ITEC2360

The purpose of this resource is to help intermediate Spanish learners to learn the irregular verbs ser and ir and how to conjugate them in the present tense. There is a slight introduction and it is a very short video with lots of information. This is a great video to learn or review how to conjugate these irregular verbs. The content is short but well used. The instructor isn't shown in the video but her voice is very clear and she speaks slow enough to understand. There is no English in the video which could be difficult for some but its good listening practice. There are different examples and it is a good video to make the students think. It is a great video for a high school classroom and it is very accurate with the forms of conjugating of the verbs she uses. The spelling is correct and all the examples are correct and well used. This video contains examples that are both written and explained orally giving the students opportunities to answer the questions on their own before the instructor gives the answers. The name of the instructor doesn't appear but it is clear to know that she is a native Spanish speaker.

Charles VanPatten 10/13/14 The purpose of this source is to show the history of education throughout the world and how it changed. This is mainly just a summary and could be a good source for a paper. This audience is more limited to those who are pursuing history or maybe doing a speech on the history of education. The content in this information seems decent but there are no real sources other than the fact that a link at the bottom takes you back to the world history center website. This makes the source a little more credible but there is no dates on the source saying when it was last updated. Although it has the name of the person who last updated the site just no date. The design of the page is very lengthy and just a bunch of reading, this could be good if you were trying to get a lot of information in one place. But it has no further on links to direct you towards other places to get more information. Also they only have one button to go back to another page in the world history center that is not related to the information.

Tonya Searles The purpose of citationmachine.net is to aid anybody who is writing a referenced work to properly cite the material they are using. The website is dedicated to preventing plagiarism. The intended audience is high schools, universities, teachers and independent researchers. The website provides easy to see choices for referencing in the major formats used in writing such as APA, MLA, and Chicago. The user would select the format choice they wish to use and fill in the boxes with the appropriate information, and the machine generates a complete reference in the proper format. The site appears easy to use and read. For a student (or author of a paper) who wishes to cite their material this website is definitely relevant, accurate, and purposeful. However, although I can clearly see the website has been updated since my last visit there is no indication of its currency. The citations generated are in line with current standards when putting in an APA reference. There is also a link to an older version of the site which also indicates currency, albeit without a date. The creator of the website is David Warlick, and while there was little information about him on the site, a google search revealed him to be an author and educator, indicating he may be an authority in referencing materials. Strengths of the website include clear step by step instructions on how to use the citation machine. There are also links that will take you to places to evaluate the originality of an essay to further avoid plagiarism. A weakness of the website is the amount of ads on the site, but it is free, and a network, so ads are expected. The design of the website is not overly ostentatious. There are simply colored blocks with text to click on, and the orange and reds are not overly bright and distracting. I prefer websites that do not have a lot going on, and that have only links that serve a related purpose. With the exception of the unavoidable ads, this website fits th

Tonya Searles This website clearly states on the first page that the audience is open to students or any person in the world who needs writing help. In this case, the website is being used by English students. The website provides assistance with all forms of writing including grammar, spelling, punctuation, and citing material. The user simply has to click on the topic they need help in and go from there. The website is currently maintained by the writing lab at Purdue University, and does provide copyright dates through 2014. The information is authoritative and accurate because it is developed by the aforementioned professionals at Purdue University. For an English student, or any student, the website is relevant because it can assist with basically any type of writing assignment. The purpose of the website is to help people check their work and get help with writing when they need it. The website clearly displays common mistakes people make and how to fix them, as well as allowing for people to search more in depth for rules of writing. The websites colors are very similar to that of citationmachine.net. They are subdued and not overly hard to look at for long periods of time. The website has a lot of content, but the front page is neatly categorized without being overwhelming. I like how the mission statement of the website is right on the home page. The content is categorized by topic and each link I clicked on worked. Each link will take you to a new page with subcategories and recommendations for further suggested resources. I think the site is very user friendly and informative.

The purpose of this link/resource is to inform teachers (specifically) of things that they can do in order to become more appealing to those who are hiring in the education field. The piece first looks at how teachers should dress. They highlight how teachers should dress as if they plan on getting a lot done that day, or to dress for the occasion. The piece goes on to discuss how attitude and body language impact how others view our professionalism. Finally, the article talks about how we, as teachers, need to constantly be thinking on ways to improve our teaching, learning from other teachers and testing out strategies. At first glance, I think that the page is a little too cluttered with extra links and ads. The article contained minimal graphics, just a small picture next to the title. This was beneficial because there are very few images that would actually serve to enhance this specific page. The page does provide links to other pages on the site, but it may have been better if the links were at the bottom of the page, as opposed to the sides, as they were distracting while reading. Overall, the page was reasonably easy to navigate and effectively read. The author was obviously well-read and presented ideas that are not too cliché, allowing almost any reader to take something away from the content and use it as a tool for learning. There were no spelling or grammar errors in the article, demonstrating a professional approach. This was especially beneficial since the author, Emma McDonald, was speaking about professionalism herself. She aligned what she was writing about with how she wrote about the subject.

