ITEC2360

Brick Cegelski 9/5/11 Overview: For Geography Teachers is a website that is designed to help teachers. It is hard to follow and is overloaded with links. The content is jumbled and it takes some time to find what you are looking for. I would not use this site to help me as an educator. Content: At first look the website doesn't look very good. It takes a while to find the content that would be helpful. The author is clearly identified and information is given about the author. The sponsor of the site is not identified and there is no information on how to get into contact with anyone involved with the site. There is no revision date and some of the links are broken and/or do not lead to anything that is helpful. Some links are useful but most that work are too simple and do not pertain to my needs as a teacher. The content is not well organized, making it hard to understand and to navigate. There isn't any interactivity on the site that makes it better. Design: The homepage is bland and does not catch your eye. The site sponsor is not clearly identified and there is no contact information. There aren't any directions for using the site. Many of the links are not useful and/or are broken. The sites graphics do not serve a purpose and do not contribute to the site. There is insufficient information and I would not use this site. The information is hard to find because of how many links are present.

The content for this site is very well put together. It is a site where you can go and start a new language and you can either start a free trial or pay to use it. It might be similar to Rosetta Stone. It has a easy to use box that will start you with the basics of the language you are trying to learn.The design is simple you have the unit and lesson at the top of the square saying what one you are on. On the left had side there are boxes with learn, review, write, and speak. Once you have completed all of those levels you are able to use the skill builder exercises to improve your skill. In the middle of the box is a picture with the word of phrase you are trying to learn. Underneath is a rewind play and fast forward button so you can move back and forth from picture to picture. I think that although this could be done from beginning to end I didn't find a way for someone who already knows some words. I also don't think that the exercises were very fun and one would get bored after a while and either stop paying attention or their motivation would die so they would want to do something else.  I am also not sure who the author is or what date it was updated, the only information it said was copyright in 2011.

Regene DePiero 9/5/2011 Overview: This site is geared toward students in math courses.  It provides a number of online calculators to help solve anything from equations to derivatives.  Its layout is a little confusing after in depth exploration.  Some links do not work or content listed is not what is actually provided.  Also calculators do not offer step by step explanation which only helps students get an answer, and not learn anything about the process.  From a teacher's perspective, not an ideal tool for actually learning math. Content: There is no clear author or sponsor listed.  Information appears to be correct but many of the calculators do not return answers for many problems attempted.  There are almost no actual math explanations provided, only tables and answers.   There is no revision date listed, merely a copyright date at the bottom of the page.  There are links to other pages on the site but most are actually ads and not specifically sponsored but the site itself.  Several links are broken, however there is a link to contact for more information.   Design: This site is confusing to navigate.  What appear to be links to other pages on the site are actually ads.  Several links either do not work or bring you back to the page you were on.  The calculators seem like helpful interactive tools until put into use.  They are difficult to use and there is not a good explanation as to how to input the problem so that they are solved properly.  Also several calculators don't even return an appropriate answer.  Links to "courses" and "lessons" actually only bring you to pages with tables of equations.

Nicole Sutton 9/5/11 Overview: The Mathematics Lessons that are fun website is a simple website that provides math lessons and activities. The age range the website is extremely unclear. The website is only for math and no other subject and I find the home page rather confusing. The author of the website is very clear however the website looks very jumbled and not professional. The website is unclear in many areas. Content: The Mathematics Lessons that are fun website contains a jumbled set of boxes that are links to games and lessons for math. The quality of the website is not very helpful. I find it hard to find the information reliable because there is an author but no title or reason she is an expert. There is not a list of people involved and there is no clear purpose of the website given. There does not seem to be a sponsor nor any way to contact the owner of the website. There are no other resources given on the website. My overall impression with the content of the site was that is it very poor and unreliable. Design: The Mathematics Lessons that are fun website has an attractive but simple lay out, however is over powered by the confusion of the confusing links. You are not sure where to go upon the arrival of the home page. The copy write is given at the bottom of the page however it is not current which gives the impression that the site has not been edited in a long time. The use of multimedia is confusing there are random graphics and almost annoying colors everywhere. The information including grade level is not clear and the website does not contain easy to navigate links. The website is not a very reliable one and not one I would use for my classroom.

