-Title: US History Blog
-Location: http://ushistorysite.blogspot.com/
-Summary: This blog provides thoughtful and downright concrete insight into the world of United States history. This blog supplies the reader and teachers with all kinds of interesting sources, stories and much much more. This site also contains numerous links to various topics in US History and allows the common reader to enjoy the finer parts of our nations history.
-Contents: This blog contains links, visuals, graphics, and all types of media to entertain and make history fun for the reader.
-Strengths and Weaknesses: This site can be a bit congested which is a weakness, but overall the site is very good and contains a lot of reliable information with sources and many visuals to help people read and understand the topics at hand.
-Overall rating (out of 5): 4/5 Great site!
-Title: Matt’s Today In History Podcast
-Location: http://mattstodayinhistory.blogspot.com/ (It is indeed a podcast)
-Summary: This podcast gives a day by day look at different events that happen in history on certain days. The author, Matt Dattilo researches topics ahead of the days they happen and prepares a podcast and releases them on the days of the actual events. Through a number of avenues, Matt gives the listener background information and insight in these Podcasts that would be great for any history classroom.
-Contents: This podcast contains audio with Matt Dattilo talking to the people. His content is all history based from a variety of pop culture, but mainly historical topics. Such topics include, Labor Unions, landing on the moon, presidential insight, etc.
-Strengths and Weaknesses: The podcast is gaining in importance, but does not have a podcast for every single day. The weaknesses could be that the audio is sometimes mundane and some students may find it boring or uninformative to them.
-Overall rating (out of 5): Overall 3.5 / 5
-Title: The United States Census
-Location – http://www.census.gov/
-Summary – The Census Bureau is a website devoted to tracking the population and statistics for the United States of America. Taken every ten years, the Census also serves many purposes and outlines many forms of data that people use to shape congressional districts, learn from ethnicity growth and many other categories that are relevant to the United States.
-Contents: This page offers a variety of links / data in a digital reference form that many people can use to find out about any demographic of their choosing for people in the United States of America. This website also shows patterns and trends that have shaped the United States since its birth in 1776.
-Strengths and Weaknesses: The strengths of this site are that it provides a ton of data to anyone and everyone willing to interpret it. The site gives just about any type of data and information you need about the population and breakdowns of income amongst other things in the United States of America. The weaknesses are that it can be a bit intimidating when trying to figure out where to start. It seems as if the information could be a bit more streamlined in order to help the common user out.
-Hyperlinks and pictures that highlight the best features of the resource:
http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/
-Overall rating (out of 5) I would overall rate this a 4 out of 5 due to the fact there is a ton of information, but it needs to be streamlined better to the common user, not just teachers or history fact finders.
Tags: census, Digital resources, history
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/654011/The-Young-Childrens-Encyclopedia
This site is an online encyclopedia for children. I was very excited when I found it and began to search different things/places on the site. I found the information was accurate and was pleased with the site. It seems to be a regular printed encyclopedia book in online form.
Strengths: Looking up general information this is a great source. It is easily navigated.
Weaknesses: All of the information on the site cannot be varified as accurate unless you are a “Premium” member. This has a price tag of $69.95 per year and will be automatically renewed each year at the current rate. There is however, a FREE 7-day trial that you can sign up for, but at the same time you enter your credit card number so when you don’t cancel in the 7-day period, you will automatically be billed for the year. 
I give this reference a 2 out of 5.
http://www.bookwink.com/wink_shop.html
This is one of the best podcasts I have ever seen! This site is to do nothing but inspire and encourage children to read. Through podcasting of various books, children get a glimpse of what a book is about and will know if he/she would like to read more of the book. Each videobook talk is approximately 3 minutes and are updated monthly. One may search for books on the site by subject, grade level (3rd – 8th), author or title. While looking through the booklist, I noticed there are lots of award winning books that have been highlighted.
Strengths: This is a free website, but does have a place to donate through PayPal to help maintain the site. I love it that books may be searched for in so many different ways. There are many books listed and everyone should be able to find something they like. The woman that records the video has a great speaking voice and is very animated with her speaking. She is very engaging to listen to and I believe that will also attract children.
Weaknesses: The only weakness I found is that you can subscribe to the podcast when new ones are added. This is linked through ITunes. When I clicked on it, I wasn’t directed to the correct place. I went to ITunes and searched for the podcast, and it wasn’t able to locate it.
