ITEC2360

this is a great collection of quotes by the one and only kurt vonnegut jr. not entirely informative, but fun to read.

Sara Hindman January 24, 2010 Overview Coolmath4kids.com is website designed for those who are frustrated with math and are tired of the way it has been taught. The purpose of this website is solely to educate students about the different areas of math. This website provides lessons, practice worksheets, and games on things as simple as addition and subtraction to pre-algebra. The content of this website is good and accurate while the website has too much design. The intended audience is for all grade levels. I think this website is a great resource for those who are having trouble on their math homework, but I do not think I would use this website in the classroom. Content At a first look, it is easy to see that the purpose behind coolmath4kids.com is to educate anyone and everyone about some of the different areas of math. Unlike nobelprize.org and kids.discovery.com, coolmath4kids.com has an author and provides a lot of information about them. The author's name is Karen and claims to have a B.A. and a M.S. in mathematics and have 14 years of experience teaching math at the community college level. I find "Karen's" introduction of herself unprofessional, although this is a website for students, not adults. The latest revision of this website was in 2009, the content is frequent, and all the information quality is great. Also unlike the previous websites, coolmath4kids.com has links to other websites; such as, coolmath-games.com, financeFREAK.com, and sciencemonster.com. These websites were created by Karen, but there are no other additional websites outside of Karen's websites. Design Coolmath4kids.com design is bright and colorful and instantly gives headaches. There are many neon colors, flashy multimedia, and different size font on every page. The speed is a little slow, but that may be my computer or all the animated stuff on the website. The homepage has a clear table of content and you can easily navigate to wherever area of math n

Overview: This website is aimed for elementary students who want to work on multiple math concepts. The website's last update or copyright was in 2009. I feel that this website is too busy with color and somewhat hard to navigate because there are too many steps to take to get there. There's also unnecessary advertisements and the cursor is a bit annoying when trying to click on places. I do like the fact the the author has a page about her so that people know who they are working with and she gives background information as to why she has this website. Content: I feel that there are too many steps and questioning examples for the students to do on their own. Even when you go into a game it only does the right answer sometimes. What it does have it going for it is that there are multiple different categories that the students can pick and work on. Design: I feel that the website has the right idea to help appeal students to go into their website but I also feel that it takes too long to get where they want to go. They do have helpful hints and the student can choose whether or not they would like to go faster or slower with the problems. I think that if it didnt have as many colors or different things coming at you then this website would be a lot more effective.

Awesome math website for elementary school!

Oil on canvas painting by Edgar Degas created around 1872. This painting has an orchestral pit view and appears to have adopted a very mature style of depicting the art form.

Overview- The site itself does not have much content regarding information at all, but it still is a great research tool. Rather than having information on the site, it acts as a home base in finding relevant and credible sites and tools for kids. It is easy to find other sites regarding the content you are interested in. Everything it suggests for you can become a great tool in either research or studying. Content- This website overall is pretty good. It is very credible for the fact that it is created by and maintained by Kent State University to help provide information to students. The site itself gives you links to information and research about any subject relevant to a student in grades K-8. It is like any other database used in libraries around the country, but is centered on helping kids. It allows them to search for information without worrying about if the site is credible or now. Design- The design is very kid friendly. Everything is easy to find and visually appealing. There was a lot of work done to this site to make sure that kids would be both interested and able to use the software. Every link was usable and always came up with a credible source.

Overview- This site is another great find. Overall it is a great research tool for both teachers and students in a closed encyclopedia format. It is a credible source and allows you to see the credentials of all contributors to the site. When you look up content it shows you the information and links to other credible sites with similar content. The only draw back about the content is the fact that it provides little information on mathematics and science. Other than that, it is a great tool for researching information. Content- This site is a great research tool. Every search made brings up relevant information. When you do find what you are looking for, the information is clearly organized, and easy to get main topics. Also, all information is usually backed up by some source, and even gives links to those sites that help contribute information. The site even has a dictionary link that can be used right on the spot. It is an amazing research tool for any teacher and/or student looking for information related to the social sciences. Design- This is a site that has put a lot of work into making searching for information easy. Everything is easy to find, and clearly labeled. It is pretty eye catching. They put a lot of effort in this site and it really does show in its easy to use, functional design.

