Weekly Reflection--Whitney Anderson

1. What form(s) did you like/dislike? Why?
The forms that I liked included the critical evaluation of a website on the elementary school level and the midlink magazine web page evaluation form. These two forms allowed more flexibility in evaluating the page. The critical evaluation page allowed you to write a whole paragraph assessing the pros/cons of the website. The midlink one allows you to use a scale rather than a yes or no type answering. The one that I did not really like was the regular website evaluation form from bv299. I felt that it was lacking in information about the site and didn't really help you evaluate the quality of the site. The www.cyberguide ratings was fair I wish that instead of a yes and no type question format it would be more on a scale but the questions helped you to see the quality of the website.
2. Were there any hidden secrets about a website you discovered by using an evaluation form?
One of the things I learned was about the www.altavista.com where you can find how websites link to others. This can give you more of an idea of what type of website you are looking at. The other thing I learned more about is just how to find how current the page is and who the author is.
3. What is the value of using a web site evaluation process?
By using the evalution process it helps you focus on things that you may not have considered before. It helps you really narrow in on the use and credibility of the information. Many things like how it links to other websites, if it has a way to get back to the main page, when it was created and updated, etc. It is always easier when you have something to follow rather than just trying to come up with something yourself. It can also help keep everyone on the same page, you could have many different people evaluate a site but the standard form would keep some consistency.
4. Are there times you would/would not use a formal evaluation?
As long as the form is effective in evaluating I feel that it is a very beneficial to use. I would use it in most instances especially if a principle asked me to check out certain sites. It is also useful for personal use to help me narrow in on what information I want to get out of a site. I probably would not use a formal evaluation if I was in a rush to get something done and didn't have a lot of time to sit down and fill out a form. Also there are times when you go to a website and from first impression you can tell if the content will be appropriate or not appropriate. If you can immediately see that something is inappropriate there would be no reason to use the evaluation. In most instances though I think it is very beneficial.