1. Name of Website: Discovery
3. Copyright date and/or last update: © 2015 Discovery
4. Author Organization/credentials: Discovery
Communications, LLC
5. Website design and ease of navigation:
The Discovery website
design was not only aesthetically pleasing but navigation was fairly easy to
accomplish. Links to access the various pages on the website were very well
placed on the top of page and as a bar that can be expanded that runs on the
side of the page which has more links. I would also like to note that all of
the videos and articles are displayed with large thumbnails in a grid style
which makes it very easy for people that might have some eye sight problems to
read and to click on. In addition, when viewing the topics page, there aren’t
just plain hyperlinks. There are eye catching pictures associated with the
various videos and articles associated with the topics that catch your interest
and make you want to actually view the video or read the article. The websites
background and text colors are displayed in a way that are colorful but not so
colorful that it takes away from being able to read and navigate the website.
6. Response and recommendation for use:
The wealth of
information on this site alone makes it very recommendable for using in a high
school biology classroom. There are articles and videos that can be read or
watched in the classroom or outside the classroom. These videos and articles
can be used in a lesson as a supplement to keep the students interested on the
subject of the lesson and for them to learn more information. For instance, if
you are doing a lesson about the earth and its conservation, there are many
videos and articles that the students can watch or read that are still on task
of the subject but fun and interesting. This can help break up the monotony of
just sitting and listening to a lecture. This is something that can be used to
engage the students, even on topics of science that might not be as interesting
as others.
1. Name of Website: Animal Planet
3. Copyright date and/or last update: ©2015 Discovery
4. Author Organization/credentials: Discovery, LLC
5. Website design and ease of navigation:
The Animal Planet
website was fun and very easy to navigate. The links of the website are
accessible and easy to see. The color pallet used for this website are subdued
but beautiful and do not take away from the content of the website which I
think is very important if you want to keep people exploring the website. On
the homepage there are featured videos and articles that can easily and quickly
be scrolled through with an arrow on the right center part of the page. The way
they designed the homepage I thought was very innovative because not only does
it look nice but when someone first brings up the homepage, the features not
only catch the eye but also it gives the visitor of the site a chance see the
topic of a video or article that they find interesting. It basically initiates
the exploration of the site and the wealth of the information and content.
6. Response and recommendation for use:
A high school biology class, in my opinion,
isn’t complete without the discussion of the various animals that inhabit our
earth today. The Animal Planet website could be used to help supplement a
lesson on the ecosystem and the animals living in that ecosystem. Instead of
just talking in a lecture to the students about the way a big cat hunts and
catches its prey, why not watch a live action video of a big cat hunting?
Especially in science, sometimes it’s not just enough to learn about something
from a book or lecture, it must be seen if at all possible. Be it from a live
demonstration or a live action video it can give a student better understanding
and learning when they are able to actually see the full process of something.
The website can be used inside or outside of the classroom, which makes it
invaluable. For example, if something is discussed in class but time might have
run out for students to ask further questions, they can visit the website and
gain more information themselves. Not only that, but it can generate interest
on topics that students can come ask the teacher about when they have come
across something new while exploring the website.
1. Name of Website: Science Channel
3. Copyright date and/or last update: ©2015 Discovery
4. Author Organization/credentials: Discovery, LLC
5. Website design and ease of navigation:
The
design of this website was very pleasing to the eye with the black background
and silver accents that do not take away from the content of site. The links to
the various areas of the site are well placed that make them easy to locate.
The font, font sizes, and text colors used for the links and content of the
website also make things easy to locate and read. On the homepage the latest
videos are laid out in a grid style each with an eye catching thumbnail to
click on to watch the video. Also, there is a very well placed search bar at
the top right hand corner of the site for someone that is trying to find
information about a specific subject. Overall, the site was very user friendly
and easy to navigate which is very important for someone exploring the website
looking for information.
6. Response and recommendation for use:
This
website is another one of Discovery’s websites that again can be used inside or
outside of the classroom. In the class it can be used to supplement learning
when teaching lessons. The part of the section of the website that caught my
attention was the section about scientific discoveries. There is wealth of
information about current and past scientific discoveries that I feel is
important for science students to learn and know about. Not only can the
students learn something from the videos and articles in this section, but it
can generate some very interesting class discussions about the scientific
discoveries that have been made in the past and brand new discoveries. Again
these videos and articles break up the monotony of just sitting and listening
to a lecture or reading out of a text book. Half of the battle is getting the
students engaged and this website is an invaluable tool that can help achieve
that engagement.
1. Name of Website: National Geographic
3. Copyright date and/or last update: ©1996-2015
4. Author Organization/credentials: National Geographic
Society
5. Website design and ease of navigation:
The National Geographic
website has a very simple but elegant design. The colors for the background and
text are white with black text. This makes it very easy to see and navigate
through all of the links to the various sections of content. The links are set
up in tabs at the top of the page. When you click a tab you can then see the
links to the sections within that tab and easily navigate through content of
that section. All of the thumbnails for the videos and articles are large and
eye catching so that one can easily view or read about something that has
caught their interest. Not only that but everything is displayed in a nice and
organized way which definitely contributes to the ease of navigating the
website.
6. Response and recommendation for use:
As a future high
school biology teacher I could not leave out the National Geographic website. National
Geographic has a wealth of information about the environment and what is going
on with it. The environment is something that is so very important for students
of biology to learn about and it must not be skimmed over. The videos and
articles in the environmental section in the website can be used to supplement
a lesson over the environment. Not only are the articles and videos
supplemental to learning, they are interesting and engaging. I cannot stress
more how engagement is important for learning of students. In my opinion is
there is no engagement or interest, then then there is no learning. This
website can be used as a tool help engage the students and generate their
interest in scientific topics. When students are engaged in a topic,
interesting class discussion can ensue, which is so very important the learning
of students.
1. Name of Website: Public Broadcasting Service
3. Copyright date and/or last update: ©1995-2015
4. Author Organization/credentials: Public Broadcasting
Service
5. Website design and ease of navigation:
The
design of the PBS website is very elegant. What I found beautiful is as you
scroll from the top of the page to the bottom of the page the background color
changes from white, to silver, to light blue, to dark blue. Even though it does
this, it doesn’t take away from the text or links of the page. It doesn’t
distract or make the content of the page hard to see which is very important
for being able to navigate through the website. Also, the main links for the
site are easily located at the top and sub-categories are easily located by the
drop down menus that come down when the main sections are clicked. The section
that I was most interested in at this website the scientific section and I was
able to access and navigate through the section with ease.
6. Response and recommendation for use:
PBS has always been
known for their educational content for adults and children. Because of that I
thought it was very important to include PBS in my evaluation. Being a future
biology teacher I accessed their scientific section and was very pleased with seeing
the wealth of educational videos that pertained to science. Many of the videos
are from the Nova series which are educational yet interesting and could be
used for students inside or outside of the classroom. These videos could be
viewed in the classroom to introduce a topic when starting a new unit. The
videos can also be used as supplemental lesson material. Videos like these can
help students to understand what they are learning about in the lessons of the
current unit content. This makes them invaluable for the student and teacher as
they journey through the world of science.
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