The purpose of this article was to encourage teachers in their work and the impact that they have on students, as well as provide a few resources that have held true for the author, sixth grade teacher, Elena Aguilar. Mrs. Aguilar said that she received an email from a student who had taken her middle school English class and was now going into the same profession. On a personal side, I would like to note that my story is very much the same, so this caught my attention. The teacher recounts what she told her student, that middle school was and still is her favorite level to teach. She then shares a book, websites, and blogs that she has referred to many times throughout her many years of teaching. Visually, the website is appealing. The content is simple and organized. There were no graphics, but there really was no need for any here. The content is formatted in such a way that there are no distractions along the sidebar or even at the bottom of the page. I personally really enjoyed the simplicity of this article. The piece is only a few paragraphs long, but the message being relayed really only needs that much content. There are no spelling or grammar errors here and Mrs. Aguilar maintains a professional speaking voice while she relays a very personal story. The resources that she provides at the bottom of her article are also worth a look. Overall, the article is short and sweet, yet helpful.

Brianna O'Shea October 13, 2014 Overview: The purpose of this article is to talk about what the purpose of the No Child Left Behind Act was and how it has changed. Even though NCLB hasn't reached the goal it was designed to in the allotted time, the change of focusing on growth rather than test scores, has shown an improvement in schools and has seen to help students. The audience of this article is those doubting what good NCLB can offer and why it is still in effect. Overall, this article shows a side perhaps unknown about NCLB and would be good for potential teachers to read. Content: The purpose of the article and its audience is clearly identified, as well as the author yet no links are given to contact or look into the author. The article is recent and links to other sites work and provide good additional information. The purpose, informal, is clear and its purpose is achieved. There seems to be a little bias towards NCLB, yet the article does point out on critique of the Act and accepts it.  Design: The title is clear and the article is well organized with headers and good lengths of paragraphs. The sponsor and copyright are clearly identified while the site is easily maneuverable. The links to other sites are helpful to look at if confused or wish for additional information. Information is easy to find under each header. There are no additional links for the author or similar articles from this page. 

Kayla Bowie 13 October 2014 Overview: Starfall.com is a site for teachers, parents, and students for preschool. It goes over back concepts like ABC's, reading, math, calendars and holidays. It has instructional links for parents as well as games for students. There are also links to the starfall store where you can purchase curriculum activities for kindergarten phonics. Content: The links are working and it is easy to navigate around the site. The content is current and accurate and will still be useful for years to come. Design: The design is very well done. At first sight it is kind of in your face with colors, but other than that is very easy to navigate. With a little help, younger children could easily use it.

Overview Paragraph: The purpose of this site is to provide different kinds of activities to use when teaching math. The audience is mostly teachers but parents would benefit as well. There is all kinds of math worksheets and games and such that are available for grades preschool through high school. Overall this site looks very useful and helpful if you're in a pinch for an activity for a lesson plan. Content Paragraph: The content of this webpage is up to date and current according to the copyright. Also, the authors of the site are all listed and described and have degrees in the content that they are discussing. The sponsors are clearly displayed. All of the links that are displayed are working and fully functional. The content is well organized and easy to use. Design Paragraph: It was very clear as to where I was when I clicked on the link as to where I was on the internet and what the content of the website was. There is a decent amount of viable information to make this site worth visiting. The graphics are very useful and aid in the navigation of the website. There is a link that is available to click on to contact a person for more information and other websites are available to for use.

Overview Paragraph: The purpose of this site is to provide different kinds of activities to use when teaching math. The audience is mostly teachers but parents would benefit as well. There is all kinds of math worksheets and games and such that are available for grades preschool through high school. Overall this site looks very useful and helpful if you're in a pinch for an activity for a lesson plan. Content Paragraph: The content of this webpage is up to date and current according to the copyright. Also, the authors of the site are all listed and described and have degrees in the content that they are discussing. The sponsors are clearly displayed. All of the links that are displayed are working and fully functional. The content is well organized and easy to use. Design Paragraph: It was very clear as to where I was when I clicked on the link as to where I was on the internet and what the content of the website was. There is a decent amount of viable information to make this site worth visiting. The graphics are very useful and aid in the navigation of the website. There is a link that is available to click on to contact a person for more information and other websites are available to for use.

Kayla Bowie 13 October 2014 Overview: Preschooleducation.com is a site for preschool teachers. It isn't very professional looking but all of the content on it is useful. There are links for theme days, calendar time, games (inside and outside), and holidays. If you're in need for a quick idea, this is a good site to use. Content: There is a lot to go through on this site. If you knew a topic of interest, it would be pretty easy to search for something. Because there is so much on here, it can be a little slow find things though. Design: It is pretty organized with about twenty tabs on the side to narrow down searches. However, there is an add that will pop up whenever you go to a new page which makes it a little irritating to look around on the site.

