Internet Education Resource

While exploring the web for resources that teachers can utilize, I began looking for web sites that could be useful to both teachers and students. Since, I focus on teaching social studies, and as the name of this blog would indicate, I decided to look for historical resources online. One site that has really attracted my attention is the University of Evansville's website on ancient world cultures, found at http://eawc.evansville.edu/. After exploring this site a little I believe it could have many positive uses in a lesson plan, but it does have several problems. The site seems to have been assembled by academics, which means that some of the material offered could seem dull or confusing to high school students. The internal navigation is not immediately understandable. Some of the links are not labled clearly, and many times it is unclear exactly what information a given link wil direct you towards. Many other links are dead, and I don't know how often such problems are corrected. Though since I have been visiting the site over several days, it would seem unlikely that the web site is updated often. Additionally, the website lacks much decor or interactivity, which may bore some students. Having said all that, I found the website contained an abundance of helpful historical information. They have stored many documents of historical significance, which students might not otherwise be able to find. I feel many lessons could incorporate these documents. The sight itself also has some helpful passages and quizzes that teachers could consider when designing lessons, though as mentioned earlier these might be a turn off for students. The website also presents examples of ancient artwork, and other cultural artifacts, to help students gain an appreciation of ancient cultures. Lastly, the website compiles essays of historical thought and research, which seem much more academic and instructor oriented in nature. I would suggest that a teacher, might what to only expose the student's to these, in easily to digest selections of the most compelling material. I will continue to explore this website and others to determine tha best use of this resource for an educator