Check out my Delicious account--------> http://www.delicious.com/faulkc13

I added 15 educational websites that are valuable to my classroom and may be valuable to yours……..

• How difficult was it to find good sites?
• It was not too difficult to find sites.  Many of these sites I have used in both my classroom and the library.  For new teachers, finding websites may be a little difficult, but other teachers are usually your best resource.  Many of the sites I chose came from a colleague.  There are so many websites available, and new ones are created every day, the best way to figure out which ones work with your students and curriculum is to try them.  
• Were there many sites claiming to be educational that were only trying to sell a product?
• There are a tremendous amount of websites selling educational products, Scholastic is one for example.  Although I chose Scholastic as one of my sites, it is because our school receives StoryWorks which is a reading magazine for intermediate students.  The Scholastic website offers tools to enhance the magazine; videos, essential questions, extended lessons, lesson plans, and other resources.  It is always a great idea to purchase classroom materials that have interactive resources available to help your students and incorporate the 21st Century Learner standards.
• Did you find many sites that were not valuable as a resource?
• There were many websites that provided information that was not acceptable for students.  There were materials that were inaccurate, written at a higher level, or even "dumbed" down so that they were irrelevant.  
• What did you think of some of the Web 2.0 sites?
• Many of the Web 2.0 tools were awesome.  Some I have used and others I have just recently heard of.  There were so many sites that I felt overwhelmed.  I suggest that before using them in your classroom an educator should try using them themselves.  Many times educators only need to provide the information and the students will be able to use the technology, but it would be beneficial to have a product to model the resource for the students.
• Did you choose many of the same sites as the students you are following in Delicious?
• Many of the sites they chose, I have either used or chose myself.  As educators, or future educators, there are many websites that dominate our classrooms, because we know they work.  I love being introduced to new resources so I plan on visiting all of the websites I have never used or heard of!!
• What did you like about the 15 sites you selected?
• The sites that I chose vary in their uses, but they are all authoritative and/or work towards student achievement.  I have used each of the sites, either with colleagues or students, and each of them have been successful.  Check them out!!