Group items tagged

Melanie Hays 10-10-12 Overview: The purpose of this website is to provide resources and discussions on the learning of mathematics. The audience is mainly math teachers and students in math classes. It had many additional links a person could click on to access more ways to help a mathematics learning environment succeed. Overall, I was very impressed with the website. It could be used to incorporate modern technology in the teaching of mathematics. Content: The content of the website is very relevant to what the purpose of the site is. It also seems to be updated rather frequently and would be very useful to help math teachers come up with new ways to teach their students. Design: The design of the website is very appealing to the eye. It is very easy to navigate and was set up in such a way that has clear headings and explains what each available link will lead the viewer to.

Overview: This website was created to provide educational games that kids can interact with. The intended audience is for k-6th grade. There are many different games that the site provides and the topics are easy to understand. I enjoyed the broadness of the site. It had several different games for each grade level and topic. You could play a different game every day during a week which to me helps the learning not seem so monotonous. Overall I think this site could be very useful for a k-6th grade teacher or possibly even higher grades depending on student's levels of learning. Content and Design The amount of information provided by the site was amazing. The site was able to cover all of the basic learning areas and to do so with many different and still interactive ways. The design of the site was easy to follow but the games were brought up inside a pop-up window which was a slight inconvenience and allowed for you to get lost easily. Although the site is made by volunteers it does provide contact links and gives links for sites that could also be helpful.

Hailey Dudley 10/15/12 Overview: This site was great for learning facts on Mount Rushmore by watching informational videos, and furthering learning about the faces carved on the rock. The intended audience for this site ranges from children in 3rd grade to 8th grade. There were also many available resources that would help continuing education on the subject. I was very impressed with this site because it offered great information, it was appealing, and I trusted the information presented. Content: The content on this site was very useful. The information quality and ways to further information was outstanding for this site. The information was valid on the subject and the links to other sites were worthwhile and contained very useful facts. However, the information currency was not the best for this particular website. There was no available revision date so there was no way of knowing if the information was updated regularly or of the latest revision date is applicable to the material. The site also did not have available authors of the material. Design: The design aspect of this website was exceptional. The speed of loading the home page was great and I was able to easily navigate throughout the site. This site was very appealing to the eye and the graphics on each page was useful and contributed to the learning that occurred here. There was great content on this site and there were also sites available to continue leaning. However, the date that the site was last revised was not easily seen and so I had no idea if the information was present.

Hailey Dudley 10/15/12 Overview: This site had many important informational purposes for people who are trying to learn more about Mount Rushmore. The purpose of this site was to enlighten students on the history of Mount Rushmore through a series of interactive flashcards. This website was designed for children ranging from 3rd grade to 8th grade who want to further their knowledge of Mount Rushmore. The information on this site is really good; however there are no available resources to continue the informational search on Mount Rushmore. My impression of this site was that it included really strong information on the subject but there was really no way of furthering your learning once you were done with the flashcards. Content: The content on this site had both good and bad aspects about it. At first look, the website was very clear on who it was intended for, as well as what was to be expected to learn from the site. This site was very unclear on who the information providers were. It did not state an author or the sponsor of the site. The informational currency and ways to further information was very poor as well. There was no way to find the latest revision date and there was no links to other sites. However, the information quality of this site was excellent. It was very organized and the information was valid to the subject. Design: The design of this webpage was decent. The homepage was able to download with great speed and the home page was very appealing to the eye. However, there was no information of the sponsor or the copyright date. Because of this, the site had no available date of last revision. This site also had no way of furthering education of Mount Rushmore because there were no other links. What was really exceptional on this site was the ease of navigation and the content that was presented.

Holly Page October 14, 2012 Overview: The PBS Kids website was created to better help educate young children and encourage interactive learning. The site could be used in the classroom for curriculum-based entertainment. Its is a great technological aid for learning, includes interactive games for students, and is great for teachers to implement into their elementary level lesson plans. The website is geared towards young learners. Though there are no links to outside web sources, the website was well organized and contained information in all subject areas. I found the website suitable for my researching needs on standard measurement. I thought the website was worth my time and would definitely use it later in helping supplement elementary curriculum. Content: It is apparent from the homepage, that PBS Kids is a educational and interactive site for young learners. Though there was no specific author listed, the information was up-to-date and dependable. There was a contact link included in the website for questions and concerns of parents and users. A revision date was provided, and the content is updated on a regular basis. The links embedded in the site were easy to find and functional. It is obvious when looking at the website that the purpose is both educational and entertainment oriented. The site was structured in a kid friendly manner with complete and easy to understand information. The site was seemingly free of any sort of bias and the content was accurate. There were no links to outside sources related to the website content. Design: The homepage downloaded quickly upon entering the site. The site appeals to its audience (kids) with bright colors, TV show characters, and audio interaction. The website is easy to navigate and clearly indicated the contents within the site. Sponsor and copyright information was provided. The directions were simple and the links in the site worked quickly and efficiently. Multimedia was used appropriately and contribut

