Web Evaluations

Drama and English Literature Website Evaluations

1. Name of Web Site: NCTE National Council of Teachers of English; A Professional Association of Educators in English Studies, Literacy, and Language Arts
2. Website Address: http://www.ncte.org
3. Copyright date and/or last update: The copyright date is 1998-2011. It does not list a last update, but it is easy to see that the site is continuously updated with new information.
4. Author/Organization Credentials: Although I was not able to find one specific author for the whole site, the organization is the National Council of Teachers of English. This site appears to be maintained by this organization.
5. Web site Design and ease of navigation: At first, the web site seemed a bit daunting. There is just so much information, which is a good thing. I wasn’t sure where to go first. I liked that there were different sections for different age levels including elementary, middle, secondary, and college levels. The ability to browse specific things for your grade level is an amazing feature. Unfortunately when you select that set of grade levels, there’s not an option to click immediately to a different one. To go from elementary to secondary sections, I would have to go back through the main home page. Luckily that “home” button is available on every page.
I also liked the menu bar constantly at the top. Although the drop down menus were a bit confusing, this was nonetheless helpful. I probably would have organized it a bit differently. For instance, I probably would have put standards and position statements under “About Us” and not necessarily under “Resources.”
The design overall had a very professional format. I appreciated the seriousness of the web site’s look. It made me feel that the information had more credibility even though I knew it was a credible source.
6. Response and recommendation for use: Although I have never used this web site before, I thoroughly enjoyed perusing this site and learning about all the wonderful resources available there. I’m sure I will use it in my professional development by becoming a member, utilizing the helpful resources and perhaps even attending conferences to help me learn even more about successfully engaging my students in literature and the language arts. There is also a “shop” section that I’m sure I’ll utilize to buy books, web seminars, journals, etc. This general education web site will most definitely benefit me as I continue on in my teaching career, and although I wouldn’t have students use it unless in very specific cases, I nonetheless will frequent it in the future.
1. Name of Web Site: Drama Resource
2. Website Address: http://www.dramaresource.com
3. Copyright date and/or last update: The copyright is 2010, and even though there is no last update listed, it is easy to see by the course places that the website is updated frequently.
4. Author/Organization Credentials: The author under whose name the site is copyrighted is David Farmer who has written books and articles on drama, and has directed as well. His email address and a phone number are listed for questions concerning the courses offered.
5. Web site Design and ease of navigation: The web site design is typical for a drama person. Although it is still professional, it is also fun. The sides resemble the wood flooring in old theatres, and the pictures and graphics add to the overall aesthetic of the web site. I enjoyed the special look of the page overall. It had an almost blog feel to it if that makes sense. I was immediately drawn in by the navigable yet “pretty” site. And as my costume design teacher has always told me, “Theatre is about making things look pretty.”
As for ease of navigation, I couldn’t ask for it to be easier. Even though there is quite a lot of information available, it is broken down into extremely manageable pieces with resources right there at the tip of your fingers. There are many theatre games that are categorized for different learning objectives. In theatre, games are actually useful tools for learning. There is also a section titled “strategies.” Upon further examination I discovered many strategies for developing character, and really reaching inside students to find their acting potential. This is an enormous tool for teaching. There are lesson ideas, resources and ways to acquire more help through the support section. Also, there is a list of conferences and workshops designed to teach teachers how to use some of these tools.
Overall, the design and absolute ease of use have made me wish I had known about this web site at the beginning of the year. It is creative and very useful. I can’t wait to put some of these ideas to use in my classroom.
6. Response and recommendation for use: I’m afraid my response is already obvious from my glowing description of the design and ease of navigation. The content is wonderful! There are lessons using literature and storytelling to get the students involved. One example is using a book called Funnybones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. Any way to add literature to the curriculum is wonderful. There is a game of the week that spotlights a new idea for an engaging theatre game. Games can be used to break the ice, as warm ups, to enhance group dynamics, and to encourage creativity. There are so many ways to utilize this website. I plan of gaining new and exciting ideas to really reach out to my students and make learning fun. These useful sources will be making several appearances in my future classroom for sure.

1. Name of Web Site: Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts
2. Website Address: http://www.tcte.org
3. Copyright date and/or last update: The copyright date is 2007-2010. There isn’t a last update listed, but it looks very up to date with dates for next year’s conference already available.
4. Author/Organization Credentials: There is no specific author listed, but the copyright is through the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts. Their address, phone number, and email are available for further questions. Also there is a long list of board members with contact information and their jobs listed as well.
5. Web site Design and ease of navigation: This website too is very professional. The design is nondescript, and it doesn’t distract. The neutral colors give it a calm tone, even if they do make it a bit boring. The home page lacks much to be desired in grabbing the attention of the user. Better headings, colors, and less white space would help make it more pleasing to the eye. Even if I didn’t know it was a credible source, it looks professional and credible.
As for ease of navigation, there is again a lot of information and there are many different pages to explore. It is almost as if there are too many items on the tool bar at the top. I think it would have been better if one of the two top menus were to be placed on the side. It would give depth to the home page and would help the web site less top heavy. I don’t like that there are no drop down menus from the main menu at the top of the web page. This would make navigation much simpler and take some of the guess work out of it.
6. Response and recommendation for use: I’m sure it is quite obvious that I did not have as great of a response to this web site initially. This is a very Member based site. So I don’t know if I can give it its due. I plan to consider membership in the future because I do believe it is a useful if not directly in the classroom then definitely for professional development. I’d like to do some more research before I become a member. The site is very informative about the organization, its objectives and purpose. I do respect these objectives and think this organization has a worthy goal.
As for recommendation for use, I didn’t find a way to use it directly in the classroom, but as I continue in my career and growth as an educator, I think that professional development is very important. I would make use of discussions, newsletters, and conferences to make sure I am up to date on everything I can do to make literacy growth in Texas happen. Literacy is so very important, and I know that this organization will help me help my students become better readers and writers by networking with other teachers, researching, and transforming the way we educate. This is the way I plan to utilize this site and grow as an educator.

