Website Critiques

I really liked the “Teach-nology” website because it’s one of the most comprehensive teacher resource websites that I have found so far. It has lesson plans divided by subject, worksheets to print out, and a variety of rubric generators. There is an arts and crafts section and a section that provides ideas for holiday-themed lessons. You can also browse by subject to find background sites, games, printables, and interactive sites for students. Most things are free, but to get access to everything you must create an account and pay a monthly fee. However, it seems like you can access most things you need to without registering; you only need to pay if you want to download workbooks or something like that. The website seems both credible and up to date. It says it is maintained by a team of professional educators. It is organized, easy to access and looks professional.

I also looked at a webquest titled “An Aquatic Advendure.” The goal was for the kids to create an salt water or fresh water habitat that included three animals. I liked it because it combined several different mediums for learning: it asked the kids to research in the library and on the internet, and the final product could be a poster, a diorama, a real-life version, or a Kid Pix drawing. The site is easy to use and the directions are at a fairly simple reading level. Some of the links to background information would require a higher reading level though. The site is bright and colorful but not distracting. The only problem I had with this site is that it doesn’t seem to have been updated recently, so a few of the links no longer work. You also would have to be careful because it seems to have some pop-ups and quite a few ads. All in all though, it seems like this would be a useful site for a unit about aquatic habitats and a fun educational project for the students.