Digital Resources Evaluation Rubric

Resource/Tool Title: Newsela

Description: Newsela is a literacy platform that offers non-fiction educational articles from 2nd to 12th grade in different content areas. Articles are set up according to each student reading Lexile levels.

Type of Resource/Tool (Check all that apply)

Productivity ___X____

Presentation __X_____

Curriculum ___X____

Concept-Mapping ____X___

Reference _X______

Other: (explain) _______

Rate your resource/tool against the following rubric. Type a justification for each score in the appropriate box.4=Strongly Agree 3=Agree 2=Disagree 1=Strongly Disagree NA=Not Applicable

Usability Resource/tool is easy to use Layout is clear and intuitive Layout is logical and consistent on all pages Students can exit the program at any time and restart from where they stopped	4	3 Newsela’s home page is clear to understand. It contains a few features that make it easy for students to navigate it. Students can restart their work from where they stopped.	2	1	NA
Flexibility Resource/tool can easily be integrated to support a wide range of learning objectives May be used as a whole class, individual, or group learning experience Program may be used at multiple grade and ability levels Provides many opportunities for differentiation	4	3	2 Same readings can be read at different reading levels. Easy reading levels are still hard for struggling readers. Also, it can be used for either whole or small group instruction.	1	NA
Content Information is accurate, complete, and current Information clearly relates to stated goals High interest Varied levels Culturally diverse	4 The articles speak of current and interesting events related to the contents of class materials. The articles demonstrate cultural diversity as they consist of news from around the world.	3	2	1	NA
Assessment Resource/tool tracks student progress Assessments are appropriate and aligned to learning goals Provides appropriate and immediate feedback throughout instruction Program provides clear, teacher-friendly reports	4	3	2 Teachers have access to student’s progress in their assignments. Newsela platform has quizzes, writes prompts and has annotation features. It allows you to get feedback one -on-one from teacher to student. Teacher can customize writing prompts.	1	NA
Interactivity and Level of Student Engagement Actively engages students Text, images, and multimedia enhance interactivity Provides an instructional component Motivates students to continue learning and master concepts	4	3	2 The content of the articles and the photographs engage students in their reading. There are many articles that are related and complement each other. I found the vocabulary hard for students to understand.	1	NA
Support Online technical support is available and/ or an 800 number Provides a help menu and/or tutorials The manual is clear and thorough Resource/tool provides both the student and teacher with additional resources (websites, documents, lesson plans)	4	3 Newesla has an online learning and support team for teachers and adult users. Quick links are available. It also provides web tool kits for expanding activities.	2	1	NA

Recommendation (Write a summary of your evaluation by explaining why you would or would not recommend this software.)

____X___ I would recommend this resource/tool.

I think Newsela is designed for students who have strong literacy skills such as well-developed vocabulary and comprehension strategies. Articles are interesting and aligned with state standards. I would recommend this digital resource for gifted students to work independently and for the rest of the class, I would work the articles as a whole class instruction.

_______ I would not recommend this resource/tool.