Foundations and Assessment of Education/Edition 1/Foundations Table of Contents/Chapter 6/Chapter FAQ/Peer Review One

If someone's user name appears below, this peer review has already been "claimed" or completed. Please select another peer review slot or article. This article has been reviewed by: Scrai010 (talk) 13:20, 14 June 2009 (UTC) To evaluate this peer review, click on the Discussion tab above. PEER REVIEW TEMPLATE Use this template for your peer reviews. DIRECTIONS: You are required to complete TWO (2) peer reviews. Please take your time and provide effective, helpful feedback. Plan to spend 1.5 to 2 hours per review! Each peer review is worth 50 points and will be "graded" by the article's author. (Click on Discussion to see the rubric the author will use to grade your peer review.) You may only review articles written in the current semester (no articles with BOLD titles) As instructed above, be sure to sign your peer review with four tilde ~~~~. You will not receive credit for reviews that are not signed To complete this assignment, we suggest having two tabs/windows open in your browser (e.g. Internet Explorer): one with this peer review template and one with the article you are reviewing Starting the day after the peer reviews are due, you may complete ADDITIONAL peer reviews for EXTRA CREDIT (25 points each). You may not complete any Extra Credit Reviews until that time. --- Part 1 - Article Components Learning Target(s) Answer the following questions regarding the learning targets: Is/are the stated learning targets actual learning targets i.e. they state what the reader should know or be able to do after reading the article? Yes the learning targets are very specific, each being measurable. (identify, list, or define specific topics covered in the article) Is/are the learning target(s) specific? As stated above, the learning targets are very specific being either definitions, listing, or identifying particular topics covered within the article. Is/are they appropriate and reasonable? (Are they too easy or too difficult for ECI 301 students?) A couple of the learning targets are quite elementary (For example: "Readers should be able to define school vouchers."), however the other 4 are much more appropriate for 301 level students. You could possibly incorporate that simple target into another in order to "beef" it up. Is/are they observable? (You wouldn't have to look inside the readers head to know if they met this target.) All of the targets are easily verifiable because they are mostly definition, lists or identification of specific topics covered in the article. ("Readers should be able to list at least one pro and one con of homeschooling" - easily assessed) Does the article provide adequate information for readers to achieve these targets? ______ Yes, there is a plethora of information, while still maintaining a sense of brevity in order to not overload reader. (For example: One learning target is "Readers should be able to list at least one pro and one con of homeschooling". In the article there is an entire paragraph dedicated to just the pros of homeschooling, and then another to just the cons of homeschooling.) More than sufficient information was provided to achieve the learning targets. Please make a comment about the learning target(s). If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve them. Comment: "Readers should be able to define school vouchers." - This learning target seems very elementary, however you could try incorporating it into a more advanced question, or another of the targets to avoid such simplicity. You could say for instance, "The reader should be able to define school vouchers and give at least one argument either for or against them." Grammar and Mechanics Review Please either paste the entire body of the article here or any sections that you feel need to be revised. To do this: go back to the module page for the article select "edit this page" highlight all the text, hit control "c" (or "copy" from the edit menu) navigate back to your peer review page click edit this page and paste the text into this window (use control "v" or paste from the edit menu) You may want to have Wikibooks open in two windows/tabs to make this process easier. Type your comments in ALL CAPITALS or in another color so the author can easily find them. PASTE TEXT HERE Diversity: Classroom Practices and Law Chapter FAQ Written by Anakristen B. Fetters Learning Targets: Readers should be able to define technology integration and provide at least four examples of technolology integration in the classroom. Given descriptions of each, readers should be able to identify both magnet schools and charter schools. Readers should be able to define school vouchers. Readers should be able to list at least one pro and one con of homeschooling. Readers should be able to identify the standards of the No Child Left Behind Act. Technology Integration "Effective integration of technology is achieved when students are able to select technology tools to help them obtain information in a timely manner, analyze and synthesize the information, and present it professionally. The technology should become an integral part of how the classroom functions -- as accessible as all other classroom tools."