website because it has different units that the students could work on at different times during the year. The audience would be late 4th grade or 5th grade working on US History and how we are affected by the decisions made back then. The different units really makes it hands on learning and very focused on the certain topics. The sources the site offers seem to be very straight forward. Again the page is more of a tool testing the students in a fun, interactive way. Content: The website is very straight forward with its purpose of giving the information on United States History and the different units that they website offers. There really aren't any visual aspects other than the first picture. They do have to use their mouse to move the items later on but the instructions are very focused. Design: The website does have a lot of reading that needs to be done but should be perfect for 5th graders. The author of the website is the Pearson Company who also does many other different educational websites and tools. The US History page that the students would be using is a branch off the main site and who created this certain page could be found on the "home" page. For the most part the webpage gets the point across.

Overview: This website would work perfectly for 5th grade students to be tested on the information that they had learned over the unit they were doing. There are many different sections that would relate to anything social studies related. The website is a little boring for my taste but the point of figuring out what the students learned is really tested with the different sections and questions. Content: None of the creators of the website are on the main page. I'm not quite sure who created the website but from the questions asked in the quizzes I know that the information is correct or I was just taught wrong. History is pretty unchangeable and the social studies part of it wouldn't change. Design: The design of the website is again a little boring but it is after all just testing what the students should have learned. I would update the look just a little bit. There are no pictures on the home page but some of the questions do have maps or other visual things.

Katya Larson February 2013 Overview: This website is well set up to provide educators pictures and information about artwork of ancient peoples. It is visually appealing and easy to use. There are sources throughout the website to further information. I think it is a very well set-up website and would be very useful for art and history teachers.  Content: The content is easily accessible. From what I know, the information is correct. The author appears to be a good authority on the information. She presents the information in a well-organized format. There are no immediate flaws to the content that I noticed.  Design: The website is visually appealing with moving pictures and a sophisticated color scheme. It is easy to move around the site because most links have small descriptions and it is not overcrowded. There are no immediate flaws to the design that I noticed. 

Overview: This website had a large choice of topics to choose from where a student could get quick facts or information on a subject. On the homepage all the different subjects ranging in alphabetical order from Art to Social studies could be researched by students. The site led to other sites that contained the information and all the secondary sites appeared to work fine. This would be a good starter website for teachers to send students to check out because they know for sure information will be correct because the site is operated by the US Government specifically for kids to use. The site was very navigator friendly which works for the benefit for both the student and teacher. No update was listed on the page was the only problem again. The website says on the bottom that it is a service from the Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies, part of the U.S. General Services Administration Content: The content provided informational resources for students to use to do their research on a variety of topics. The website made it easy to find the different topics and the next link would take the student to another page that listed more specific content regarding the larger field of study. I focused on the kids part of the site but there was also more information for adults and teenagers. For the kids, they had three choices to pick from starting with learning stuff like information, playing games or watching information videos. Design: The design of the website was easy to follow. A bright background with slightly darker tabs made the page aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Three different tabs were listed for the kids section with learning stuff, playing games and watching information videos. The design of the site was easy to navigate and easy enough with navigation that kids in elementary school would not have a problem with it.

Overview: Although the site had many different subjects, I focused on the social studies part of it. The purpose of this site is to provide teaching resources for elementary teachers primarily in the upper grades 4th to 5th grade. I thought the website was a good resource for teachers to use find available assignments and projects to have their students complete. The website was navigator friendly in that all links were available to use but the only problem was that there was not an last updated mentioned or listed on the site so it hard to tell how often updates occur. Content: The content provided informational resources for assignments, homework, notes and projects for teachers of upper elementary grades to use for their classrooms. The information is split up into different links available for projects or assignments for students to work on. The sections include the stock market, constitution and Election Day. Although the resources given for these sites would be very helpful for a student, there is limited amount of topics for the teacher to pick from. Design: The design of the website was easy to follow. Bright colors on the page made it pop out and attention grabbing to the viewer although the color wasn't too much to handle. The background of the site appeared to look like cork board which teachers might find relatable probably having hung stuff up on cork board inside or outside of their classroom. The design made it easy to find the author clearly listed on most of the pages and it had a link to contact the author.

Michelle Hill February 24, 2012 Overview: The purpose of this website is to serve as a resource for instruction for teachers. Therefore, the intended audience is teachers of elementary aged students. Avaliable on this website are kindergarten through 1st grade lesson plans involving all subjects, such as math, science, language arts, and more. Also included on this website are lesson plan fillers, integrated projects, graphic organizers, and classroom management tools. My overall impression of the website was that the content was very useful and the site itself was well organized. Content: The content of the website was rated as very useful for my information needs based on the fact that the total number of "yes" answers outnumbered the "no" answers. The first look at the website was good; I was able to determine the intended audience as well as the basic content on the site right away. The strengths of the website include the information providers, information quality, and further resources. Everything in these sections were included and to my belief of great quality. However, the weaknesses of this website were that the latest revision date was not provided and that the latest revision date is appropriate to the material. Another weakness was that the site did not probice interactivity that would increase its value. Overall, the content was good. Design: The design of the website was rated as very well designed and easy to use based on the fact that the total number of "yes" answers outnumbered the "no" answers. First, the homepage of the website downloaded in a speedy manner and efficiently. Strengths of the home page included the clearness of the page, the contents in the site, and more. However a weakness was that the site did not have a very strong eye appeal. The navigation was also a strength of the website, it was easy and clear as to how to move around the site and directions were not needed. Other strengths of the design were

