Website Evaluation: National Education Association - Technology and Education

The following is my class assignment essay, which evaluates the NEA website on technology and education.

This portion of the NEA website (http://www.nea.org/technology/index.html) addresses the issue of technology in education. It includes definitions, background information, legislative issues, current research, and other articles on the topics of technology, online learning, E-Rate, and 21st Century Partnership program. It also defines the official NEA policy on technology and distance education. Finally, it includes a “Resources” page, which links to other NEA articles and resources.

This site has much to offer teachers. Each section provides a detailed and easy-to-understand explanation of the definition and/or history of the topic. It then provides links to articles and other NES resources on the topic. Some topics include information on legislative issues and official NES policy, where applicable.

There are, however, a couple of negatives to this website. The first involves difficulty with searching for specific answers to questions, and the second is the lack of more detailed, practical information for teachers. The NEA website includes a feature to search the site, which is helpful. However, the pages which comprise this portion of the NEA website do not have a convenient method for finding specific information, other than the ability to select from the four major topics. The other concern I had with this site involves the lack of specific information which would be useful for teachers as they integrate technology into the classroom.

Even with those “negatives,” this website is pertinent to our 21st century, information-age education system, as it provides background information on important issues for today’s educators. I highly recommend this site.