Pioneer+Library

Pioneer Library The first sight I chose is called “soundzabound- Royalty Free Music for Schools.” This website has a plethora of songs that the artists have submitted to be available to schools free of charge. So, rather than paying money for music or worrying about getting in trouble for downloading songs illegally, a teacher or student can go to this website and use the music without a guilty conscience. The information seems to be updated on a regular basis, so it is all quite current. It is a very good quality website, as far as the layout and s the music are concerned. The quality of the songs themselves is hard to say, since that is a very subjective matter. The website is relatively easy to navigate, however there was one thing that bothered me. On the homepage, there is no main link to browse through the music. There is a section on the sidebar that has different ways to browse, but it took me a few other pages to realize its purpose. As an educator, I would use this website to introduce students to different types of music. It would be a good way to show less-popular songs and foreign music. There are a lot of ways to use this for the students. A teacher could assign the students to look for a foreign language song they like, then do research a country that speaks that language. Students could also use the songs to enhance powerpoint presentations or a movie they have been assigned to create.

The next sight I chose was the LearningExpress Library. This website has courses, exercises, and practice tests for all needs; from elementary schools to college preparation, workplace and job skills, and even a section to aid in U.S. Citizenship tests. The website is copyright 2011, so it is all pretty recent. The information is all good quality, and looks to be very informative. It is very easy to navigate, with all of the options in tabs on top, and a search bar in the corner of every page. It also has a section marked “What Do I Do Now?” under the search bar to aid in navigation. This website will be very useful as an educator, so I can look over the practice tests and make sure my students know what they are expected to know. Students could use this information in the same way. However, it would be a lot of fun to use the older level areas for the younger kids. Kids are always excited when they get to feel like they are learning a higher level than they are supposed to. So it would be easy to get kids to do the basic high school level things (that they are expected to know anyway.) It would also be fun, for social studies, to use the U.S Citizenship area to let the kids know what they, as citizens, are supposed to know. They could also be encouraged to go home and see what their parents know about the United States.

The last website I looked at was the Deseret News Archive. It has an archive of the Deseret News as far back as 1988. It is not a flashy, bright website, but it serves its purpose, even in simplicity. The information is all newspaper quality, which I think is very nice (although there are people who disagree.) The information is updated with the newspaper, so it is up-to-the-day current. The website is simple and easy to navigate. It also has, in the “Advanced Search” tab, an explanation of the different options for those who are less than search savvy. As an educator, I could use this website to look up local events in the recent and not-so-recent past. Students could be encouraged to look at weather patterns, chronicle major events, or, if they are young enough, look up a current event on the day of their birth.