ITEC2360

Brick Cegelski 9/5/11 Overview: AAG Center for Global Geography Education offers educational resources for teachers and students. It is very easy to access and is a useful tool for teachers. It provides teaching modules that relate to current events and issues. The website would be very useful to teachers trying to find a good way to teach one of the themes of Geography and to get a look at different geographical issues from a worldwide perspective. Content: The basic content is easily accessible and easily found. The intended audience is stated on the main page. Its intended for higher education teachers, college students, and teachers of Advanced Placement in high school. The authors are clearly defined and information about them and how to contact them are also given. The sponsor of the site is clearly identified and displayed on the main page. The material was updated in the last year and is current enough to still be relevant for the information. The content is complete, well organized and accurate based on my knowledge of the information. Design: The website is easy to follow and downloads quickly. The website isn't too flashy but everything is clear and concise. The contents of the site are clearly indicated along the left side of the main page of the website. Information for making contact with the sponsor and the authors is readily available under the about us tab. The copyright date is easy to determine. All of the links work properly and lead to good information. The graphics are helpful and contribute to the information on the site.

Great philanthropy web site ... check out the blogs

The content of this site is has Spanish, grammar, math and science. You are able to choose which section that you would like to work on and learn by playing games. The games are based for elementary students but the Spanish versions could help high school students learn as well as have fun playing games.The design is very user friendly. They have toolbars on the top and left had side of the page so that you can easily navigate to where you want to go. There are also pictures that go with the game and a description of what the game entails underneath. There are also bright colors to make the website very aesthetically pleasing. I think that this is a good site because it could easily be utilized by a variety of teacher of different age groups not just elementary as it is intended. If I wanted high school students to use this site they could work on cleaning up their Spanish grammar by picking that certain picture. If one game wasn't working out for one student they could always pick from the others that are available. 

Danielle Walter 9/5/11 Spanish Just for Children Overview: This is a website for English speaking or Spanish speaking students. It provides you with tools, activities and websites to help children with learning Spanish. It helps Spanish, English or bilingual students to learn more about their own language or to learn the other. Content: This website is difficult to navigate. It is unorganized and has things scattered all over. It doesn't seem very professional. It has English and Spanish writing throughout the whole page so it's a bit confusing. The websites and activities at the bottom are all unorganized and are hard to figure out. The website is set up by a professor from the University of Northern Iowa but it still doesn't seem too reliable and professional. Design: The design is set up very well. It's extremely unorganized. Words and boxes are all thrown around and it just isn't very appealing to the eye. It doesn't have one color scheme or a theme. It does not have a copyright, only an email of the professor who set up the site.

Danielle Walter 9/5/11 Storyplace: The Chldren's Digital Library Overview: The Storyplace.org website is a great educational website for both English speaking students and Spanish speaking students. Or it also can be used for helping a child learn English or Spanish. The website has activities for pre-school age children and also for elementary age children. It offers an online reading, an activity, a take home activity and also a reading list so children can explore other books. The website is a great resource for teachers and parents to help children be excited about reading. Content: The Storyplace.org website is easy to navigate for children and adults. It is also set up nicely. It has the grade levels on the left side and when you click on one it comes up with a menu of the reading and activities. This is a great website for helping children learn how to read and to become excited about reading, but it is also great for teaching children how to navigate the web and to show them how useful it can be in learning. Design: The Storyplace.org website has very bold colors that are eye catching. It's also easy to navigate. It is a .org website so I would trust it to be a good website for my children or students to be on. It also contains the copyright on the page so it is even more trusted.

Lauren McDaniel, 9/4/11 Overview:  This website is an interactive website for teachers and future teachers hoping to have guidance as to which educational philosophy they hope to implement in their classroom.  Based on each person's answers to the questions provided, you are navigated to which philosophy best fits you.  The information is scattered and not put together very well, making this website one I would choose not to return to.   Content:  Each educational philosophy is present on this website, but all that is given is a general overview.  There is no history behind the philosophies mentioned and each tidbit of information lacks examples that help to create more understanding.  The information seems to be accurate, but more in depth information would make the website that much better.  There is no copyright date, revision date, or author anywhere on the page, making it questionable as to how reliable the information on the site actually is.  There are some links provided at the bottom of the page and all are working properly.  For a person hoping only to gain the basics, this site would work, but in regards to thoroughly understanding the topics, a better website could be found.   Design:  This site does not have a strong eye appeal, making it one that could be easily bypassed.  Again the author, copyright date, etc. are not present anywhere on the page.  The website's information is also very broken.  When scrolling from different sections of information there are large blank spaces, making the website appear informal and unreliable.  The blankness of this website fits the lack of information provided.  Because it has such a small amount of useful information, this site is not worth revisiting.