Overview: This essay is intended for High School students studying literature or as a resource for teachers teaching literature. It concisely covers all the themes of the poem "Blackberry Picking," and accurately describes literary devices used. The author has been editor approved and the site is updated. Content: The essay covers the content of the poem very well. It deeply describes the poem and goes over all the different meanings the poem has. It gives accurate information of the poem and dissects it line by line, thoroughly describing it. Design: Aesthetically, the site is nice looking and looks and sounds accurate. All the links work, and there is lots of information available. The only bad thing is that you must create an account to read the entire essay.

Overview: This essay is intended for High School students studying literature or as a resource for teachers teaching literature. It concisely covers all the themes of the poem "Blackberry Picking," and accurately describes literary devices used. The author has been editor approved and the site is updated. Content: The essay covers the content of the poem very well. It deeply describes the poem and goes over all the different meanings the poem has. It gives accurate information of the poem and dissects it line by line, thoroughly describing it. Design: Aesthetically, the site is nice looking and looks and sounds accurate. All the links work, and there is lots of information available. The only bad thing is that you must create an account to read the entire essay.

Overview: This article is written by Dr. Michael Morales. He goes over the themes of Shakespeare's "King Lear," and effectively summarizes the play. The blog is updated, and uses current language to describe an old piece of text. This article would be intended for students of High School age. Content: The article is very descriptive with the summary of the play. He is also descriptive with the themes, and cites examples of all of his claims. The information is accurate to the plotline, and the language is correct and meaningful. Design: The website is pleasing to the eye, and has many links to different articles. All of the links work, and it is very community-based. It is scholarly without ads and all information.

Overview: This article is written by Dr. Michael Morales. He goes over the themes of Shakespeare's "King Lear," and effectively summarizes the play. The blog is updated, and uses current language to describe an old piece of text. This article would be intended for students of High School age. Content: The article is very descriptive with the summary of the play. He is also descriptive with the themes, and cites examples of all of his claims. The information is accurate to the plotline, and the language is correct and meaningful. Design: The website is pleasing to the eye, and has many links to different articles. All of the links work, and it is very community-based. It is scholarly without ads and all information.

Basic content of this site is easily accessible. The intended audience of this site is for students reading the material. The author for this site is clearly listed on the bottom of the page, he is a professor at the university of San Jose state. The website has contact information in order to reach the author. The last update on this website was late September of 2014. This site seems really consistent with all other sites as well as the book. This site is aesthetically pleasing and easy to work around. There isn't any other links on this page, but everything else seems frequent. The content achieves intended purpose of giving an overview of the main characters of the book. The content on this page is accurate consistent and free of bias remarks. Previous knowledge of the subject is apparent. There is no spelling or grammar mistakes and everything on site is working. This site offers sufficient information related to my topic. This page is easily accessible, when the url is clicked on the website pops up. The pages are aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Images, title, and description make it easy to tell exactly where you are. There is a table of contents in order to know exactly what you are going to look at. This site is easy to navigate around, and fun to use. There is limited external links on this page and there is no where you can get lost in the site. One basic format is used throughout the site, the information is labeled and organized. This site is up to date and any other information that is not to date has been removed. There is much useful information on this site, which makes it worth while for me to visit in class.

Cold War- YouTube Documentary Evaluated October 13, 2014

The purpose of this site is to give a 45 minute video tutorial of the Cold War. It is designed for upper level students, presumably high school and college. Based on the information in the video, it is a great overview and or complementary source for learning about the Cold War. The documentary was published on Oct 11, 2014. This overview begins with the United States' entry into Vietnam and goes through the fall of the Berlin Wall. Using interviews with historical experts and leaders from this period of time, the author put together an informative and engaging piece. The design of the video is put together as a standard documentary. Because we are looking at historical events, it is best to do so in chronological order. The author of the video puts it together so the students will understand how the chronological events take place and affect each other.

The intended purpose of this website is to provide teachers with background information and resources when teaching about energy resources to all different age levels. On the website there are different lesson plans and activities to incorporate into the classroom for all grades. The website overall is easy to navigate and understandable. The purpose of this site is clear: to inform. The author is not clearly identified, but the website is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the information is consistent with similar information and appears to be accurate based on my prior knowledge. It gives many facts not only just about energy and lesson plans/activities, but information specifically about the federal government energy department. Links to other sites are current and working properly. Overall, the website is friendly. The author and when it was recently updated is not provided, but the information appears to be accurate. It is easy to navigate and offers sufficient information. Also, the links are up to date on the website.