This morning I did a website evaluation lesson with an 8th grade class.  It is the same lesson I have used for several years and I like it, but it isn’t very interactive, so I decided to make some changes….. with mixed results.  I started with theWebsite Evaluation Powerpoint I always use and added a Website Evaluation Form for students to fill out when looking at websites.    Using iPads, students went to Blendspace where I linked 15 websites of varying quality.  They were to select 2, fill out evaluation forms for them.  In the comments section, they were to share what was good and not so good about the site.  This is where some problems hit.  In order to leave comments, the students need an account.  While it’s very quick to create an account, either our network was slow or the iPad processors are slowing down because it took forever for students to create their accounts.  The problems continued because Blendspace loaded very slowly (usually it is great) and students got frustrated.  We ended up barely finishing one site, not making any comments and looking at a site together at the end to try to bring closure to the lesson.  All in all, the conversations students had and the tiny bit of critical thinking they did was good…..but we did not get close to completing the lesson in the manner I had envisioned.     Overall, I like the idea of the lesson, but I need to simplify, having a plan B in case Blendspace doesn’t work well, maybe just giving them a list of sites from which to choose.  They can go straight to the site, fill out the form and then share with the class.  I love/hate instructional technology sometimes.