Lauren McDaniel, 9/4/11 Overview:  This website would be useful for people with a sturdy knowledge base wanting to know anything having to do with the field of philosophy.  Teachers and future teachers would find the website especially useful because it provides biographies of philosophers that have contributed to educational philosophies, and explores detailed concepts, arguments and analysis of the many different educational philosophies. Content:  Information on the editor, supporters of the site, and copyright date are clearly present and can easily be found when navigating the site.  The content is updated regularly, which can be seen by clicking on the different tables of contents listed by the year they were published.  The formality of the page shows its purpose is very informational.  By clicking on the table of contents and finding the subject interested in, which is listed in alphabetical order, one can easily find whatever they're looking for.  Information is presented in a factual way, lacking bias or prejudice, and certainly seems to be accurate because of the supporters backing it.  Information is easily accessible by locating the table of contents, which presents a page looking similar to a dictionary.  Words, people, places, and other things can be clicked on, and a plethora of information is presented in an organized and clear way. Design:  The design of this website is very formal, and the pictures fit the formality.  When first arriving on the website, it is incredibly appealing because of it's organization and neatness.  The table of contents is only one click away, and is incredibly easy to navigate.  The links associated with the information presented are useful and all working properly.  This site is very well designed and definitely worth visiting.

Katrina Knapic9/4/11 Overview Learning-Theories.com is a website that is a "webliography" of the learning theories used in education. It is a very informative website that includes definitions links to books and other resources. It is a somewhat easy to navigate and holds a lot of information.  Content The content on the website is very in depth. The different links on the webpage lead to more information. A lot of the language is aimed toward professionals and educators. There are directions on how to reach the webmaster on the webpage. There is no real updates on the website that are more recent than 2008. Design The layout and design is a very minimalist design. It has a table of contents and is easy to navigate. The font is easy to read and gives the impression of a scholarly content. The advertisements do not pertain to the content and do not lead to another website with more information about learning theories. 

Lindsey Carter 9-4-2011 Overview: Phrases.org.uk, "The Phrase Finder," is a website dedicated to providing the meanings and origins of common phrases used in everyday speech. The intended audience is individuals seeking information on these phrases. The sponsor is not clearly identifiable, making the information seem less credible. The site is interesting and informational, but I do not find it reliable Content: The overall content of the site is quickly determinable, along with the intended audience. No author or sponsor of the site is identified, but a link does give a brief history of the founder, Gary Martin. In addition, the site does provide an email contact and a Facebook and Twitter link (these links also work properly). There is no latest revision date available, so the user has no idea how frequently the site is updated. The purpose of the site is clear, and the content is clear and manageable, but the lack of credible information makes it somewhat unbelievable. There is no way to know if the information is accurate, although most of the data is extensive. Other links that exist include "The Phrase Thesaurus" (a site supported by "The Phrase Finder"), and a discussion forum for the site, and links to phrase books on amazon.com. The appropriateness of these links seems subjective to the needs of the user. Design: The appeal of the website is not strong. The homepage seems unprofessional, although it is organized somewhat effectively. The title and headings are clear and communicative, but again, no site sponsor or copyright date is provided. Moving around the site is fairly easy, due to clear directions on site categories. The amount of information the site provides is sufficient and easy to find, as the list of links is organized. Again, no date of revision is labeled, but a working link of contact information is available. The design does need to be improved to update the professional quality, but the site is usable.