Nicole Sutton 9/5/11 Overview: The e learning for kids website is a nonprofit foundation that provides free and fun learning activities on the Internet. The website is for ages 5-12 but can also be used by people in the education department, parents who want to connect and learn what their kids are learning, as well as game developers who want to contribute. e-learning for kid's hopes to be a better source for children 's learning through being available through the Internet so it can be accessed from anywhere. It's free and offers course content in math, science reading and keyboarding. The website helps children master these important basics so they can be successful in their future lives. e-learning has many partners and supporters; there are also helpful resources such as a media link that connects you to new, case studies and other important information. Content: The e learning for kids website is very easy to navigate, and is very high quality. There is a very nicely laid out home page where you can click on the grade level you need. Below the grade level there is a list of subjects you can choose from. There is also a choice of languages to choose from at the very top of the page. Once you click on a grade or subject it gives you a list of fun and helpful activities as well as what grade it would be best for. The content of the site is very helpful and well laid out. The website seems reliable as well because it gives you a list of board members, executive team and advisory board so you know exactly who is involved in the website and what they do for the site. Overall I got a very good impression from the content of this well laid out website. Design: The e-learning website is very easy to navigate and very pleasing to the eye. It is colorful and lays out all the links that you need on the home page. There is a clear area to contact the creators of the site and sponsors or partners were very easy to determine. The copy writes date is clear and the

Katrina Knapic9/4/11 Overview Autism Speaks is a website that is meant to educate and help raise awareness about autism. Its intended audience is parents whose children have autism, as well as teachers who have autistic students. There are multiple links to other areas of the website with pertinent information.  It's overall design is not too complicated, but is does take some navigation to get to more information. Content The content that is presented on this website ranges from basic to more in depth. There are recent articles regarding autism and science, family services, and autism in the news. There are links to how to donate to Autism Speaks and where the next Walk for Autism will be located. The articles are up to date, and there are ways to contact the Board of Directors.  Design The overall design of the website is meant to be inviting and is laid out in an easy tab system.  The home page indicates that this is a website meant to be informative and to give out support. The color scheme is very easy on the eye and compliments the tab system that is used for the table of contents and links. The photos on the website relate back to content and add an air of hope and inspiration. 

Adrianne Lauman September 02, 2011 Overview The purpose of this free website is to provide knowledge and awareness of North American bird species and their habitat. The site encourages people to make connections to science and nature through bird watching. The information is directed toward people of all ages who have an interest or curiosity to learn more regarding ornithology. Video clips, audio clips, colorful photos, range maps and life histories are available for investigating bird species. The site provides expert knowledge on the subject of birds in a clear and visually pleasing manner. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology developed this website and the National Science Foundation supports it. Content The site appears well organized with a visible heading to initiate a search for information on bird species. The search feature has an automatic fill in based on the first letters typed to allow the user to locate the bird of interest. Interactive selections allow a person to listen to bird sounds, as well as watch video footage of the bird. The site provides opportunities to "ask an expert" about topics concerning ornithology and information on how to participate in bird projects. One project named Feeder Watch allows people to send in their own data based on their bird watching experiences. Design The website has clear headings to locate topics and information. The copyright information and developer of the site are displayed at the bottom of each page. The photos of the birds are eye-catching and appealing. The information provided by the site is abundant and well worth viewing.

One of the most famous paintings by Edgar Hilaire Germain Degas [French, 1834-1917. It captures dancing, a contemporary art, and exhibits dancers so vividly as if she is actually dancing. Edgar Degas began an increasing number of paintings on different poses of ballet dancers. And they were an immediate success.

The purpose of the site was to gather information about running. The intended audience was ones interested in running. The only thing that attracted me was the title. After that everything else was not "cool." The content format was scattered. You had to bounce around looking for information. Overabundance of content topics requiring a fee. Way too much advertisement. The websit was crammed. Too much of nothing.

webquest site

webquest site

Overview: The purpose of the site is to create a connection of running to health. The intended audience is interested in a long term relationshiop by adding running to a health lifestyle. I liked that the emphasis was more on overall health than overwhelming you with the running, thus puttting running in it's place. Content: The resources provided defining and describing the activity, proper mechanics, advice for beginners, a site on medical clearance for running, and other related searches doctor-patient, teeens, older adults, mental health). I especially enjoyed the video on form running. The author's bibliography provides insight to background and credibility to the subject. Design: The home page picture welcomes you to an unknown adventure. The resources are set in a methodical approach of one related topic to another. The added searches are easily accessibl;e and seem to have updated information. The sponsor advertisements do not overwhelm the site.