—National Educational Technology Standards for Students, International Society for Technology in Education. What is Technology Integration? Technology Integration is the use of technology resources, such as computers, software applications, the Internet, cameras, etc., in daily classroom practices. Technology must be routine and apparent for integration in the classroom to be achieved. Using TECHNOLOGY as A RESOURCE IN THE CLASSROOM helps the student to blend their learning techniques (Bledsoe, 2008). When integration is used, students seem to more actively engage themselves in the learning process. Technology Integration in the classroom requires reshaping, redesigning, and re-visioning traditional teaching and learning relationships (Georgina and Olson, 2008). What are some types of technology integration? Along with computers and software programs, there are several different ways that teachers integrate technology into the classroom. Below are a few examples along with a description of each. Podcast: a program, as of music or talk, made available in digital format over the Internet (Merriam Webster, 2009). PowerPoint Presentation or Slideshow: a display of a series of chosen words and/or pictures done for artistic or instructional purposes (Merriam Webster, 2009). IPOD: a pocket size device used to play music files (Merriam Webster, 2009). Instant Messaging: a means or system for transmitting electronic messages instantly (Merriam Webster, 2009). Webcam: a camera used in transmitting live images over the World Wide Web (Merriam Webster, 2009). To learn more about technology integration, visit the following links: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_4/Content_Articles/4.1.1 http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_4/Content_Articles/4.1.2 Magnet Schools and Charter Schools What is a magnet school and what does it offer? A magnet school is part of the public school system and exists outside of zoned school boundaries. Instead of attending the school they are closest to, students may choose to attend a magnet school. Magnet schools attract students because they generally have something special to offer over a regular school, which makes attending them an attractive choice to many students. Most magnet schools concentrate on a particular area of study, and offer an alternative mode of instruction (Rossell, 2005). What is a charter school and what does it offer? A charter school is a publicly funded school that has been granted a charter (WHAT IS A CHARTER?) exempting it from selected state or local rules and regulations. It is a new, innovative public school that is accountable for student results. It delivers programs for educational excellence and the needs of the community. A school's charter is reviewed every three to five years and can be revoked if certain guidelines are not met (National Education Association, 2009). To learn more about magnet schools and charter schools, visit the following links: http://www.ed.gov/parents/schools/choice/definitions.html http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22119/40108-charter-magnet-schools- http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_4/Content_Articles/4.2.1 Vouchers What is a voucher? A voucher is a coupon that is issued by the government to a parent or guardian to be used to fund a child's education in either a public or private school (Merriam Webster, 2009). With a voucher, parents can pay for the education of their child at the school of their choice, rather than the public school to which they are assigned. (WHY DOES THE GOVERNMENT ISSUE VOUCHERS AND TO WHOM?) Why is there controversy SURROUNDING vouchers? Vouchers are a subject of heated controversy because there are many variables to be considered. The main question that arises is who should receive school vouchers? Should specific groups be targeted, or is every child eligible? What are the supporting arguments for vouchers? Supporters of school vouchers believe that parents should be given the right to choose the best educational environment for their children. ADVOCATES argue that vouchers would give all parents, REGARDLESS OF THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, the opportunity for their child to receive a better education (Costrell, 2009). By making the educational system a free-market enterprise, the public educational system would then be forced to provide a higher level of education to compete with other schools. Supporters also state that school vouchers would bring more diversity and equality into the schools (WHY WOULD THERE BE MORE DIVERSITY?) (Bolick, 2008). What are the opposing arguments for vouchers? ONE CENTRAL argument AGAINST vouchers is that they violate the first AMENDMENT, SPECIFICALLY the separation of church and state. PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE PREDOMINATELY RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, WHICH MAKES ANY GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO THESE SCHOOLS A VIOLATION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT. (Bolick, 2008). Opponents also argue that there is no need for school vouchers because public schools are generally on equal footing with private schools. When completing the same coursework, opponents say that students perform equally in both institutions. Because of this, they argue that there is no need for the public to send any child to a private school. Another argument is that the voucher program