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The Website of Jen Nowak |
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Website Evaluation #2 Website
Title: The GEEE! In Genome Producer
of the Website: Canadian Museum of Nature Internet
Address: http://nature.ca/genome/index_e.cfm Grade
Level: 9-12 Subject
Area: Science: Genetics Reviewed
by: Jen Nowak Website Description: This website is dedicated to teaching
students all about genetics. It is an
incredibly rich source of information and presents this information in a
clear and organized fashion. On the
main screen, the site shows five different sections: We Are All Alike, The
Basics, Using Genomics, The Researchers, and Try It! This first introduction to the website is
colorful and looks professional. Fonts
and pictures are added to create interest into the subject. This evaluation will be focusing mainly on
the Try It! section of the website.
The other four sections of the site are text-based screens that give
different types of information.
Students can navigate through these sections and get a good grasp
about what genes are and how genetics work.
Also in these sections are historical information about how the field
came to be and what scientists are doing with this information today. The
Try It! section of the website has many activities for students. This portion of the website is split up
into four groups: Online games, Activities, Polls, and Videos. There are eight games to play in the online
games group. The games range from
following instructions to creating a genetically modified organism, to mixing
genes and finding out what traits a child would receive from his or her
parents. The activities section is
more for teachers to use. This page
has four step-by-step experiments that students can do in the classroom. There are also three different crossword
puzzles that the students can complete.
The experiments are quite in-depth and would require an adult to guide
them. As for the polls section, this
page links you to every poll question in the entire website. In each article, there is a poll question
for students to answer. After
answering the poll, the site shows the percentage of answers from other site
visitors. The last section of the Try
It! portion of the website there are six different videos. These quick videos (between two-three
minutes) discuss various topics such as genetic disorders, the National
Science Fair, and Exploring Molecular Selves.
Accuracy of Content: As for the factual data in this website, all
of the information is accurate. I will
admit that I learned a lot while investigating this website and, therefore,
might not catch a mistake in accuracy if one were made. However, from what I have learned in
school, the information appears to be correct. The content itself is easy to read, but
only at a high school level. There are
portions of the website, such as “The Basics” articles that would be
appropriate for children in middle school to read, I feel that the website,
as a whole, is intended for an older audience. Even with a more mature audience, some of
the games could be considered inappropriate for high school viewers. Specifically the game called, “Mix Those
Genes.” This game has students picking
a man and a woman and then mixing their genes to see what color eyes their babies
would have. While the concept seems
fine for the high school level, it is the wording of this game that causes
concern. While picking a man or a
woman, there are some suggestive descriptions. One of the women’s descriptions reads:
“Gregarious green-eyed gal who loves the big city life wants a man who likes
a lot of action.” Then after choosing the partners, the screen turns black
and a heading appears, “Please excuse us.
We’d like a moment of privacy.”
This is obviously suggesting that the two are having sex while the
student waits for the results. While
sex education has a place in the school, this casualness is not
appropriate. Teachers should be aware
of this when allowing students to work alone with the website. Technical Quality: This website is quite easy to facilitate and
use. It is always apparent which
section of the website is being viewed and how to reach other links. All links are appropriate and functioning,
except for the video portion. While
the video portion is an important addition to the website, it could not be
reached through my computer. I had to
watch these from another computer.
Despite the four different ways to view the videos, they are not
readily available to all users.
However, upon viewing these videos, they were of great quality. When scrolling over one of the five main
sections of the website, a brief description pops up so that students know
what to expect if they click on that link.
This helps students navigate the site and ensures that students find
the information they want. A note for
the games section, Adobe Shockwave Player must be downloaded on the computer
in order to view some games. This is a
free download, but takes time to complete and some school computers may not
allow such a download. The website
makes plentiful use of topic-appropriate pictures. These are incredibly clear pictures and aid
in the understanding of the material being taught on each page. Use of Technology: The technological positives linked with this
website are plentiful. Teaching
genetics without this website is of course possible, but the benefits of
using this site are numerous. The
game, “Race the Cell” allows students to make their own proteins by matching
the correct DNA molecules together.
