Although the Internet is not a very trusted source of education, it is
inevitably the language of our time. From websites aimed at male children
to websites designed for female students, the Internet has quickly become a
necessary part of everyday life, both for the students, and for the world
of educational toy corporations. Two such companies, Crayola.com and
Lego.com, are both trusted brand names when it comes to supplies and games,
but are they fit enough to be educators' I will discuss the various gender
aspects that are presented through both websites mentioned above and from
there come to a conclusion of whether they can serve as reliable educators.
The first web site, Lego.com, opens to the home page, with an image of
the LEGO X-Pod, a toy designed to draw the student into their own
imagination as they freely build various types of models of their choosing.
The home page also displays various options for adults and children,
including a link to preschool activities, educators, and a search bar
across the top for easy access to products and activities a child may want.
Along the bottom of the home page, there are quick links, again
designed to facilitate the learning and searching process. There are
product link for robots, Star Wars, and Bionicles. There are also quick
links to the play area of the website, including LEGO Club and LEGOLAND,
Games, and comics and movies. In addition, there are links for parents to
The home page of Crayola.com has many of the same features as those of
Lego.com. The site opens to a home page with a central image of an
activity for the Paper Flower Garden. This activity allows children to
plant and "grow" paper flowers, which they can then print and color. The
site also holds links to games, an area for educators, an area for parents,
and an area for Crayola's Kids. There is also a search engine.
In addition, th...