Topic 9- Website Evaluation

1. What form(s) did you like/dislike? Why?
2. Were there any hidden secrets about a website you discovered by using an evaluation form?
3. What is the value of using a web site evaluation process?
4. Are there times you would/would not use a formal evaluation?

Today we looked at different websites that involved education and evaluated different aspects of each site. (1.) Some of the different website evaluation forms were more helpful than others. The one titled, Web Site Evaluation Form, didn't help me decide very much information. The evaluation, Critical Evaluation of a Website Elementary School Level, was much more helpful. It better fit my needs as a teachers and helped me decide if the website would be useful for my students or not.

(2.) The evaluation forms helped me look deeper at the websites. Without using the form I probably wouldn't have checked up on the different links the page had and what other websites it could take me to. It was interesting to look a little deeper at the sites and see which ones were more credible. The evaluations all asked a question about how recent the website had been updated. I don't always remember to check that but it is so important to stay current with the information we are teaching our students.

(3.) I think using a website evaluation process is very useful. By using the different forms I was better able to understand the purpose of the different sites and to see if they fit my intended purposes. The different forms each had useful questions on them but some were more helpful than others. I think teaching students how to evaluate websites would be a good skill. It's important to take notice of the sites we are getting our information from. We need to make sure the sites are current and reliable and the information is correct. By using an evaluation it will help us keep those things in check.

(4.) When I am using a website in my teaching I think a formal evaluation would be good. I would use it to check on sources and intended purposes of the site. It would be worth the time to fill out an evaluation when I am presenting the information to others. If I am just researching information for myself and am not using the information for others I may not use an evaluation. If the site is just for entertainment and not for educational purposes I would probably not do an evaluation. Anytime I am using the information from a website as fact I think it would be a good idea to formally evaluate it and especially if I am suggesting the website to others. I think learning about the different types of website evaluations is a very useful skill.