Debra Burkhalter October 15, 2012 Teens For Planet Earth Overview: Teens for Planet Earth is a Wildlife Conservation sponsored social networking group for teens, age thirteen years and older. This site was set up to provide outlets for group conservation projects which can be posted on this site. Very much like the Diigo groups, these Teens for Planet Earth (T4PE) groups are specifically formed by and for teens who want to protect the planet. Members from all over the globe can join to learn more about conservation, to join local projects, or even to apply for awards. This site is helpful to find information and many current events related to the environment. Content: The user of this site is able to identify right away that the basic content deals with conservation. The intended audience is stated on the home page, "Teens for Planet Earth is a Social Network by teens, for teens." The directional tabs are organized and easy to navigate. Although the site was developed for teens, there is also an Advisors portal for adults/teachers to: ■Establish regular, consistent contact with your team members. ■Engage team members in constant motivation, reflection, and feedback. ■Manage team dynamics and involve all teens equally in project. ■Know and oversee safety and health issues. Design: The homepage downloads efficiently and is simple but attractive and eye catching. Your eyes are visually drawn and move across silhouetted mountains, over the earth held up by stick figures then settle in a calm fixation on the owl in flight. Directions are clear and easy to follow and the content areas are labeled and organized. The site incorporates the use of multimedia extremely well which makes a huge contribution to the site. Design provides ample availability and links to other useful Web sites.

Saydi Gardner 10/15/12 Sheppard Software Overview: This website is very useful. The information provided on this site ranges from science, math, geography, art, health, and English. There are multiple games and activities for students of all ages to use to learn the intended subject. While this site is mainly designed for elementary age kids, it can be used by all ages to learn new things and play games to help master the material. Content and Design: This site is very easy to navigate. Each section is labeled and easy to get to. Some pages take longer to download than others. The design is appealing to the eyes and the background/text color scheme makes it easy to read the text.

Content: This website offers different links to different information about sharks. For example, there is information about shark teeth, what they eat, shark babies, etc. This website can be really useful for the students because it offers insight that they might not have learned from any other website. The information was really current and you could tell that it gets revised regularly. All of the information was complete and thorough. The website was intended for children so it was really basic but all very helpful for the student to complete the webquest and find all the information. I would highly recommend this webite for teachers and both students wanting to learn more about sharks. Design: This site was easy to navigate through because everything was laid out so nicely and legible. This site was not very fun to look at because it was really simple and is not very appealing for kids. It had a couple of pictures but for my age group that my webquest was intended for the kids would not be very entertained for very long. They would get the information and leave the site right away. A person can find more information about a topic if they explore it more and give it a chance to click on more links and what not. This site offered a lot of insight on sharks but it was lacking in the design department.

Overview: This site was created to provide information on history as well as provide interactive games that can help students learn. It took a minute to realize but this site is linked with a chain of sites that cover several different topics such as, (www.kidsgeo.com and www.kidsnumbers.com ), which are all located within the KidsKnowIt Network. The intended audience was a little unclear and the topics were very broad. It was also unclear to who created site and I couldn't find a link to tell me who I could ask questions if I did have any. Overall this site would be hard to use in my opinion, but could be useful for someone who is unable to obtain textbooks with certain information. Content and Design: The content of the site was interesting and presented so in a textbook style. There were several different areas students could learn about ranging from Prehistoric Humans to the American Revolution. The design was easy to follow despite its many components. There was a slight lag time for pages to load which was a slight inconvenience. The content and design were well thought but could of used a more simplistic approach.

9 tips when creating videos for classroom use / teacher created teaching videos

Overview A how to site that has instructions for a multitude of things. It claims to have over two million articles. The intended audience is anyone looking to learn a skill. Content Content is clear and easy to understand. Multimedia works well and is useful. Site links work but sponsored links are not identified so it is easy to end up in an advertisement. Design Website is easy to read and navigate. There are many multimedia resources that add to the information available. Some pages may have too many links to quickly find the information you need.