I rate this site a 4.5 out of 5.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
Richard Byrne has created a blog that posts a free lesson plan or resource for teaching technology on this blog. It is designed well and is eye-catching. Each day a different website, book, lesson plan, or some other educational image is placed that will help link teaching to technology in the classroom. You never know what the topic of the day will be, but there has been everything from virtual bike tours of countries to publishing a newspaper on line.
Strengths: In each entry there is the main idea of the day, then it is linked to other sites that one might find interesting if interested in that day’s thought. I find this great because it could help in expanding ideas that you are focusing on, or help the students that finish an assignment earier than others to continue on in the lesson with more information.
Weaknesses: The main thing I would like to see in this is telling me whether this is an elementary, middle or secondary entry for the day. Although many can be used in multiple grades, it would help to know, without spending the time reading in depth, how this can be used in the different grade levels.
Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5
The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed
This complete digital reference connects readers with a global history of the more than one billion people of African ancestry and African American history in the United States. It provides historic documents, full texts of letters, speeches and other primary sources. There is also an encyclopedia of figures, famous and lesser known.
Strengths: This reference is very encompassing. The attention paid the the history of African Americans is detailed and would interest students, while still is well balanced with just as much information about the global experience. There are many arresting images. The visuals are a great addition and come with almost every entry in some form. Can also be found on Facebook and Twitter to access 21st Century learners.
Weaknesses: There is an obvious bias. The site has some encouragement, from the publishers of the University of Washington, Seattle to particpate in Black History events, provide support for the Seattle Foundation
Overall Rating 4.5/5
Tags: 21st century learning, 21st century teaching, African American History, digital reference
Go Teen Writers; A Blog for Young Aspiring Writers
http://goteenwriters.blogspot.com/
This is an incredible blog for young writers! Created by the author of The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series Stephanie Morrill, this blog is designed to connect young aspiring writers to real authors, each other and resources to find success! Ms. Morrill herself publishes regularly with advice and resources. There are writing contests and a newletter, and everything can be followed on Twitter. This blog was made for 21st Century student.
Strengths: Created with 21st Century student in mind it is fast paced and easily assessable. The author is young and straightforward and includes pictures with all her blogs to help with visual appeal. Her being a young successful writer is as a positive role model is a great aspect.
Weaknesses: It does seem to be rather female driven. A young male author may feel slightly undermanned. Although there are plenty of male authors represented and the advice given is gender neutral.
Overall rating: 5/5
Tags: 21st century learning, writing
Posted by Tom Shaw
Title: ITS Geography Dictionary & Glossary for Students
Location: http://www.tuition.com.hk/geography/
Summary: This geography dictionary is designed for students between the ages of 12 and 18. It includes over 1500 entries pertaining to the study of geography.
Content: ITS is a provider of test preparation materials in England and Hong Kong. This particular dictionary contains over 1500 words and terms that geography students from around the world encounter during their studies. Entries are presented in alphabetical order with definitions.
Strengths and Weaknesses: This is one of the most extensive geography dictionaries available online for free. Terms are well defined in easy to understand language. The main shortcoming of the dictionary is ease of use. There is no search function to quickly locate terms. The entries also lack pronunciation information for each term.
Overall Rating: Ease of use is a serious hindrance to this reference tool. 3 out of 5.
Tags: dictionary, geography, glossary
Posted by Tom Shaw
Title: Strange Maps at Big Think
Location: http://bigthink.com/blogs/strange-maps
Summary: The title may be deceiving as this blog has many entries of some very useful, but often overlooked, information about our world through the use of maps. Blogger, Frank Jacobs, is a cartophile who enjoys sharing the interesting maps from around the world on this very entertaining site.
Content: The blog is a subset of Big Think. Jacobs’ blog is updated weekly and contains links to the maps he is reporting as well as a well-written and detailed commentary on the story behind the map. Historic maps are, of course, included, but current blogs also include locations of slime, an interactive map that tells you population based on latitude, a map of heavy metals, and even a political cartoon dating back to WWI.
Strengths and Weaknesses: The most obvious strength is the sheer trivial value in Jacobs’ entries. One need not look too far to gain some insight into a piece of knowledge that Jacobs has imparted to those of us who are information junkies. Of course, the weakness is in using this blog as a research tool. While the blog is very searchable, the user might not come up with the valuable information they were looking for in the first place.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5.