Overview- This site provides relevant and educational news stories for both kids and teachers based on the selected subject. The content is put together from many sources and reviewed by members of the site. Credibility for some news sources is pretty questionable at times. Though, they still always site all information for all news stories provided. They even have a part of the site dedicated to teachers, but could not get into it because it takes a membership. Content- A lot of information on a variety of subjects solely designed to inform kids. The only problem with it is some of the news sources have questionable credibility. Also, they do not fully specify whom the person is writing the article. It would be a great way to inform kids on current events, but it is just hard to tell whether the information is accurate. Design- The design is pretty great. It has an easy to use format that allows kids to look for articles they are interested in with ease. It is very eye catching and just has a fun design that keeps you interested. Many images to go along with each article provided.

Overview- This site overall is a great resource for teachers looking for a lesson plan about the United States Presidency. There is not much question in its credibility, due to the fact that it comes directly from the US Mint. It can help any social studies teacher, no matter the grade level because it offers a variety of lesson plans. Though, it fails to offer anything interactive for the student to partake in. The only thing it gives is factual information, with very little interaction. Content- Within the site they make it very easy for a teacher to identify where they can access lesson planes. It also gives lesson plans for all ages. So no matter what grade you teach you are able to find the lesson plan that fits your age range. The sponsor is clearly labeled, but I was unable to find an author for both the site and lesson plans. Other than that, the website content is very helpful if you are looking for a lesson on the US presidency. Design- The design is easy to use, but it is not very eye catching. It uses basic graphics that get the job done, but overall not too great. Its main focus is to deliver content and help with information. All links work well. Not much time spent on trying to make it look good.

Overview: I did consider this website to be very significant, because it discusses the major problems with cyber-bulling, what it is, why it's a problem, where does it occur, etc.m along with information on other problems teachers encounter such as texting, cheating, and cyber-bashing. Content: Overall, I would consider this site to be very sufficient. At first glance you are able to quickly determine the content of the site, who the intended audience was, as well as the sponsor is. It also provides the latest information, and is well organized. It also appears to have consistent information with similar information I have found about the topic in the past. Website Design: Overall the homepage downloads efficiently, and is easy to navigate through, partially because of of the index that is located on this site, and a search bar. It also is very current and has various links for further information.

Overview: Even though the URL, on this site appears to be of a significant source, it is not. The site goes into detail what cyber bulling is, but it doesn't present any facts or statistics about cyberbulling, or states where it had obtained its information from. It also tends to take a more emotional view on the issues, instead of presenting information. Content: While it is easy to identify the basic content that is presented, and identify who the audience is, it doesn't provide specific material as to whom the author is in this site, as well as where they obtained their information from. The sponsor is not clearly identified as well, and it also doesn't state how current the information is. There is also a significant amount of bias presented in this article, and there are no obvious links at first glance. Website Design: Overall, I wasn't impressed with the design of this website. Even the the homepage, has a strong eye appeal, and makes the purpose of the website well know, it doesn't provide a clear method of organization such as an index or table of context. This site also doesn't clearly identify the sponsor of the site, how to contact them, as well as the copyright date. This site does use a significant amount of multimedia, and has browser compatibility, but the way the content is presented, is lacking. The information is not easy to navigate through, and the list of links are not easy to use. It also doesn't date when the site was last updated, or provide you with other links.

Posted by Kirsten McAlexander on 9/20/2009 Enchanted learning provides a variety of material for teachers of all different grades. It provides printables and information in an easy to understand way. Especially useful for k-6th grades, but has content for every grade. Content: Although this website must be paid for, you can still get many things free. It is very cheap to join only $20.00 a month and well worth it. This site provides information on a variety of languages from everything from English to Dutch. It has every subject matter as well science, math, history, and writing. It has printables, lesson plans, places for students to look things up, activities, and books to print. This website is very helpful for teachers because it has such a wide variety of things. Design: This website is very easy to navigate. The only problem I have run into is on occasion it will not accept the login. The website is very colorful and attracts the attention of young minds easily. It is full of pictures to aid learning. Attribution: Since you must pay for this website, or even the pages you can get without paying for them, you can use everything on this site without citations. A student can get on and take information without plagiarizing. Teachers can print everything on the site. The point of the site is to have information and printables that are easily accessible by teachers and easily usable by teachers.

Amanda Lemaster January 24, 2011 overview: The purpose of this website is to provide materials and ideas for elementary age children. It is intended for teachers or children to use. The resources in the website are almost endless, there are activity worksheets, coloring pages, and craft ideas. I feel that this website could be very useful for a teacher, or even a parent. The content is semi-educational, so I be careful with how I use it. content: There is a lot of content in this website. Almost all the resources that can be used are print-out activities. There are coloring pages, maps, diagrams and basic information about specific subjects. The subjects range from animals, to music to geography. There might almost be too much to this website, just be prepared to weed through a lot of information about the subject used. design: The design of this website is not exactly what most people would call up to date. When a person looks at this website they may think that this is an unreliable source. Just because of the poor quality of how it looks. There is lots of white space and many bold colors that stand out. The layout is very simple. The website is useful but could have a little better layout.