Lindsey Carter 9-4-2011 Overview: DrGrammar.org is intended for individuals with English questions ranging from grammar and word origins to common errors in English. The site is provided by the University of Northern Iowa and is edited by the UNI Department of Languages and Literature. Overall, I was very impressed by the amount of information the site provided, although it was slightly less organized than I would have hoped. Content: At first look, the basic content of the site and intended audience is very clear. The author of the site is also identified, and a link is available for the user to find out more information about the university. Users may also contact the UNI Department of Languages and Literature via email from the site. A date of the last revision isn't clear, but the copyright date is. All links work perfectly, loading quickly and effectively. The purpose of the site is informational, and it is quite effective and complete. The information on grammar and common mistakes is given along with easy-to-understand examples. The website is free of bias, and additional resources are available via link to Purdue University. Design: The website's homepage is not the most attractive. The title and sponsor of the site are both clear, and an index does exist to guide the user. Directions are in place to help the user navigate the site and find the information they seek, but the titles of the index are not clearly categorized. Again, the date of last revision also isn't clearly identified, but the overall information is helpful to those with English inquiries.

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.

Caitlin Pilch 8/31/11 Content: At first look, I was unable to identify what the content is on this site. The author of this site is not clearly identified, and there is no obvious sponsor. The revision for the content on this site is not relevant. The information on this site is organized by grade level and also activity subject. There are games and activities for the different grade levels. There is not a large amount of resources/games/activities on this site. The content on this site is adequate but compared to other sites is lacking. The links on this site are unrelated to what the site's content is. Design: The design of the site is lacking. The site downloads quickly but there is no appeal to any of the pages. It is hard to tell what page you are on. There are two separate indexes-one for different grade levels, one for different activities which is confusing and it doesn't clearly indicate where you should navigate to. The content presentation is not sufficient compared to other children's websites. Overview: The purpose of this site is for entertainment and education. The recommended target audience is kindergarten to fifth grade. This site offers different games and activities like number games, word games and interesting facts. I am not impressed with this site. It does not offer very many activities and the ones it does offer do not seem to suffice for the target population. This site is not visually stimulating and I don't think a child would find this site entertaining.

Overview: Preschool Activity Box has many good, different ideas, tips, and activities. The intended audience is teachers or parents who are teaching pre-k children. The website is well organized and easy to navigate. As soon as you click on the link to the website, you know where you are at and can see the index of activities and worksheets. The website is up to date although many of the links are dead ends. I like this webpage, it has good ideas but since most of the links are dead I probably would not use it. Content: At first look I was able to distinguish the purpose and audience for this site. There were no authors listed for this site but the sponsors are listed at the bottom, the only thing they don't have is contact info for the sponsors. The information was updated in 2011, so it is very current. There are very good ideas, activities and tips. Design: The website is concise and has good organization. The homepage loads well and at a first glance you know exactly what webpage you are on. The copyright and date are clearly seen and there is a link to their sister site. The first links are live and lead you to some tips and activity ideas, but when you go any further, for printouts, the links go dead. This is very detrimental to the site. There is a huge mix of live and dead links, so it makes it a guessing game as to which link will work.

Overview: There is a lot of information as well as links that contain many good ideas, printouts, and activities. This site is not well organized though. It is way too busy. There are so many pictures and words that it is hard to tell where you are at and where you want to go. The intended audience is adults, whether that is a teacher or parent. I do not like this site all that much. Although there is a lot of good information and ideas, it is hard to navigate and it takes more time than I would be willing to spend. Content: The content of this site is of good quality and there is a lot of it. There are numerous ideas for activities, food, and printouts for children. There are many links that parents could use. The last update for this website is 2011, so it is extremely recent. The sponsor is clearly labeled and there is contact information if you ever have any questions and comments. Although this website contains a lot of good stuff it was extremely had a first glance to tell what the website was about. Design: This site easily downloaded as well as had many links to navigate through. It is also current and has other information and links available. But the overall of design of this site was poor. There are so many different ads, link, pictures, and words that it is too busy and hard to understand what exactly are the links that are desired for Preschool activities and ideas. The title is not easily noticeable either. The site had a very confusing layout

