Comparing & Evaluating Web Information Sources From Now On The Educational Technology Journal Vol 6|No 9|June|1997 Comparing & Evaluating Web Information Sources A major challenge in a time of Info-Glut and Info-Garbage is evaluation of information sources.Before basing a decision on the information available, wise researchers (and students) will give thought to the following criteria: reliability - definition | accuracy - definition | authority - definition currency - definition fairness - definition adequacy - definition efficiency - definition | organization - definition Staff and students need to learn to apply these concepts critically to the sites they are visiting so they become thoughtful and discerning information consumers. Using a table as a "visual organizer" often helps focus the evaluation of sources. **** Excellent *** Good ** Satisfactory * Weak References For additional information and resources to support the development of Web site evaluation skills, visit the following sites:
Digital Citizenship Digital Citizenship - Main Page The 5 Elements Students Should Look For When Evaluating Web Content March , 2014 In a section in her wonderful book "Understanding The Social Lives of Networked Teens" Danah Boyd talked extensively about the concept of digital natives and argued that this nomenclature does not really capture the essence of what a digitally savvy teenager really means. Dana argued that the mere fact of being comfortable with a social media tool does not prove that the user has a digital fluency to allow them to better use it for educational purposes : Just because teens are comfortable using social media to hang out does not mean that they’re fluent in or with technology. Learning how to evaluate online content is an essential step in the process of developing digitally literate students. Watch this short introduction to CRAAP Currency: Is the information too old.
Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask 1. What can the URL tell you? Techniques for Web Evaluation : 1. 2. 2. 1. INSTRUCTIONS for Truncating back a URL: In the top Location Box, delete the end characters of the URL stopping just before each / (leave the slash). Continue this process, one slash (/) at a time, until you reach the first single / which is preceded by the domain name portion. 3. Check the date on all the pages on the site. 3. 1. What kinds of publications or sites are they? Are they real? 3. Expect a journal article, newspaper article, and some other publications that are recent to come from the original publisher IF the publication is available on the web. Look at the bottom of such articles for copyright information or permissions to reproduce. 4. 1. a. Type or paste the URL into alexa.com's search box. b. 1. The pages listed all contain one or more links to the page you are looking for. If you find no links, try a shorter portion of the URL, stopping after each /. 2. 5. 1. 2. WHY? More About Evaluating Web Sources
Archived: Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n Change inStudent andTeacherRoles When students are using technology as a tool or a support for communicating with others, they are in an active role rather than the passive role of recipient of information transmitted by a teacher, textbook, or broadcast. The student is actively making choices about how to generate, obtain, manipulate, or display information. The teacher's role changes as well. Project-based work (such as the City Building Project and the Student-Run Manufacturing Company) and cooperative learning approaches prompt this change in roles, whether technology is used or not. IncreasedMotivation andSelfEsteem The most common--and in fact, nearly universal--teacher-reported effect on students was an increase in motivation. The kids that don't necessarily star can become the stars. Teachers talked about motivation from a number of different perspectives. Kids like the immediate results. Technology is the ultimate carrot for students.
Using Technology In The Classroom Technology has always been a major focus on EducationWorld.com. This archive compiles many of the features we have done on the subject of using technology in the classroom. Many of these articles have been updated many times or even rewritten as technology changes. Social Networking Tips for Teachers Social networking in the classroom? Teaching? Fifth Graders Soar in the Blogosphere Across the curriculum, Gillian Ryan asks her fifth graders to respond in writing to the topics they discuss -- whether in math, science, social studies, or language arts -- and their ideas become posts to classroom blogs. Podcasts Promote Reading Librarian Malissia Bell has challenged students to create 500 podcasts describing their favorite books. Reaching for the Heart: Five Tips for District Communications Directors Today, press releases and strategic presentations to special groups are only a small part of the positive media attention thats possible. Who Is They? Social Networking: More Hype Than Help?
Google: Boolean Operators & Phrase Searching - How Do I...? - Research Guides at University of Washington Libraries [Image of google.com search box] Audio: How can you make Google work better for you when you’re searching? Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started. Let’s say we’re doing research on the impact of multiracial people & culture in America. We’re just getting started, so we’ll type “multiracial” into the Google search box. [Image of search results] Audio: Notice that we are getting all kinds of results using this search – from Wikipedia, to a site called “blackflix.com,” to even some government websites thrown in there. Audio: When you type multiple words into the search box, Google will look ONLY for those results that have ALL of your keywords. Even just adding one keyword has given us way fewer results (even though there are probably still more than we want). You can also broaden your search by asking Google to look for synonyms or related ideas using the word “OR.” [Image of UW Libraries homepage]
model lesson 1 ready-to-go mini lesson LESSON 1 "Think Aloud" Demonstration Time: 10-15 minutes as follows: 5 minutes think aloud 5 minutes search as individuals 5 minutes collect findings Materials: computers, one with a projector whiteboard or Red Flag Chart It may be helpful to create a Red Flag Chart with three columns: Accused | Suspicious | Acquited (or similar terms). Think Aloud This lesson takes place in the context of a science course where DNA, genetics and "designer babies" is the topic. Among results for "designer babies" is this Genochoice.com Use this site to demonstrate how an investigative searcher might approach the material. Click this and point out information about the credits: Virgil Wong. Start a list of things you find out about Virgil Wong. After five minutes, call an end to searching and begin to collect information from the students. Among the findings possible, he is: Back to Model Lessons
Wonderopolis | Where the Wonders of Learning Never Cease 8 must-reads detail how to verify information in real-time, from social media, users Over the past couple of years, I’ve been trying to collect every good piece of writing and advice about verifying social media content and other types of information that flow across networks. This form of verification involves some new tools and techniques, and requires a basic understanding of the way networks operate and how people use them. It also requires many of the so-called old school values and techniques that have been around for a while: being skeptical, asking questions, tracking down high quality sources, exercising restraint, collaborating and communicating with team members. For example, lots of people talk about how Andy Carvin does crowdsourced verification and turns his Twitter feed into a real time newswire. Some things never go out of style. At the same time, there are new tools, techniques and approaches every journalist should have in their arsenal. From the post: So, already you have three must view links about verification (1,2,3). Verification must reads 4. 5. 6.
Journey in Technology