will drain money from the schools that need it most, and public schools may become DUMPING SCHOOLS€ for the difficult to educate (THAT SOUNDS AWKWARD. IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO GET YOUR POINT ACROSS THAN CALLING STUDENTS DIFFICULT TO EDUCATE? DIFFICULT TO HANDLE MAYBE?) (Costrell, 2009). To learn more about vouchers, visit the following links: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_4/Content_Articles/4.3.1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_voucher http://www.edweek.org/rc/issues/vouchers/ Homeschooling What is homeschooling? Homeschooling IS TO teach (ONE'S children) at HOME€ (Merriam Webster, 2009), and also means to be taught in a particular culture. With homeschooling, the parent is the teacher and along with academics, they can teach certain philosophies to their children that they believe are valuable. What is the GOVERNMENT'S role in homeschooling? Virginia state law requires that a homeschooling parent meet at least one of four specific requirements. Virginia Code 22.1-254.1 outlines these four requirements: The teaching parent holds a high school diploma. The teaching parent meets the qualifications for a teacher prescribed by the Board of Education. The teaching parent provides a program of study or curriculum which may be delivered through a correspondence course or distance learning program or in any other manner. The teaching parent provides evidence that the parent is able to provide an adequate education for the child (The Virginia Department of Education , 2008). What are the pros of homeschooling? Homeschooling is valued by many parents for a variety of reasons. Parents are able to teach their children academic material as well as values, beliefs and philosophies. Children can also be taught at their own pace, and can sometimes accomplish more in a few hours than what a regular classroom can accomplish in one week. Homeschooling provides the child with educational, emotional and physical freedom (Shaw, 2009) . What are the cons of homeschooling? Homeschooling is not for everyone. There MAYBE time restraints on the family, as learning outside of a school environment can consume valuable time. There may also be financial restraints, as there is often at least one unemployed parent with the time and ability to homeschool. There are limited sports and other extracurricular activities for the child to participate in, and a homeschooling family must be willing to LIVE outside the BOX (WHY ARE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IMPORT? MAYBE PUT IN A COMMENT ABOUT THE SOCIALIZATION OF THE CHILD? ALSO NO COMMENT ABOUT THE PREDOMINATELY RELIGIOUS CONNOTATIONS OF HOMESCHOOLING)€ (Shaw, 2009). To learn more about homeschooling, visit the following links: http://school.familyeducation.com/home-schooling/parenting/29861.html http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_4/Content_Articles/4.4.1 The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) What is the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)? The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was signed into law in January 2002 by President Bush. It is a federal law to improve education for all children. This law challenges states and school districts to improve the academic achievement of public schools considered to be at risk for failure (US Department of Education, 2009). What are the standards of the NCLB? There are four main standards, or pillars, of the No Child Left Behind Act. They are: stronger accountability for results, more freedom for states and communities (IN WHAT WAY DO SCHOOLS GET MORE FREEDOM? THE NEXT PARAGRAPH SAYS THAT THERE IS TOO MUCH FEDERAL CONTROL?), proven education methods, and more choices for parents (US Department of Education, 2009). Why is there controversy behind the NCLB? There are teachers, schools, and educational organizations that believe the No Child Left Behind Act is flawed and ineffective. (WHY IS IT INEFFECTIVE?) Money concerns are a main factor, as adequate funding to support this law is essential. Another issue leading to this controversy is the fact that some teachers feel the need to sacrifice one subject for another under the NCLB testing requirements. (TEACHING TO THE TEST, INSTEAD OF TEACHING FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN) Too much federal control is a concern, as well as some necessary changes that need to be implemented to the law (WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE?) (HOW to FIX€, 2007). To learn more about the No Chid Left Behind Act, visit the following links: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_4/Content_Articles/4.5.1 http://time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1625192-4,00.html Multiple Choice Questions 1. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS NOT A FORM OF technology integration in the classroom? A) Nintendo B) Podcast C) Powerpoint D) Webcam 2. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING is not an opposing argument for vouchers? A) Public schools and private schools are generally on equal footing B) Vouchers would give all parents the opportunity for their child to receive a better education C) Vouchers violate the first amendment D) Vouchers will drain money from the schools that need it most 3. Mrs. Smith wants to send her son Billy to a type of school that offers a specialized curriculum in performing arts. What type of school SHOULD she choose? A) Charter School B) Magnet School C) Private School D) Public School 4. Mrs. ODell is concerned that under the No Child Left Behind Act, she will not be able to spend as much time on environmental education than on reading and math. What source of NCLB controversy does this fall under? (CONFUSING QUESTION) A) Money concerns B) Necessary Changes C) Sacrificing one subject for another D) Too much federal control Answers to Multiple-Choice Questions 1. A 2. B 3. B 4. C References Georgina, David A. and Olson, Myrna R. (2008). Integration of Technology in Higher Education: A Review of Faculty Self-Perceptions. The Internet and Higher Education, 11(1), pp. 1–8 Bledsoe, G. L.(2008). Technology Taxonomy. Retrieved May 27, 2009 from the Nationl Education Association Web Site: http://www.nea.org/teachexperience/gb050201.html National Education Association. (2008). Charter schools. Retrieved May 27, 2009 from http://www.nea.org/charter/index.html Rossell, C.H. (2005). Whatever Happened to…Magnet Schools? Education Next, 5(2), pp. 44–49 Costrell, Robert M. (2009). Who Gains, Who Loses? Education Next, 9(1), pp. 62–69. Vouchers. 2009. In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved May 30, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vouchers Podcast. 2009. In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved May 30, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/podcast Slideshow. 2009. In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved May 30, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slideshow IPOD. 2009. In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved May 30, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/IPOD\ Instant Messaging. 2009. In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved May 30, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instantmessaging Webcam. 2009. In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved May 30, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/webcam Homeschooling. 2009. In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved May 30, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homeschooling Bolick, C. (2008). Voting Down Vouchers: Lessons Learned from Utah. Education Next, 8(2), pp. 46–51 The Virginia Department of Education. (2008). Home Instruction in Virginia: Information for Parents 2008-2009. Retrieved May 31, 2009, from The Virginia Department of Education: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Parents/homeinst.pdf How to fix No Child Left Behind (2007,May 24). TIME. Retrieved on May 27, 2009 from http://time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1625192-4,00.html The Center for Education Reform http://www.edreform.com/ U.S. Department of Education http://www.ed.gov/ Shaw, Isabel. (2009). The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling. Retrieved May 30, 2009 from Family Education: http://school.familyeducation.com/home-schooling/parenting/29861.html Sources For each source listed in the "References" section of the article, name the type of source (scholarly or popular) and the perspective it provides (research, expert opinion from educator, popular news source, parent organization, personal contact, etc.) .1- scholarly - expert opinion .2- scholarly- expert opinion .3- scholarly- facts, research .4- scholarly- expert opinion .5- scholarly- expert opinion .6-scholarly- fact .7-scholarly- fact .8-scholarly fact .9- scholarly- fact .10- scholarly- fact .11- scholarly- fact .12- scholarly- fact .13- scholarly- expert opinion .14- scholarly- research .15- popular- popular .16- scholarly- fact .17- scholarly- fact .18- popular- parent organization List the range of publication years for all sources, e.g. 1998-2006: 2005 - 2009 Answer the following questions about the sources used in the article: Did the author CITE at least 5 sources? yes and use at least 2 scholarly sources? _yes Are the citations in APA format? yes Here are two examples of citations in APA format, one for a paraphrase and one for a quotation: Constructing a title is both a science and an art, but on one fact all of the experts agree: the title must contain a colon (Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, & Starr, 2007). Unfortunately impoverished children are often attending “low-performing schools staffed by ill-equipped teachers” (Murnane, 2007, p. 34). Are all the sources listed in APA format in a Reference list labeled "References"?yes Here is an example of a reference written in APA format: Bailey, J., & Barnum, P. (2001). The colon and its rise to prominence in the American circus. Journal of American Punctuation, 34(5), 2-3. Taken together do the 5 sources represent a good balance of potential references for this topic? yes Does the author consider potential bias in the sources? not explicitly in the article Are most of the sources current (less than 5 years old)? yes all of them Please make a comment about the sources. If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve. Comment: During the pro and con sections of the article you may want to go into a little more detail about the exact issues. "Too much federal control is a concern" - in this passage you did not really say how there was too much federal control. Multiple Choice Questions What does