Communication Tool #6: wix.com

wix.com is a website-building tool. It allows users the ability to build custom websites for free. There is a paid version of the service with additional tools, but the free option contains everything needed to get a website up and running. The service allows users to use a variety of background themes and build content with an easy drag and drop interface. Text, links, videos, podcasts, and more can easily be embedded. Multiple pages per website are also allowed, along with a contact form.

wix.com gets a 4 for user friendliness. It is the most user friendly website building tool that I’ve ever used. It is much easier than Google Sites, in my opinion. It is also a great tool for allowing students who are behind or absent to access lessons and tasks. 

wix.com gets a 3 for Safety. The website will put the website builder’s content out there onto the internet, but student exposure is minimal unless chosen to be.

wix.com gets a 4 for Customization. The websites can be built for any purposes, and could easily be utilized for professional development. 

wix.com gets a 3 for Cross-Curricular. The site could be built for this purpose, but the tool does not stand out as being for this purpose.

wix.com gets a 4 for Cognitive Differentiation. Getting students to build their own websites could allow for the knowledge utilization highest levels of the taxonomy.

	User Friendliness (Julie)	Safety (Lauren)	Customization for Educators (Brandon)	Cross-Curricular Application (Brandon)	Cognitive Differentiation (Julie)
EXCEEDS 4	Is more user friendly than traditional means/methods of teaching and/or completing standards, and/or can be used as an alternative method for students who struggle with the traditional methods of instruction/assessments.	Can be closely monitored by teachers/gatekeepers to ensure all participants (students, community members, etc,) abide digital citizenship standards with strict security measures and clearly stated privacy policies.	Can be customized to support collegial professional development AND classroom instruction, assessment, and/or reporting.	Can be used to develop units of study that tie in learning targets from multiple subject areas and connect to the world beyond school in order to increase relevance.	Can be used in all levels and a variety of processes of Marzano’s taxonomy.
MEETS 3	Can be used on a variety of devices and is easy to use for students and teachers.	Can be monitored by teachers/ gatekeepers and allows for opportunities to select/edit for instances of non-compliance of digital citizenship and with moderate security measures and a reasonable privacy policies.	Can be customized to meet the needs of individual educators according to grade level, subject area, class size, experience with technology, professional development needs, etc.	Can be applied to multiple learning targets across multiple subject areas and/or can be used to help design or support cross-curricular units of study.	Can be used for a variety of processes and levels of Marzano’s taxonomy.
PARTIALLY MEETS 2	Can be used on a variety of devices or is easy to use for students and teachers.	Can be monitored by teacher/ gatekeepers with limited opportunities to be select/edit for instances of non-compliance of digital citizenship standards and minimal security measures.	Can be partially customized, but not enough to fully meet the needs of individual educators.	Can be applied to only one or two learning targets in one or two subject areas and does not support the development of cross-curricular units of study.	Can be used for a variety of categories on one level of the taxonomy or a few processes on various levels of Marzano’s taxonomy.
DOES NOT MEET 1	Has several barriers which make it difficult for students and/or teachers to use.	Does not allow for monitoring by teacher/gatekeeper and permits disregard for digital citizenship standards.	Does not allow customization to meet the needs of individual educators,	Does not apply to learning targets in any more than one subject area.	Is limited to only a few categories of one process of Marzano’s taxonomy.