This web page was created by Joan Decosa of Oswego Middle School for her 7^th grade English class. I was astounded by the amount of information, links, and activities included in this web page. Mrs. Oswego has included every aspect of her course on this website. The course outline, every student assignment, web links for help on writing assignments, parent page with tips on helping their child succeed, reference tools, and much more are included in this first-rate website. To visit this outstanding site, please click here: http://www.oswego.org/staff/jdecosa/web/.

My Commendations:

1. This site provides a tremendous amount of links to supplement the already abundant amount of information that Mrs. DeCosa has provided. You could literally spend hours reading and visiting everything this site has to offer. Mrs. DeCosa supplies links for research, historical contexts of her lessons, writing tools, virtual field trips and many others.

2. This web page is geared toward both the students and their parents. Students are given everything they need to succeed and excel in this English class. Assignments are detailed, multiple writing tips and tools are provided, students know exactly where to go to research their topics, and everything is presented in a very organized easy to follow manner. Also, students’ work is posted right on the site! Parents can view this website not only to learn and view what their children are working on, but also to get tips on how to help their children read, write, and prepare for tests/projects/papers. Mrs. DeCosa even includes a parent page with links on everything from homework, to helping your child through middle school, to parenting skills.

3. EVERYTHING about this course is posted on the website. For every assignment, unit, paper, project, etc., Mrs. DeCosa has posted directions, handouts, tips, rubrics, and due dates. Any question a student or parent had could be directed to this website.

My Recommendations: (this was very difficult)

1. The “Student Work” link to student power point presentations did not work. Update this so that visitors can view the show.

2. In the “Resource Tools” section, there is nothing provided for “English Sites”. Include topic related links for students.

3. Some of the links in the “Writing Help” section do not work. Update these so that students and visitors can use these services.

This web page was created by Mrs. Smith of Apopka High School for her English I and English IV classes. This site provides information for students about selected projects, Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) facts, and links to various sites for researching assignments. This site would be useful for students who want to learn more about the FCAT and who are working on the projects outlined on the website. English I and IV students will find instructions, rubrics, and great links for their research assignments. To visit this site, please click here: http://darter.ocps.net/classroom/smith/index.htm.

My Commendations:

1. The English IV research assignment is clearly explained along with a detailed rubric of how the project will be graded. The links provided also give wonderful resources for the students to begin their research.

2. The English I research assignment page provides a variety of links throughout the assignment. This will help beginner level English students with every aspect of the project. Again, this page provides students with great links to begin their research.

3. The page on the FCAT outlines the objectives to be taught in the course, as well as providing links to the Florida Department of Education. This is a useful resource not only for student, but also for their parents.

My Recommendations:

1. Including course objectives/outlines would be a great tool for students and their parents to learn more about the courses. Including a syllabus for English I and IV would help put the projects into context and allow students/visitors of the site to see what Mrs. Smith’s course are all about.

2. Having these projects online is a very useful tool for English I and IV students, so including other projects or assignments on this website would be wonderful.

3. Including a rubric for English I, similar to that provided for English IV, would be helpful for students.