The purpose of this website is to provide information on various topics. LearningEnchanted.com provides information including sciences, literature, arts and crafts, history, and many content areas. The information provided seems to be directed towards an older audience whose life entails interaction with young children. However, it is very possible that grade school children would be able to access the website themselves. There is an "early reader's" section where children can access short chapter books or short stories. My overall impression of this website was fair. It met many of the credentials provided on the criteria sheets for content and design. However, it lacked visual appeal but excelled at providing applicable information for me as a future educator. Content: At first look, this website clearly identified its purpose and content. The founders of this website, Jeananda Col and Mitchell Spector, were clearly credited. Information on both is provided. The authors were both very well qualified to present this information and held degrees in various fields. Contact information was available. This website is updated quite frequently. Last update was on August 25, 2011. I did not find any links to outside websites. They were all connected within the EnchantedLearning site. The purpose was clear. There was commercial use because you can subscribe to the website to get more access. Also, there was basic access to many web pages that made it informational as well. The content does present the information in an effective manner but the site lacks the use of interactive opportunities. Based on my knowledge, all the information provided appeared to be accurate, consistent, and in good grammar. Although a huge fault of this website was the lack of exterior links, the content of this website are very helpful for future educators and parents. Design: The homepage of this website downloaded without any problems in two different browsers. There was no real eye appe

Overall: The website I used for my bad example was called Kindergarten Games. The game for this website is unclear on what teachers or students are supposed to learn. It shows some requirement for multitasking but is not complex enough to really take something from this. Where to go for help is not clear and only the sponsor is listed. The author was not listed; only the game is "information" on this website. Content: The basic content is unclear for whether this game is for teachers or for students. The author is not stated nor links for help. The sponsor is listed as a game site for teachers' and children. Since the author was not listed I cannot determine if he or she is qualified to give information. The website also failed to give dates to validate currency; the purpose is not clear for who/what is going on. The game is not complicated enough for teachers and too much is going on to explain to kindergarteners. Overall too much is missing from this website for it to be a decent, valid place to seek help/information. Design: The website downloaded efficiently and has strong eye appeal; the sponsor was identified and there was a space to leave comments but no information to contact. The copyright date was not established nor was the most recent update. There is a tutorial telling directions how to play the game but not who it is directed towards or the objection of the game. The only links were leading to different games by the sponsors; the music went along with the game as did the graphics. It was not a big enough site and did not contain enough information to navigate through it.

Overall: The website that I chose for my good example was Mrs. Herbies Kindergarten Web site. This was a website for teachers to go to get help setting up their own websites. It had links to example pages with ideas of what would be helpful to parents to know what is going on with their kids' school day. I tihknk this is an example of a good educational website because it was organized well, it was bring and had relevant graphics. The website also showed that it was recently updated and had contact information in case of questions. Content: At first glance it is easy to determine basic content, you know that this is a teacher website creator by the graphics and titles. Both the author and sponsors are listed through titles and at the bottom. All of the links were up and running. They all were worthwhile examples of her work or links to email in case of help. Design: The website uploaded quick and efficiently in multiple browsers. It is colorful and really catches your eye even as it begins to download. As I mentioned copyright, sponsors, author and clear titles were all present. Information and links were easily directed through and were current, useful information. The same format was used throughout the whole site. Last date revised was listed as 2011.

Brian Peterson9/6/11Overview K5learning.com is a website targeted at parents who want their children to do really well in math or reading at a young age. Many resources are available to learn about the website before becoming a member. In my opinion this is a very good website for parents who want to actively be involved with their children's learning.Content As a nonmember of the site only a few things are accessible. These things help tell you what the site has to offer and even allow you sample the lessons available on the website. This makes it very nice to see if it is in fact something you would like your child to learn from. Design The design of the website is very simple but has enough flashiness to bring you into it. With a simple way to navigate the pages most anyone can figure out how to get around it quite easily. This makes it very nice for parents and their kids to be able to utilize this website more effectively.

Brian Peterson9/6/11Overview The purpose of the site is to help anyone who doesn't know how to write a good resume. This is a very necessary thing to be able to do in modern culture. I am very impressed with this website as it is easy to navigate and has clear instructions.ContentOverall the content of resume-builder is very informative. With most material on the website easy to understand one can learn a lot about how to make a resume. Design The design of this website is also very nice. There are clear headers at the top of the main page that lead you into wherever you need to go. Also there are not to many pictures or random things that would make this page cluttered.