Overview: This website is intended for Preschool teachers who would like lesson, ideas, and printouts. Within each subheading there is background information of the subject for the teachers, as well as activities and printouts for the students. There are up to date materials that relate well to students, and are easily accessible by teachers. This is a wonderful, one that I will be using once I graduate and start a Preschool. Content: When the website is first opened it is easy to determine the purpose and audience that was intended. There are no authors available but the sponsor is at the bottom of the website, with a link to give feedback. This was last updated in 2010, which is very current considering the type of material; material for little kids do not change all that much within a year. There is a ton of information available on this site. There are themes as well as activities. Within each of these there is a little info about the subject for the teacher and resources, activities and printouts for the students. There is also a links that leads to what they call their sister sites, which provide more ideas. Design: This site is pleasing to the eye. There are colors that go well together, but are not over-powering. The information is well organized and clearly defined. Each link works and leads to where is desired. There is a link to many others links that are helpful and along the same subjects.

Lacey Glenn September 6, 2011 Overview: I found this site through my diigo.com community library. I did not like this site. The home page is overwhelming and ads pop up and inhibit you from looking for what you want to. I wouldn't recommend this site to anyone. Content: This site gives a specific book, song, or story that they think would be helpful in teaching children. Some of the information might be reliable, but it's not a source that I would count on. Design: The site home page is very overwhelming. There are many different colors all combined together and some of the words and letters are flashing. The layout is horizontal and spread out, but it's too much to look at. I wasn't fond of this site.

Lacey Glenn September 6, 2011 Overview: I found this website through my special education class. It gives resources that are available for anyone looking to find positive behavioral support and ideas. I found this website to be very informative and helpful. Content: The information in this website is reliable and helpful. I was able to easily find information on behavioral management that I will be able to use as a reference when teaching in the public school setting. Design: The home page of this website is inviting and easy to look at. There aren't any ads that pop up and prohibit you from looking at the content of the site. The tabs are easy to identify and take you directly to the related fields. I really like this site and how easy it is to navigate.

Overview: This website is a good website for teachers who need fun and creative ideas for many different activities and lesson for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners. The last time this webpage was updated was in 2010, this is fairly recent, since that is within the last year. There are a variety of activities, games, quizzes, and many printouts. The intended audience is teachers who are looking for ideas. I love this website. It was easy to navigate and gave me a ton of great ideas and printouts I can use. Content: This website is full of links, all of which work, that lead to many different types of content from letters and numbers to animals to coloring pages. Within each of these sub-headings there are many activities and ideas to use for the children in your class. Each section and sub-sections are clearly defined and have pictures that correspond. The last update was last year, this seems to be a while ago, but since material for pre-k does not change drastically in a year, it is still up to date. There is not any information on the author, so that is lacking, but overall the content on this website is up to date and easy to access. Design: The design of this website has all links well defined and organized. There are pictures that also correspond to all of the links and headings. There is easy navigation throughout the whole website and everything is easy to access. Everything is up to date. There are a few varieties of media, mostly in the form of words and images. There is a copyright, also with a description as to how the website can be used for educational purposes.

Ryan Magrum Sept 15th, 2011 Overview: The purpose of this site is to provide information and updates in science in the form of news articles to the general educated public. There are links to scientific news magazines as well as links to other scientific web sites. My overall impression of this site is that it is easy to read and navigate and there is a plethora of knowledge available within the contents. It's great for students studying specific topics in science to read. Content: PhysOrg, at first glance, is not flashy and aimed at consumers. The main goal of the site is general knowledge and entertainment in the form of scientific reading. The articles, with topics ranging from nano-science to medicine, are written with very few technical terms making the content easy to comprehend by the average educated individual including high school students with background instruction in the topic of interest. The articles are news updates on the emergence of new things in science sometimes with a brief explanation of the mechanism behind the new discovery complete with figures. Such articles would be a great starting point for a research paper. The articles also include hyperlinked citations to the primary sources. There are many links to other scientific news sites. Design: This site is not aimed at attracting a passerby web surfer. The target audience is attracted to the content within and already has a general idea of what they want to get out of PhysOrg. Therefore, the site is made easy to navigate and less flashy with few advertisements and the ads on the site are related to the scientific topics and links on the site. For example: an ad for paper that is really white for printing off the articles to read as a hard copy while making the articles easier to read. The links to the articles are strait forward not to bias clicking on any specific article if in the "spotlight stories" area. All the articles are arranged for the navigator to find specific arti