Holly Page October 14, 2012 Overview: The purpose of Math Is Fun is to help learners better understand mathematics. The objective is that students are capable of learning math content both enjoyably and easily. The audience for the site is both teachers and students (grades k-12). There are links to several other websites that are up-to-date and easy to access. The website makes it possible for users to find outside resources. I found the website useful in the subject and content areas I explored. There seemed to be information on a variety of mathematics topics. I was overall very impressed with the website. Content: Content wise, it was very easy to determine upon first glance that mathisfun.com can be used as a mathematics curriculum guide and serve as supplemental reading for students. Though there was little background on the author of the site, the information seemed very credible and links were provided for questions and verifying information. The site was current, including a recent revision date with several working links to other related sites. The content aligns with the intended purpose of the site, the information was displayed in a creative and organized fashion, and there was sufficient information for my searching needs. The site was interactive and professional. Further information on mathematics content was provided via updated and working links that were both appropriate and effective. Design: The design and layout was both creative and efficient. I had no trouble downloading the homepage. The site was decorated with picture links that added to the website organization. There was provider and contact information provided in the site contents. I easily found the copyright date at the bottom of the home page. The website was easy to navigate and follow with clear directions and updated links both within the site and for outside sources. The site had several pictures and utilized creative media. The site was compatible with several browsers. The

Debra Burkhalter October 15, 2012 Student News Daily Overview: Student News Daily is a fabulous current events site for high school students to become readers of the news. The founders set up the website with a goal to "to build students' knowledge of current events and strengthen their critical thinking skills…in a manageable format." Using the site gives great references and information to students in a very easy to navigate way. Teachers will also be impressed with the format and many links to other useful current events websites. Content: The user of this site is able to identify right away that the content is current events. The site is updated daily. The intended audience is stated clearly under the "About Us" tab: "StudentNewsDaily.com is a non-profit current events website for high school students." The directional tabs are organized and easy to navigate and teachers will also appreciate the easy and manageable format. Student News Daily has six main categories which would be quite useful and could easily be incorporated into weekly current event lesson planning: * Daily News Article * Daily Best of The Web * Tuesday's World Briefs * Wednesday's Biased Item * Thursday's Commentary * Friday's News Quiz In addition to main categories the site also provides other current events items including: editorial cartoons, quick takes and a quote of the week. Design: The homepage downloads efficiently, is easy to read, extremely navigable and updated daily. Directions for use are clear and easy to follow and the content areas are labeled and very well organized. The site incorporates the use of multimedia via weekly videos, daily cartoons and links which makes a huge contribution to the site as an up to date portal for global current events. The design and purpose of the site is to educate and the content presentation which is inclusive of questions and answers makes it very doable for students to learn

Sarah Lindstrom October 15, 2012
Overview
The purpose of this website is to have many worksheets for teachers to use when teaching all sorts of subjects. The worksheets I used were about telling time. Overall I thought this website was easy to use because you just click on the subject you want worksheets for and then a whole list of different worksheets pops up. In my case they had a ton of worksheets about telling time and some are simple for young kids and others are harder for older kids. The content was good because it gave a lot of options to teachers regarding telling time. In order to use many of the worksheets you need to become a member which might detract some users.
Content
The content on telling time link of the website is really reliable and has lots of options. There is even a bingo game you can make, so that the students don't have to do boring worksheets all the time. The one downfall of this website is it isn't really interactive. The teachers just print out the worksheet or have the students look at the worksheet online. Also there isn't really information about the author which would be a bit more concerning if telling time wasn't an easy and straight forward concept that most adults understand. There aren't any links on the site that go to other websites about telling time which would be kind of helpful.
Design
This website was the most appealing to look at because it had a super hero on it since these worksheets will help "save" a teacher when planning a lesson. The copyright date was this year so, the information was relevant and they had some ways to help students learn about time such as bingo which might have been thought about in early times. Getting to the worksheets is easy, which is nice for teachers in a hurry to find a quick worksheet.

Sarah Lindstrom October 15, 2012 Overview The purpose of this website was also to help elementary students practice telling time and it would be useful for elementary teachers as well giving them ideas for activities having to do with telling time. This website has games and worksheets about telling time as well. This website has good activities for students to do to practice telling time. In my WebQuest I specifically used a game about being able to read analog clocks and it is a fun way for students to learn because you are trying to do the game as fast as possible which appeals to young kids, they always love to race. It is not hard to find the activities for students to do. Content The content was of a good quality and it had to do with telling time. It was a somewhat interactive website because it provides games for students to play about telling time. The website in well organized and it is easy to find multiple activities for kids to do. The website was updated this year, so the information is still relevant and ok to use. The author was not specifically mentioned on the website, but there is an email address you can email if you have questions about the website. Design This websites homepage wasn't extremely exciting to look at, but it did very nicely have all the activities listed so you could click on them with one touch of the mouse. The one game I used for my WebQuest had sounds which make playing the game more fun. The website was easy to navigate and it had relevant information pertaining to telling time. In order to use some of the activities on the website you have to download or purchase a CD. This design might make some teachers not want to use this site especially if it costs them money.