Michelle Hill February 24, 2012 Overview: The purpose of this website is to serve as a resource for furthering education and academics at the elementary school age. Therefore, the intended audience is teachers, students, and even parents. Available resources include games, pintables, apps, and videos for the subjects such as math, English, history and more. These resources are for ages Pre-K to 6th grade, and vary depending on the subject being learned. Overall, my impression of the website was that it was a great website that can aid me throughout my teaching career and will definitely be used in the future. Content: The content of the website was rated as very useful for my information needs based on the fact that the total number of "yes" answers outnumbered the "no" answers. Some strengths of the website included first look, the information providers, information quality, and further information. More strengths include that the site clearly stated the audience and basic contents of the site, information on the authors, the content was complete, information was consistent, and there were other links to other sites included. Some weaknesses of the site included that the information currency was either not provided or not applicable. The latest revision date was not provided, therefore I could not determine if the date was appropriate, so both of these were considered not applicable. Also, I had no way of telling if the content is updated frequently. Overall, the website provided a lot of content that will be useful. Design: The design of the website was rated as very well designed and easy to use based on the fact that the total number of "yes" answers outnumbered the "no" answers. Some strengths of the website design included the speed, home page, ease of navigation, use of multimedia, browser compatibility, content presentation, and availability of further information. It was all very well organized, the contents were clear, every

Katya Larson February 2013 Overview: This site was created to give educators and K-8 students a cache of websites to go use for educational interactive games. It is easy to navigate to the subject and topic of your choice. Once you get to the topic of your choice, there are many links to outside websites with games. It is appealing to the eye, but I do not know how useful all of the links are. Given that this website was created by educators, the games should be age appropriate, but a few have distracting advertisements.  I would use this site for "extra" activities rather than teaching activities.  Content: There is not very much content on this website because it is mostly links to other sites. The content available is accurate and the majority of the game sites seem appropriate and accurate. The link to the authors (Jefferson County Schools) is very busy and hard to navigate to find credibility, but I think the teachers who created this site are mostly credible. Design: The website looks good. It is appealing to younger students because there are cartoon pictures of other children. The colors are appealing. It is easy to navigate through the website and find what you are looking for. There is no copyright date or revision date. 

Katya Larson February 2013 Overview: The purpose of this website is to visually map major events in history chronologically. There are brief descriptions of the events for each map. The audience is for educators and secondary level students. There are many map and picture resources under the "Maps & Modules" section including previous editions of the website. I think this website is well set up because it is easy to navigate to the time period of your choice to see the corresponding map. It is nice that there are brief descriptions so you can easily review what the map is about. I think it is a very easy to use and useful site.  Content: The content is accurate and easily accessible. The maps are interactive and user-friendly. There are many links within the site to access different content. The content is free of bias and informational.  A possible downside is that there are no dates of revision, but there is evidence that the content has been revised in the past because you can view past versions of the website.  Design: The website itself does not attract the eye readily. While the information is easy to find, there are few graphics or colors that are appealing (excepting the interactive maps). The information is clearly labeled and the maps have useful descriptions. It may not be "fun", but this is a very useful site. 

Overview: This site is available to parents and teachers that want to help their student improve in math and reading. I focused primarily on the math aspect of the website. The audience covers kindergartners all the way up to 6th grade. The website has math worksheets for K-6 students that look really fun! The only downside to this site that I found was that you have to pay a membership fee for full use. The "Free" part is where the worksheets come in. All of the worksheets for all of the grades are free. Overall the site was very nicely designed and easy to use. Content: The content of this website was really awesome. Again, it is made as a resource to teachers and/or parents who want to help and encourage their student to engage in math. The quality of information on this site is entertainingly informative! The math work sheets give you specific directions and then are very easy to follow and very fun to complete. I focused more on 3rd grade math, but all of the work sheets looked fun. The site is organized in sections: 1st grade math, 2nd grade math, 3rd grade math....etc. The content of this site was very useful and fun, even though a membership is required for full use. The membership is $9.95 a month. I think it would be well worth it, especially for a teacher. The organization and accessibility of this site was very well done and easy to follow. Design: The homepage downloads very quickly and it is attractive to look at. I can immediately tell where I am and easily find an index. The site provider is very clear to see in the upper left hand corner. The graphics are attractive and play a major role in the engagement of the student (on worksheet). I would highly consider buying a membership and using these worksheets in my classroom (regardless of what grade)