ITEC2360

Rachel Linke\n8/31/10\nITEC 2360\n\nOverview\n The site that I found that was overall good was called: An Education and Child Developmental Site for Parents. As it implies in the title the intended audience of the site is for parents, and I would also include any adult that is interacting with school-aged students would also find this site valuable. Within the site there are many topics to choose from and therefore many resources available for a wide variety of topics ranging from preschool to High-school. Overall I thought that it was a well put together site with a lot of useful information that was easy to access and organized well. \n\nContent Evaluation\n In the end I scored this website as " Worth bookmarking for future reference." I thought that the content was very informative and there was a lot of information that was organized in a way that was user friendly I think that this is a huge part in whether or not the website is ranked highly. Some of the points that it lost marks on however were the aspects of authors, were unclear and hard to find. I also did not happen to find a lot of interactive elements like video, however the site had numerous levels, topics, and directions to look into and I did not explore everything. \n\nDesign Evaluation\n My overall score for the design of this website was "Very well designed and easy to use." My first impression of the site's homepage is pleasant. There is a lot to take in but everything looks to be well organized and in its place. It has a lot of eye appeal, and there is a clear indication of a table of contents area. The design of this website scored highly for me across the boards. One thing that was slightly unclear was about the date of last revision. The copyright was updated in 2010 but there was no specific date or indication of a date other revisions had been made. \n

Education.com looks to be a site that could even help those who wish to homeschool their children. However, as I was doing my assignment the site went down. I tried several times to get it back up, but was unsuccessful. From what I saw the content was good. The design seemed to be a little bit confusing because I was able to navigate a little before it went down. I hope they get this problem fixed. :)

Morganne Harper. Education.com is a website that contains multiple education resources for parents or teachers. It has things such as worksheets, activities, workbooks and games for children grades K-High school. You can also find articles about education on this site. The basic features and account is free, but to get the "plus" access you have to pay a monthly fee. At a first look, this website is very clear in what the purpose is. If you scroll to the bottom, you can see links that would lead you to who has sponsored and created the site. The last copyright is 2006, but there are articles from 2014, so the site is being updated with current information that is relevant to students and teachers now. Information found on the site seems to be accurate, and there are multiple resources from different sources, so it is not a one-sided website. You are able to see other sites and groups that education.com is related to and working with. They make this very clear and easily accessible. The home page loads quickly and immediately gives you a toolbar that is easy to follow. You can hover over the links on the toolbar to get specific grade levels or content area. Everything is laid out so you can navigate through the multiple pages and resources without any trouble. The graphics that are used are helpful in the areas in which they are placed. They relate to the topic that they are next to and provide hints on what that topic might be about. Overall, the site is organized very well and would be very easy to work with, even for a first time user.

Kate McDonnell October 13, 2014 From the get go a reader can tell that the purpose is to inform. It's obvious what the reader will be informed about; cyberbullying. Many different components of this topic are available to the reader, ranging from laws of cyberbullying, risks, and actual cases of cyberbullying. The intended audience of this website seems to be anyone doing research on this topic; particularly students. It isn't very advanced in wording and layout as a whole, so it might be good for junior high all the way through college students. Overall, it has very strong parts and very weak parts, though I don't think I'd recommend it because there isn't a way to verify important details. Content: When it comes to information providers, this website is weak. The authors and sponsors aren't listed anywhere, therefore the credentials of whoever created this website aren't accessible. The latest revision isn't stated anywhere on the website, so the reader has no way of knowing if the latest revision date is appropriate for this information. The only thing that might lead a reader to believe the information is current is that specific recent cases of cyberbullying are listed, so the information has to be somewhat recent. The purpose of this website is clear, and the content achieves the purpose of it; informing. The content is complete as well as well-organized and easy to understand, making it clear and convenient for the reader. It appears to be free as bias as well. This website also provides links to other reliable websites, which is another strong point. Design: The website downloads affectively and quickly. The homepage doesn't necessarily have strong eye appeal, it is bland and boring. That could be a good thing though, because it isn't overwhelming. A reader always can tell where they are in the website, because an index at the top of the website is provided and clearly labeled. All of the links worked and there aren��

Charles VanPatten 10/13/14 The purpose of the resource is to make note that this is not the first virus that has spread throughout the world. Previously the Spanish Influenza created a pandemic. Now they are comparing the situation with Ebola and how it could create a pandemic. The audience is not limited to anyone group but rather the world.