Hailey Dudley 10/15/12 Overview: This site was great to find out the different tours and important information you should know about while planning a visiting Mount Rushmore. The purpose of this site was to inform people about the park and what you can do while visiting the monument. Audience for this site could range anywhere from children in 3rd grade to adults. There were many available resources to help learn more about Mount Rushmore. My overall impression of this site was that the site looked really good and it was easy to navigate through. Content: The content of this site was very outstanding. I was able to quickly identify what the site was about and I could easily see that the information was current and updated frequently. Furthermore, there was a plethora of good information, not only about the history of Mount Rushmore, but also about the park information as well. I was able to further my information on the monument by navigating the other links on the site. The only thing that the site didn't include was the information about the author and therefore, I could not tell if the writer was qualified or not. Design: The design of the site was remarkable. Everything from the speed of the homepage to the availability of furthering information was included in the website. I could easily navigate through the site and its look was very appealing. The site was very current and the content of the website was very informative and interesting. This site could not have gotten any better with their design.

Overview: This site is designed to teach the public about the Republican Party. It shows what the republican believes in and how they affect politics. The Republican National Committee sponsors and writes the website to inform people about the Republican Party and to also teach others what the republican national party does. I would defiantly use this site to learn more about the Republican Party and what they stand for. Content: The site gives includes information about the party. The site shows what the party believes in, news about the party, videos, and shows you how to become a member. The site is very reliable because it the information on the site comes straight from the National Committee. The site also gives the copyright information. The site has lots of information on the Republican Party and it shows it in an effective way. Design: The site is very eye appealing. It is easy to navigate the site; it gives clear titles to help you figure out where you want to go. This site is very well designed.

Overview The purpose of this site is educational for lower elementary students; its audience is therefore mainly elementary students but also parents and educators as they are the ones who may be interested in exploring the site to discover its usefulness for their children or students. This site contains many educational online interactive games for lower elementary kids that help mostly with reading and mathematics but it also has some other interactive options for other topics relevant to elementary students. Content and design Overall based on the content and design evaluations this site seems to be a good site worth bookmarking at least for use with elementary students. The design makes it visually attractive to the students it is intended for and it makes it easy for them to navigate the site. From observing a kindergarten class navigate the site it was apparent that they were able to go where they were told to with ease and then when they were allowed to explore more on their own they did so with ease.

Queen Elizabeth Allison Cetak 10/11/12 Overview This website's subject matter is Queen Elizabeth as well as the culture surrounding the entirety of her reign over England. The audience is anyone who is a student of history or literature and is interested in learning more about Queen Elizabeth and Elizabethan culture. The purpose of this site is to give readers and historians peer reviewed and historically accurate information about this time period by supplying them with facts backed up with examples, real life application, and historical points where instances have occurred. This website contains highly specific and accurate information that is regularly updated as new information comes to light. Also, the organization, clarity of content, and supported information makes this site a great resource for someone seeking to further his or her knowledge of Queen Elizabeth and Elizabethan England. Content This website is the best website I have seen relating information about Queen Elizabeth. The content is accurate, thorough, and contains new information that I did not know. Also, the content loads quickly, educates viewers without adding extra information, and is grammatically and syntactically correct. The content is regularly updated and dates when the updates take place are included. Lastly, the author of the site is identified and is available to be contacted with questions, concerns, or comments. Design This website is extremely well designed. The site contains a variety of information relating to Queen Elizabeth. The best part of the site is that it guides viewers through Elizabeth's entire rule over England, from beginning to end while putting information into timely context. By designing the site this way, it allows for easy processing for viewers. Again, the revision dates are readily available which means that the content is current and accurate. Due to the timeline style organization, it is extremely easy to navigate through and navigation is

Melanie Hays 10-10-12 Overview: The purpose of this website is to help students learn formulas and equations needed to help them with their assignments. It has many other purposes as well, such as tutoring, games, and other useful tools. The audience for this website is students in math grades K-12. It contains reference websites to visit if more help was needed. It is useful for students struggling remembering formulas and in need of assistance remembering them. Overall, I was very pleased with the website and found it extremely useful for students needing help with their math homework, or just with concepts in math in general. I was also pleased with the fact that it provided games and tools for students of all ages. Content: The website's content was without a doubt accurate. It contained information that is proven to be correct, and achieves its intended purpose. The site's material was current and very relevant for what it was designed for. The site obtains help for students from basic math, all the way through calculus. Design: The website is very well organized and easy to understand. It is user-friendly and designed in an appropriate way. It is appealing to younger students, as well as young adults.