Sheppard Software is a website for students of all ages in all subject areas. It has hundreds of games for a very wide variety of audiences. However it is a commercial website with as many advertisements as games in the free version. It does have an ad-free version, but it comes at a pretty steep price for a school or school district.  Content: This website does not have a specific audience, it is directed to students in all grades. It covers many bases, but in is mostly online games and doesn't really offer any classroom activities. I was also disappointed by the number of advertisements and user reviews on each page. This only distracts from the true purpose of an educational website.  Design: This website I found to be pretty disorganized. There are breaks in the middle of lists of games for ad banners that do not relate to kids and user reviews of the website. They do have a toolbar at the top that navigates to pages if you are looking for specific types of games, but those are colorless, and still full of review and ads. I also did not see information for when it was last updated or contact information. 

Overview: The website is great and has many different websites that teachers can use for free to assist them in their everyday teaching. Diigo.com is number three on the list. This website is not only just for bookmarking but gives websites for research, different apps on Google, and even lesson plans. Content: The content of this website is very helpful. It gives teachers so many good tools. There are websites for templates and lesson plans, research and reference, bookmarking, games, reading and writing and the list goes on and on. I think it is a great tool, maybe for more than just elementary school teachers. Things such as Diigo and Google Maps can be used at any level. I would use this website in my classroom and for my own benefit. Design: The design of the website is lacking in flare which could cause people to easily overlook it. It is very easy to navigate though. It gives you the link to the website and a short explanation of what the website is used for. All of the links are up and running and work how they are supposed to. The one thing I really didn't like about the website is the amount of advertisements that were on it. It could cause someone to question the credibility of the site. Overall, I think the site was designed well.

Kandase Quonn 9/5/11 Overview: This website is where all teachers can go look and share lesson plans. There where so many ads that I could barely tell what I should be trying to look at. I don't see myself going back to this website anytime soon. The idea behind this site is great but it needs more work! Content: There are many lesson plans and ides on this website that it seem like it would be a really great place to go as a teacher to share ideas and find new ones. The links are all clumped together and some don't even work. They do have contact links and the copyright date. Design: The lay out is simple when you get pass all the ad's and extra links they have on here. It was easy to navigate when using the tabs located at the top. Besides that the rest was just list of links without any real order.

Overview: the Between the Lions website is a very good website for both students and teachers. It gives teachers ideas to make reading and learning more fun for young students. It also has games right on the site that students can enjoy and learn to read without really knowing they are learning. The games do take a little long to load though and I'm sure children would get very impatient with that Content: The content of this website seems to very reliable. There are stories kids can read themselves, there are video clips and games. They all seem to be helpful and very fun. If I found them helpful I'm sure the young learners would too. The website also offers tips to teachers and parents about how to help their children and students have fun while reading. It does not give a specific age group. Design: The layout of this website is very user friendly. It is very easy to navigate. Children using this site would have no problem at all figuring it out. It is very colorful and designed cleverly. On the home page when you scroll over the picture they talk to you. For example, if you scrolled over the words stories, the character would say "stories". I think the design is great I would use it in my classroom.

Jennifer Durn January 24, 2010 ArtsWork - The Kax Herberger Center for Children and the Arts - http://artswork.asu.edu/ OVERVIEW The ArtsWork site, part of the Kax Herberger Center for Children and the Arts at Arizona State University, provides a multitude of resources and art educational materials for K-12 students, their parents, and teachers. Lesson plans, teaching resources, and curriculum are available to teachers to view and utilize in their classrooms. The site offers interactive activities on various subjects for students and their parents to complete, links to arts-oriented websites for children of various age groups, and listings of activities for children in the Tucson and Phoenix areas. CONTENT When the user first accesses the ArtsWork site, the purpose and mission is readily apparent - to educate children and their parents about visual arts, dance, theater, and music, and to provide K-12 teachers with tools to best instruct their students. Sources and authors of material on the site are clearly identified and their contact information is provided. Information appears to be relatively current as the most recent update occurred in November 2009 but some out of date references were detected. DESIGN The ArtsWork site features a pleasant visual design with multimedia teaching resources such as Ben, the guide to political cartoons. The site is simple to navigate and links to other subject and age appropriate websites were plentiful and featured sites from around the world. Using Mozilla Firefox, I did not encounter difficulties with the content or links presented on the site. The primary sponsor and host of the site, Arizona State University, was mentioned and had logos displayed in a tasteful manner.