Overview: The purpose of this site is to show simulations/animations of biological processes. It's more related to higher-level biology classes but there's basic animations for mitosis, meiosis, and cellular respiration that would be useful for high school students. This is a really great site, especially for college students because there's more complex processes that will be more easily learned with these animations. Even though there's not as many for high school students, it's still a good resource and has the main processes that high school biology students will need to know and understand.  Content: the content of this site is quickly determined: all of the animations available are clearly visible and laid out. Authors and copyright information is available for each module when clicked on. The date posted is within a few years of todays date so it's pretty recent. The quality of this website is phenomenal - the animations are easily accessed and understood. There are also links to other science current event topics upon clicking on the science in focus tab. Design: The homepage downloads quickly. Each topic is clearly noted with tabs for different services. The page is very user friendly, each module is where it would seem to be. The multimedia use is phenomenal - the animations are very useful for learning different biology processes. It is browser compatible with its use of IOS or flash. There is a lot of valuable content for biology students as well as links to other science current events. 

Bailey Stanfield Reviewed 10/12/2014       This is a very informational source. The audience it is directed towards is very clear. There are specific tabs for each different audience including teachers, parents, kids, administrators and librarians. Pertinent information for each different audience is found easily under each of the tabs. Scholastics is a book company so they are obviously pushing for the literature aspect of education. The website is very appealing and works well for the target audiences.  The content is very easy to see and is very well provided. Scholastic is a very well-known company, and they are sure to keep the information on their website up to date with quality information. They had a new post on the new books for October so that their audience can always be aware of new, upcoming books that may be of interest to them. The content of the website is very solid and easy to find.  The design of the website is also very well done. On the home page they grab the audience's attention by having a video playing. The theme of the video is "open a world of possibilities". This plays into their company as whole seeing as they sell books, but also plays into the emotional aspects that captivate their audience. The design allows for easy navigation through the website and clearly presents the content. 

This website is called The Biology Corner. It's a website that is edited by a high school biology teacher who has a bachelor's in Biology and a Masters degree in Educational Technology. The Biology Corner is basically a compilation of useful links for studying, as well as links for worksheets, videos, and resources a teacher would find useful in writing lesson plans. The audience of The Biology Corner includes high school teachers of biology, and high school biology students. I think that this website would be very useful, and it's design is fairly appealing. On the homepage, it's easy to see what the purpose of the website is, with minimal reading. It is mentioned that the website is meant to be a resource for students as well as teachers. The author is clearly identified and there is even a link for more information on her qualifications. All of the content is easy to access and every link works. The website is catered to a single textbook (the one the teacher uses at her school) which causes it to be a bit less useful, but altogether, the website has very good content. The design of this website is okay, but not really appealing. It's very plain and there aren't that many photos or videos that are actually imbedded into the site. None of the important information (table of contents, links, revision dates, author) is missing from the site but it isn't presented to the user in the most attractive way. 

Overview Report: This website is the official website for the Cross-Fit community here in Laramie, Wyoming. This website talks about where the gym is located, what specific workouts are each day, the trainers, food and nutrition facts, and tips for improving their strength and stability during their Cross Fit experience. Content Summary: I was quickly able to determine that this website was dedicated to the fitness needs of the people in Laramie. Cross Fit is a type of fitness, and I could easily tell that it was dedicated both to the community of Laramie, and to the students of the University of Wyoming. After looking around, I could identify that there was more than one author of this particular website. There was a specific tab that informed people on the trainers, and their experience with Cross Fit. Each coach had a profile that was updated and recent. The sponsors of the site were listed on the right of the website, and they were clearly identified. There were posted links to other websites for further education, and they all worked properly. The purpose of this site is for a business. The content of this website achieves this purpose, and it seems to be complete and well organized. The content of this site is easy to understand and is explained very thoroughly. This website provides clear and knowledgeable content with further resources to help solidify their facts. Design Summary: The homepage did download efficiently and was very attractive to the eye. There were many links, pictures and descriptions available. There were tabs of different information to click on in order to narrow down your search. The sponsor was clearly identified and specific information for contacting the sponsor was provided. This website was easy to navigate, and there were directions for specific parts of the site that would need further instruction.