each question assess: knowledge or reasoning (application of knowledge)? Question 1 knowledge Question 2 knowledge Question 3 application Question 4 application Answer the following questions about the multiple-choice questions. Are there 4 multiple-choice questions? yes Do they each have four answer choices (A-D)? yes Is there a single correct (not opinion-based) answer for each question? yes Do the questions assess the learning target? yes Are the questions appropriate and reasonable (not too easy and not too difficult)? they are fairly easy but sufficient. Are the foils (the response options that are NOT the answer) reasonable i.e. they are not very obviously incorrect answers? yes Are the response options listed in alphabetical order? yes Are correct answers provided and listed BELOW all the questions? yes Please make a comment about the multiple-choice questions. If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve the question/s. Comment: The application questions seem very straight forward. You could try to make them a little more challenging. Part 2 - Ratings LIST and EXPLAIN your rating for each of the four criteria. Importance: I rated this article 4 for importance because there was discussion on the topics presented but only a few of those topics were fully explained. Some of the key explanations were lacking like says in the NCLB section that the gov't has too much control, but then not explaining how. Interest: I rated this article 4 on interest because again there were some good points that were explained but not all as throughly as they could be. Also the picture and side bar are nice except they are both at the beginning. By the time the reader gets to the middle of the article there are just large blocks of text. Maybe you could spread out the side bar and picture, or put some of your links into a side bar to make it more visually stimulating. Credibility: I rated this article 5 for credibility because many diverse and recent credible sources. Due to the nature of the article not really any opinion necessary (FAQ). Writing skill: I rated this article 3 on writing because not to be offensive, but the article was very dry. The tone is very matter of fact, and does not capture the readers attention. Even in the "controversy" sections the article did not really play up the "dramatic" issues. Some of the information brought up is not really explained, just stated. Some of the sentence structure was very repetitive and at times hard to follow. (Example: The supports say..., Supporters ....) HIGHLIGHT SPECIFIC POINTS IN THE RUBRIC that apply to the article. To do this: Highlight sections with the cursor and use the BOLD icon above OR type ''' (3 apostrophes) before and after the text you want to make bold Wiki Article Rubric criteria 5 4 3 2 1 How important was the information presented on this topic to you as a teacher education student? Covers key ideas crucial for future teachers to know Based on researched information. Highly relevant to current educational practice (*this description may be less applicable for some topics such as history of education) Provides an excellent overview of the topic including relevant research, educational practice, laws and litigation. Includes in-depth discussion of at least a few selected key issues. Includes ideas relevant to future teachers Mostly based on researched information. Applicable to today’s schools Provides a good general overview with relevant information and discussion of a few key ideas A couple useful points; some irrelevant information About half of the information is the author’s opinion. Some out-dated information; may not reflect current practice Good information is included but the paper yields a partial /incomplete understanding of the topic or key issues One useful point A few facts but mostly the author’s opinion. Most of the information is irrelevant in today’s schools. Focused on unimportant subtopics OR overly general with few specifics. Important information is missing. Information is not relevant to future teachers. Information is entirely the author’s opinion. The information is obsolete. Only irrelevant details or common knowledge. Lacks any substantive information. criteria 5 4 3 2 1 How interesting was the article to read? Sidebar includes new information that was motivating to read/view Visuals (headings, colors, fonts, pictures, etc.) enhance the article by making it easier or more inviting to read Multiple perspectives are considered and discussed Mostly new information/ideas Insightful interpretation & analysis are evident throughout the article; a clearly stated conclusion synthesizes all of the material presented. Points are clearly made and elaborated on with compelling examples. Sidebar includes new information that enhances understanding of the topic Visuals add to the article At least two perspectives were presented About half of the information/ideas are new Interpretation and analysis is provided for 3-4 points in the article; a reasonable conclusion based on this information is stated Some good points are made and explained. Sidebar includes new information related to the topic. Visuals are included but have minimal effect One interesting or new perspective is presented A couple (2-3) new ideas or pieces of information Interpretation/ analysis is included for a few (1-2) individual sections, but there is not