Some tips on evaluating websites to be used in our classes

As good English teachers we are always searching for new ways and resources to help our students in and outside the classroom and, sometimes, we rely on websites to do so. However, usually we select websites just thinking about a specific objective we have in mind and do not stop to think carefully about their characteristics, which somehow may foster or hinder not only our teaching practice, but also our students' learning process and performance.

After taking a look at the section Evaluating Websites in the Learning Technologies for the Classroom (LTFC) Course, now I have a much clear understanding of what it takes to select appropriate websites for our students. From this point of view, there are different features to take into consideration, such as the educational focus of the website and its accuracy, as well as its coverage, intended audience, ease of use, relevance, and acceptance. So, from now on, when deciding if a website is or is not appropriate for our learners, lets stop and make ourselves questions that relate to those characteristics, so we make the best choice.