Bailey Stanfield Reviewed 10/12/2014 This resource has a lot of information and resources for not only teachers, but students as well. There are several guides for teachers to use in terms of mostly math and writing integration. The main audience is students and children. The majority of the resources on the website are games for children that helps them to solidify educational ideas that may be covered in the class. I think this website could make a great supplemental resource to be used in the classroom and at home to help students grasp certain topics. The content of the website was rather strong. The only information that was hard to find was the author of the website and who that was. The sponsor was very clear, but the author was hard to find. The other information that was hard to find was the revision date. The website does have a copyright date of 2014. Overall, the content of the website is clear and of quality for the intended purpose. The design of the website was very appealing and easy to see and navigate through. It was simple enough that children will be able to understand and properly use the website effectively. Games consist of appeasing music and images that will intrigue children. Content and content areas are very clearly placed on the website.

Kate McDonnell October 13, 2014 The purpose of this website is to inform people about cyberbullying. Not only does it inform its reader about what it is, but what people can do about it as well as how to prevent it. This website makes many resources available, as well as valuable knowledge that can be put to use almost immediately for anyone who reads this. The intended audience is the general public, not just someone who is researching this topic. This website relates all of its information to society, so it is relevant for anyone who has taken notice to cyber bullying. Overall, this website seems reliable, though it isn't perfect. It is the better of the two resources I reviewed. The issues are minor, and the overall combination of design as well as content is strong. Content: When first viewing this website, the user can determine the basic content of the site, as well as its intended audience. The specific author wasn't clearly identified, therefore the information about whomever wrote the information on this site isn't available or known by the users of this website. The sponsor was clearly identified, though, as this is a government site so it clearly states that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sponsors this website. There is a link to the website for that specific department, where one can find more about the sponsor as well as how to contact them. The latest revision date wasn't listed, so it is unknown if the content is updated. The content is complete, well organized, and easy to understand. It is free of bias, as well as interactive. There are videos, pictures, blogs, and many other components that contribute to this website. Design: The download was affective as well as speedy. The homepage has strong eye appeal; it isn't too busy but there are pictures and colors that make it appealing. No directions are required to navigate this website, it is easy and clear for the user how to make their way around this websi

This website was meant to give a lot of information about World War 2. The language of the site requires a fair level of literacy, making the intended audience teenagers or older. This site offers numerous links and timelines and a good outline of the events of World War 2. However, the design is poor, and there seems to be a lack of authors or sponsors. This website makes a poor impression.

Overview MyHistro is a multifaceted site. It's main purpose is to aid history teaching by providing interactive maps that display the locations of historical events. It also is trying to jump on the social networking bandwagon by allowing users to create their own timelines with maps of their own lives. It also does the same for businesses. For educational uses, this site can be used for middle school students and above. For middle school students, some discretion needs to be used when choosing which parts of the site to use. It might be a good idea for the teacher to operate the site on a projector. For networking uses, I would recommend that only adults use this site and even then with discretion as by doing so you put your personal information out there. My initial impressions were that this site is very professional and has a ton of content to explore. It is a site that is very engaging for both educational and other uses and could really be a good motivator for kids.