a conclusion that synthesizes the information presented. Points are made but may not always be adequately supported or explained. Sidebar repeats what is already in the article Visuals are somewhat distracting or not included Only the “typical” view or one biased perspective is presented. One new idea or bit of information Information presented with minimal analysis or interpretation; no conclusion or the conclusion is not based on the information presented At least one clear point is made and supported. No side bar included. Visuals are offensive and completely detract from the content No perspective is acknowledged. Nothing new. No analysis or interpretation included No clear points are made or points appear pasted from other sources without any explanation. criteria 5 4 3 2 1 How credible do you think the information is? Required sources are properly cited and included in a reference list in APA format. Information from diverse sources representing multiple perspectives is included. Several reputable and current sources are cited. The author acknowledges potential bias in sources where appropriate. Author clearly identifies his own ideas, biases and opinions Required sources are included; a couple of formatting errors Information from a variety of sources is included. Most sources are reasonably reputable; bias is acknowledged in others. It is clear when the author is presenting his own opinion; he doesn’t try to pass if off as fact. Required sources are included; APA format is not used or has many errors. A variety of sources is listed but the information primarily reflects a single viewpoint. Sources are reasonable. The author occasionally (1-2 times) states his own opinion as fact. Only 4 sources are cited/listed in the references or only 1 scholarly source was used Sources lack diversity OR information from divergent sources is only superficially mentioned. Some sources are untrustworthy or biased and not acknowledged as such. Author routinely (3-4 times) states her opinion as fact, ignores own biases. Missing two or more sources OR sources used but not cited or listed. All sources and information reflect a single viewpoint. Most sources are untrustworthy or biased and not acknowledged as such. The entire article is biased and opinion-based without acknowledgment of this perspective. criteria 5 4 3 2 1 How well do you think this article was written? Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) align with the learning targets, assess key points, and are written according to guidelines (see R4) Specific, appropriate and observable learning targets are stated; the content is clearly organized to help the reader achieve these goals Captures and maintains attention throughout All or almost all of the cited information is introduced, elaborated on and explained Writing is organized, easy to read, and contains few to no mechanical errors. Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) align with the learning targets, and assess key points. Specific and reasonable learning targets are stated; the content aligns with these goals Captures attention initially and periodically throughout Most of the cited information is discussed or explained. The article flowed pretty well and there were just a few mechanical errors. Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) assess key points Reasonable learning targets are stated; the content relates to these goals Parts of the article capture attention About half of the cited information is discussed A few areas were hard to follow, confusing or oddly organized. There were a few distracting errors. 4 multiple-choice questions are included. Learning targets generally related to the content are stated At least one part of the article is interesting Information is “pasted” together with minimal explanation. Organization was difficult to follow, sentences were awkward and/or there were several distracting errors. Questions are missing or not multiple-choice. Learning target is missing or unrelated to content or is/are not actual learning targets Nothing in the article grabs the reader’s attention Article is entirely “pasted” together from other sources. Poor organization, sentence structure and/or grammatical errors made it very difficult to understand the content. Part 3 - "2+2" List TWO compliments and TWO suggestions about the article content Hints: Focus on the work, not the person Describe "There is...", "I see.." rather than judge "You didn't..." Compliments . Very well researched article, loads of great sources. . Well formatted article. The lay out makes it easier to follow, and lets read know exactly where to look for particular information. Suggestions . Explain more of the information. Many of the sections may general overview statements without much explanation. For a person not familiar with this topic matter, it maybe hard to follow without more explanation. . Put the added links at the bottom of each section into sidebars to help break up the chunks of information and added visual appeal to the article for more interest. You can make compliments and suggestions that relate to specific areas of the paper or to the paper in general. I suggest a mixture of both. Focus on what's most important. Of course, you can also include more than two suggestions and more than two compliments. The goal is to help the author improve his/her article.