1. Name of Web Site: Education World, The Educator’s Best Friend
2. Website Address: http://educationworld.com/
3. Copyright date and/or last update: The copyright date is listed as 1996-2010. There is no last update listed, but it is obvious that it is updated frequently.
4. Author/Organization Credentials: There’s not one specific author listed, but the copyright is through Education World, Inc. They list the addresses for both the office and headquarters of Education World, Inc. in the “About Us” section of the web site. It has received several awards and recognitions from credible sources such as parenting journals and USA Today.
5. Web site Design and ease of navigation: The design of this website is fun, the graphics and colors immediately grab the attention of the user. There is quite a lot going on though. I appreciate the fact that this website is completely free for teachers use, and that the way the probably keep it that way is by putting advertisements everywhere, but those advertisements are distracting and a nuisance. The first thing I saw upon clicking on the link was a pop up for Microsoft Office. I know I hate that kind of thing and I’m sure it annoys others too. Even so, I think the overall actual design of the web site is good.
As for ease of navigation, this web site is very user friendly. There are wonderful drop down menus from the main menu at the top that really help put things in perspective. The creative names for the sections help define their purpose. For instance “marketplace” is where you would go to buy school supplies, books and downloads. There is even a “free offers” sub section. There is also a site guide that makes navigation super easy. Each individual sub section has its own link that makes it easy to find what you are looking for.
6. Response and recommendation for use: Even if the advertisements did annoy me, I found this site to be a wonderful resource. I have used this site in previous classes and it really is a wonderful tool. Even though I had used this site before, I realized as I started this project that I had only skimmed the surface when using it before. There is so much information; so many ideas to explore that one could utilize this source almost exclusively. Not that using just one resource is ever recommended, but you get the picture.
As for recommendation for use, where do I begin? There are lesson plans, worksheets, clipart options, free newsletters, supplies, and much more. This web site could be used for professional development, research and inspiration. There is a whole section on technology integration and a contest going on right now to promote safer classrooms. There are articles on school issues and so much more useful information that a new teacher like me can soak up. Teachers have to continue to learn, and I think this website helps teachers do just that.

1. Name of Web Site: Choice Literacy: Come for the Resources, Stay for the Inspiration
2. Website Address: http://www.choiceliteracy.com
3. Copyright date and/or last update: The copyright date is 2006-2011. Although there is no last update listed, it is obvious that this site is well-maintained.
4. Author/Organization Credentials: The organization listed in the copyright is choiceliteracy.com. However it is also mentioned that the site is powered by MemberGate Membership site software. There is no specific author listed.
5. Web site Design and ease of navigation: This web site is extremely well designed. It may be simple, but for this website, its simplicity works. The colors contrast just enough to give it some depth, while still looking professional and credible. There are photographs and graphics that enhance the look of the web site and bring some much needed color. The video on the home page adds depth as well. The only thing that bothers me is farther down on the home page. There are several article, videos and podcast topics listed, but the box around the section is very narrow and only utilizes a portion of the screen.
Again this is a member based web site. I’m sure it would be much easier to navigate if I were a member, but there are parts of the web site I couldn’t explore. I think it’s a wonderful source and wouldn’t hesitate to become a member when I become a public school teacher. There aren’t a lot of sub sections, so the main menu really is all that’s needed. I do like that there is also a side menu of other information as well. Altogether, this web site is easy to navigate and I’m sure even more so for members of the organization.
6. Response and recommendation for use: My response to this web site was extremely good. The video was inspirational and caught my attention. The number of resources was staggering and I respect the fact that the resources come from fellow teachers who spend most of their time in the classroom, not “professionals” who haven’t stepped foot inside a classroom in years. I got excited about membership and hope I am lucky enough to have access to it through my school district. If not, I will encourage my school district to purchase a site license for all of their teachers. This tool will help us stay up to date and on track.
As for my recommendation for use, I believe I would use this site every day in my classroom. For planning lessons, locating multiple resources, and keeping up to date on the latest articles and videos, this site really is a wonderful answer. I love that you can log in from any computer and therefore have access to all of this web site’s tools at home or at school. This is extremely helpful when I’ll probably be driving at least 20 miles to work.