Overview Report: This website is called the "Institute of Education Sciences" and it functions on educational research, assessment, development and statistics. They strive on helping raise the bar for all educational research and evaluation. They work on developing a better understanding of education and schools, as well as studying how development and research can help create more successful schools. Content Summary: I was quickly able to determine the basic content of this site. Right when you open up the web page, it talks about the "Institute of Education Sciences" and I knew right away that it was an educational website. The intended audience was for educators and researchers. There are further websites for more information, and the links are placed in an organized manner according to content area. The purpose for this website is informational. It is informing and educating people on the importance of educational research. The content of this website shows that it is made specifically for the importance of educational research and the further knowledge of educational resources. Design Summary: The homepage downloads quickly and efficiently.There were different tabs that were displayed for different areas of knowledge, and there were tabs that told me about who the director was, and what her credentials were. There were a lot of links that provided further contact information, and there were many links that lead to other websites as well. I felt like this website was reliable and relevant to my research.

Candace Carder October 13, 2014 Overview: The website is geography for kids, and the study of our Earth. The website is intended for the audience age of 6 to 9 year olds. The video is copyright from 1998- 2014©. The website is written by Debora Dyess. All of the information is provided in a clear and organized. Overall, the website was created for students to learn more about seasons in a fun and creative way. Content: It talks about the seasons and how the seasons affect the calendar. It then talks about two important events that happen with seasons. It explains the orbit of the sun, and how the sun orbits the sun. Then the website explains how the seasons are different amongst different regions. Design: The website is very organized, but there was some advertising throughout the website which was distracting. This website was designed for younger students, and the adds about Amazon was unnecessary. The website used a lot of words for explaining the four seasons, but they should have used more pictures, if they were aiming for the younger age groups. Overall, the design was clear they should have went without the ads.

OVERVIEW Khan Academy is a site to help students supplement their learning. It allows students to go over materials at their own pace so that they are able to better understand the material. Overall, this is a good site to help students, and I would recommend it especially for math help. CONTENT The information is current enough for math. The content well organized and helpful to students to understand subject matter. It appears bias free (for math, not sure about other subjects) and the information is accurate and consistent with other sources. Grammar and spelling are correct. DESIGN The design is attractive and you can easily tell where you are within the site. There are not directions on how to move around the site, but it is fairly intuitive. All links that I have tried have worked, and are helpful. Janissa Martinez

Matt Goldman October 13, 2014 OVERVIEW: The intended audience for www.khanacademy.org is for all student K-12 and even higher education. It is designed for teachers and parents as well. The purpose of this website is to provide free interactive tutorials/videos on subjects from Math, Science, Economics, Arts and Humanities. CONTENT: Overall, the content on this site is completely accurate; all tutorials break down each subject/topic down to simplest form to help facilitate learning. DESIGN: The site is very well organized and user friendly; users can quickly locate any subject they want to learn about and all tutorials are easy to follow and understand. FEEDBACK: I was thoroughly impressed with this website. This website is for educational purpose only and is completely free of any bias of marketing tricks. To be honest I wish this website was around when I was in high school, this site is a key resource that can be used as either a teaching aide for teachers or a learning resource for self directed learners or learners that need further explanation or extra time to fully the content/material desired to learn.

Morgan Kuchta September 1, 2010 Sparknotes.com Overview This site is a great resource for students who struggle with reading in school. The website provides book and chapter summaries and plot overviews along with character analysis for all main characters in each book reviewed. The books that Spark Notes provides information on are those that have deep and complex plot lines and character development that are often found in classrooms of all grade levels. Perhaps one of the most useful tools on this website is called "No Fear Shakespeare", which translates the old English of Shakespeare into modern English so that students might have an easier time remembering information and comprehending it. Although the site organization is poor and it throws too much information onto one page, I believe this website could be an extremely valuable resource to teachers who assign reading to their classes. Content At first look it is easy to tell where you are and what is provided, in general, on the site. The audience is pretty clearly defined as students but it is difficult to tell exactly who will benefit most from this sitel There were no listed authors for the site although there were authors listed for each of the book summaries done on each separate page with an email address attached. The revision dates are included on every book review and the links to related sites are all functioning. The information quality was incredible. Although it was not well organized, it is by far the most comprehensive literacy site that I have used in the last few years. The other links posted were pretty good, although most of them were just for the interest of the users rather than usefulness for help with English homework. Design The homepage download was no problem, while it was attractive to the eye, it was a little information heavy and a it was kind of hard to tell exactly where I needed to navigate. There were a LOT of advertisements in the margins and even in other areas of th