They do this against a timer, which ultimately shows them how much
faster a cell can create protein than they can. This race could not have been done outside
of the website. Playing the game and
learning how much faster a cell can work has a much bigger impact
online. Every game on this website
makes good use of the multimedia technology.
Through this, students can learn and practice their knowledge of the
information. They receive quick feedback
and are allowed multiple chances to answer the problem correctly. The use of the videos is also an
informative use of technology. On a
Mac however, the videos cannot be viewed (at least from my Mac). Teachers and students will have to use a PC
to access all the videos. For those
students who are overwhelmed by all of the text, they can watch these videos
to get a good sense of the knowledge being taught. The only negative to the technical use of
the website is that the articles are quite text-heavy and only written on one
level. If students are not able to
read the information in the articles, they will have a very hard time with
the website. There is not even a
feature that reads the article to the students. If this were created, the website would
reach a wider range of students. Role of Students: This website will stimulate the minds of
students and get them interested in the topic of genetics. The layout of the website as well as the
information posted will draw students in and teach them a great deal. Due to the multiple sections of the site,
students can read, interact, and watch the information presented. However, the lack of leveled reading is a
cause for concern. The videos can help
these children, but they will not receive the same information as those who
can read the entire website. Assuming
that students can read the information, students can access and navigate this
site on their own. They can use it at
their own pace and to their own liking.
If they already know the information, they can pass straight on to the
activities and games. If they are new
to the topic and need more information, the website has plenty to offer. As a 23-year old who has a basic grasp on
genetics, this website still engaged me and held my attention. It even taught me things I never knew. High school students can really benefit
from this website. Role of Teacher: Due to the large amounts of text, the
teacher is needed to make this website more applicable to all of his or her
students. Before sending children off
to use the site, teachers should introduce the topics of genetics to their
class. Using the articles as a base,
the teacher can also find different leveled texts, whether from other
websites or self-created. The teacher
needs to monitor those students who will have trouble reading the site. These students can be paired with other
students who can read the material.
Teachers could also podcast themselves reading the website and have
certain students listen to the podcast while reading along with the website. Before allowing students to participate in
the games, the teacher should make sure they understand the basics of
genetics. It is the job of the teacher
to notice when students are becoming frustrated and need assistance. The teacher also should have a brief talk
with his or her students about the language of some of the games. This discussion could promote how mature
the students are and that the teacher feels confident the students can handle
the presented material in a mature and calm fashion. Giving students this high expectation will
hopefully quell any silliness that arises during use of the website. Classroom Usage: Before the students are sent off to
investigate the website on their own, the teacher can have a discussion and
fill out a KWL chart about genetics. Once
this is completed, the teacher can break the students up into different
groups and give each group a section from the website. One group will be in charge of the
information on genetic disorders, another on how traits are passed on to
children, etc. This gives students a
specific task to work toward and cuts down on the amount of reading each
student will have to do while on the site.
Students will be encouraged to read any part of the site they wish,
but to take notes and become knowledgeable about their topic. After students are given their topic, they
are free to use the site in all ways, the articles, the videos, and the
games. Students will also be required
to learn more about their topic from two other websites. After all of this, each group will prepare
an oral presentation. This way the
entire class will be exposed to the information given on the site without
having to read the entire website.
This splits the site into manageable chunks for the students. After
the presentations, students are invited to use the site to demonstrate all of
their new knowledge in the games. Critical Summary: This website is a positive addition to any
high school classroom. The abundance
of information given and the various methods through teaching this
information is very helpful. Students can use this website as a resource for
a project or simply as a way to practice this knowledge. Teachers should look over the website
before having their students use it to evaluate the appropriateness of the
content as well as the level of the text.
Overall Rating (on a scale of 1 to
10): 9 Explanation of Rating: A high rating of this website is given due
to its plethora of knowledge and the interactive ways it gets this
information to students. The professional
look of the website as well as the accurate content lends to an impressive
overall website. The issue of the
slightly inappropriate game descriptions subtracts from the websites rating. In addition to this, the non-leveled text
also brought the website down a mark.
However, there are easy ways to combat this, as in the abovementioned
podcasting. |
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© Jen Nowak | Last Revised 11.24.09 | email: Jennifer.nowak4@gmail.com |
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