Evaluating Educational Evaluating Educational ResourcesResources

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What are Educational Resources? What are Educational Resources?

There are many kinds of resources There are many kinds of resources available to you:available to you:– Productivity ResourcesProductivity Resources are tools that you are tools that you

can use in lesson planning and grading to can use in lesson planning and grading to make you a more efficient teachermake you a more efficient teacher

For example, gradebook software, lesson plan For example, gradebook software, lesson plan engines, and worksheet generatorsengines, and worksheet generators

– Educational ResourcesEducational Resources are software and are software and web resources that you can use actively with web resources that you can use actively with your studentsyour students

Educational Resources FormatsEducational Resources Formats

Educational Resources can come in a Educational Resources can come in a variety of forms:variety of forms:

– Websites that are designed for use by your Websites that are designed for use by your studentsstudents

– Software products that you can use in your Software products that you can use in your classroomclassroom

– Hardware/Tools that you can use in your Hardware/Tools that you can use in your classroomclassroom

Why Evaluate These Resources?Why Evaluate These Resources?

Just because resources are “published” - Just because resources are “published” - either by a software company or by an either by a software company or by an individual - does not mean they are individual - does not mean they are appropriate for classroom useappropriate for classroom use

To help you focus on the main points with To help you focus on the main points with educational resources, we are going to ask educational resources, we are going to ask three questions…three questions…

Is the resource Is the resource AccurateAccurate??Is the resource Is the resource AppropriateAppropriate??Is the resource Is the resource AlignedAligned with with

state content standards?state content standards?

AccurateAccurate

Is the information current? Is the information current?

AccurateAccurate

Is the information accurate? Is the information accurate?

AccurateAccurate

Who is the author? Who is the author? – Does the author have expertise related Does the author have expertise related

to the content?to the content?– Does the author project bias?Does the author project bias?– Is the author a teacher?Is the author a teacher?

AppropriateAppropriate

What is the intended grade level and What is the intended grade level and content area for the resource? content area for the resource? – Is the reading level appropriate? Is the reading level appropriate? – Does the content provide enough detail Does the content provide enough detail

regarding the topic? regarding the topic?

AppropriateAppropriate

Is the use of media appropriate? Is the use of media appropriate? – Do things load well? Do things load well? – Do they not distract Do they not distract

or detract from the or detract from the

content?content?

AppropriateAppropriate

Is the resource designed to be used Is the resource designed to be used BY students?BY students?

AlignedAligned

Is the resource aligned to state Is the resource aligned to state standards? Or can it be? standards? Or can it be?

AlignedAligned

A resource itself may only present an A resource itself may only present an opportunity for alignment, based on opportunity for alignment, based on how you use it.how you use it.

AlignedAligned

Does the resource give the Does the resource give the opportunity to foster skills such as opportunity to foster skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and problem solving, critical thinking, and reading? reading?

Lets Look at an ExampleLets Look at an Example

http://www.explorelearning.comhttp://www.explorelearning.com Accurate? Accurate? Appropriate? Appropriate? Aligned? Aligned?

Now Look at other examples.. Now Look at other examples..

Accurate? Accurate? Appropriate? Appropriate? Aligned?Aligned? http://www.whitehouse.net/http://www.whitehouse.net/ http://www.teacher.org/http://www.teacher.org/ http://www.lessonlocator.org/http://www.lessonlocator.org/

ResourcesResources Bert is evil image Bert is evil image

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http://encarta.msn.com/media_461514954/Czechoslovakia.htmlhttp://encarta.msn.com/media_461514954/Czechoslovakia.html One Laptop Per Child imageOne Laptop Per Child image

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcmetroblogger/2026914020/in/set-72157594232448993/http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcmetroblogger/2026914020/in/set-72157594232448993/ Indiana Social Studies Standards image is edited from a screen capture I made ofIndiana Social Studies Standards image is edited from a screen capture I made of

http://www.indianastandardsresources.org/standard.asp?Subject=soc&Grade=USH&Standard=1http://www.indianastandardsresources.org/standard.asp?Subject=soc&Grade=USH&Standard=1

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=410642&in_page_id=1770http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=410642&in_page_id=1770