Randi McInerney September 15, 2011 Overview: The website "Sparknotes" is an educational and entertainment website with various study resources available. The information is most relevant to high school aged students, but late middle school and college students, as well as teachers, could also benefit from this site. College video tours, book summaries, analysis, and quizzes, and ACT/SAT/AP/GRE test preparation material, and news articles are also available. The content and design are effective and organized, but the advertisements can be distracting and seem overwhelming. This site can be abused by students wishing to plagiarize or to avoid reading a book, but has so many great things to offer if it is used appropriately. Content: There is a lot of educational material available on this site. Video clips, interactive tours, blogs, cartoons, and more can all be found on this site. There are various links in order to contact them, but no direct contact information like an address is provided. Besides educational material, there is lifestyle, entertainment, and dating information. I think that this may be distracting from the educational aspects of the site, but it makes sense because of the audience the website is intended for. Design: The site downloads efficiently and is visually interesting, especially for the intended audience of young adults. The site is easy to navigate, especially if you know what you are looking for from the start. In this case, the search bar will help you easily locate what you are looking for if it is indeed on the site.

Sparknotes is a resource aimed at high school and college students. It offers summaries of literary works as well as test prep. The main purpose of the site is to simplify in-depth texts down to a modern English level. Unfortunately, these summaries are not all that is available. The site largely consist of entertainment news. This aspect dominates the site, making it hard to find the reviews and study resources. Because of this my overall impression is that the site includes a good about of information for those looking for it, but is also a place where one can very easily get side tracked, rendering its information useless. It is worth a bookmark, but is not the most useful thing. The content of this site is very diverse. As for the literary summaries, there are over 100 on some of the best known works in many different subject areas. The site is up to date and loads easily. Most of the summaries are based off of the most recent publications of texts. The site is confused about its purpose. The summaries and text prep sections are hard to find while entertainment news is profusely advertised and easy to find. The educational sections are labeled in small black index style links, while the entertainment section has large magazine like spreads. Although the site has relevant information that is consistent and helpful, it is congested with much needless gossip that has potential for abuse. The websites speed is quite good. It loads very fast comparatively. The homepage is attractive, but is attractive for the wrong reasons. It is hard to find relevant information on the site (although there is a lot of it). This makes navigation of the site difficult and can easily suck the user into a "twilight zone." The site is strong on most platforms, even having apps available. Content presentation is mores streamlined on the app, but is congested on a web version. An administrator is available to answer any questions and provide further information.

Caleb Huber 10/12/14 The article provides a summary of research done on the occurrence of cyber bullying. I chose this site as a reference for known data about cyber bullying and the frequency of its occurrence. The webpage contains data on the last seven years of cyber bullying research. The website itself is intended for educators, students, and teachers. Its purpose is to spread cyber bullying awareness and teach prevention. I would rate the content of the webpage as somewhat helpful and the content of the website as extremely helpful. I would rate the design of this webpage as good and the design of the overall website as exceptional. The web page was last updated on April 9, 2014. A link to contact the site can easily be found on the top of the page. At first look, the content of the individual summary page is a bit bare, but it compensates by having links of detailed, related posts in the center of the page. Several of the posts are helpful to my purpose. One example is the link titled "Cyber bullying: Neither an Epidemic nor a Rarity". No official author of the articles is posted. This link also shows the website's lack of bias. Cyber bullying is either portrayed as not a big deal or an epidemic depending on who is making the case. Because this site is ran by a research center, it focuses on finding and presenting real data. Often a weakness of research is that it only uses one method to perform research. The website makes sure to use multiple methods including convenient and stratified samples. A large label at the top of the page shows that the website is funded and ran by the Cyber Bullying Research Center. The webpage is clearly labeled and easy to navigate. The pages follow a consistent format and all the links load quickly. The homepage can easily be found. The purpose of the website can be easily seen through a welcome index. The site index is clearly designed as well. Every page is loaded with helpful links.