Web Site Evaluations

Website Evaluation #1
Content Area: Reading

1. Name of Site: Reading Rockets

2. Website Address: http://www.readingrockets.org/

3. Copyright Date/Last Update: This site has a copyright date of 2008. It must be updated every day because it has a “Today’s News” link with today’s date on it.

4. Author/Organization Credentials: Reading Rockets is an organization that is funded by a grant from the US Department of Education. It consists of a panel of researchers and experts in the field of reading that direct the organization.

5. Website Design and Ease of Navigation: This website is very user-friendly. It is very colorful, up-to-date, and easy to navigate. Reading Rockets has an abundant amount of information for anyone in the reading field as well as for parents. The site has information on PBS shows, reading blogs, reading research, reading guides, reading resources and a learning store. The site also has specific links for teachers and families. “Today’s News: can be found on the right side of the page with up-to date news on the field of reading.

6. Response and Recommendation for Use: This would be a great site for someone going into the reading field. It has an abundant amount of reading research as well as ideas in helping children read. The blogs on this site also have a lot of information from a mom telling her stories about her children and their experiences with reading to a blog from Teachers Leaders Network. Reading Rockets also has a calendar that lists local as well as national reading events that have been scheduled. It also lists different conferences and workshops that you could attend. The Learning Store has all kind of books, DVDs, videos, games, etc. that you could use in researching reading or practice for your students. Over all, this is an awesome website that any teacher or parent would benefit from using.


Website Evaluation #2

1. Name of Site: Education World

2. Website Address: http://educationworld.com/


3. Copyright Date/Last Update: Copyright is 1996-2008. This website looks to be updated daily because the day of the week and the date are on the top of the page. There is also a Lesson of the Day and the EDScoop of the Day.

4. Author/Organization Credentials: Education World is made up of the following staff members: Richard Datz: Vice President, General Manager, Forrest Stone: Executive Editor in Chief, Gary Hopkins: Founder, Editor in Chief, Linda Starr: Curriculum & Technology Editor, and Ellen Delisio: Editor, News & Features.


5. Website Design/Ease of Navigation: Education World is a very user-friendly site. The information is presented in professional manner while still being fun and very colorful. The links are specifically laid out for lesson plans, professional development, administrators, technological integration, school issues, and resources.

6. Response and Recommendations for Use: Education World is an awesome website with an abundance of information at one’s fingertips. As a teacher, I have found a lot of great ideas using the Lesson Planning link. I have never really taken the time to look at some of the other links until now. While evaluating this website, I looked through the Professional Development and discovered a lot of tools or resources that I am going to use in my classroom to help me become better teacher. My husband is a middle school/high school principal and he said that he has used the Administrators link before to get some ideas for meeting and ideas for parental involvement. There is also a link Education World at Home that parents as well as kids can access. Overall, this is an awesome website that I would recommend to anyone in education whether it is a teacher, principal, superintendent, substitute, technology coordinator as well as a parent or a child.