Website Evaluation V

1. Name of website:

• Texas Music Educators Association

2. Web Site Address:

• www.tmea.org

3. Copyright date and/or publication:

• October 3,2007

4. Author/Organization credentials:

• Karen Kneten, Communications Manager

5. Web site design and ease of navigation:

First and foremost, this is the absolute most important site for music educators in the state of Texas. The web site boasts seven fantastic drop down menus. These menus relate to each respective area of music education: band, orchestra, and choir. In the drop down box entitled “Menu”, you will find information about employment. You will find a link to a message board. You also find information about membership into this wonderful organization. Finally, you will find the goals and expectations of the organization. The next box you will find is entitled “Resource Center.” There you will find information about advocacy. You will find information pertaining to the correlation of higher SAT scores with a student’s involvement in a musical ensemble. This is great ‘ammo’ for those heated debates with administration. You then find information about the above-mentioned divisions of music in Texas. This gives you information pertaining to region and district meetings. It also gives you up to date happenings in your area. You then find information on the annual convention. Lastly, there is a drop down for student information. This web site lends itself quite well to the computer ‘novice.’ The site is easy to navigate. It is quite easy to find the material for which you are looking. The site map is also great. It lays it out there for you page by page.

6. My response for use:

I feel it is necessary for every music educator to visit this site bi-weekly. There is a constant flow of information that is relevant to many of our teaching careers. The portion of the page devoted entirely to advocacy is reason enough to wander here. We will always fight a battle dealing with why our programs are needed. This gives great advice on how to go about defending what we value so dearly. Once again, the site gives great information on what is happening around us. We have a great job board on this site. You have the ability to look up jobs from all schools in the state. Sometimes, you find job listings from other states as well. You find valuable information relating to scholarships. You can find educational money for some students. This money could open the doors for someone who otherwise never would have considered college as an option. Lastly, there is a section devoted to the convention. This is the absolute best time to ‘network.’ It’s not about what you know, but whom you know.