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. Many teens are not nearly as digitally adept as the often-used assumption that they are “digital natives” would suggest. The teens I met knew how to get to Google but had little understanding about how to construct a query to get quality information from the popular search engine. Learning how to evaluate online content is an essential step in the process of developing digitally literate students.
FREEBIES! I thought it might be a good idea to put all of my FREEBIES in one spot, so here you go! Just click on the picture and it will take you to the FREEBIE! Be sure to go all the way to the bottom and you will find more FREEBIE Pages from my friends! Wow! Use this huge variety of graphs to start data binders in your classroom. kids become responsible for their learning! Grades 1-5 I use these binder spine labels with a standard label with each name. Grades 1-4 This is a great little reminder on those darn b's and d's. and small desk size included. Grades K-2 This mini-mystery is a smaller version of my new math mystery series. (Linkup closed)
Evaluating internet information | University Libraries | Virginia Tech Information comes to us from a wide variety of sources. Can you tell good information from bad? MajesticSEO's Fresh Index estimates that there are almost 700 billion web pages out there and that search engines cover less than 1/4 of that! (what percent of this do you think will be QUALITY, USEFUL information?) Here are some things to remember when you use the Web: ANYONE can publish on the Web! We offer you the following information for use when looking for quality information on the Web. Credits: modified with permission from Susan Beck, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: or, Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources Evaluation Criteria
Museum Box Homepage Digital Credibility: 13 Lessons For the Google Generation - 13 Digital Research Tools And The Credibility Lessons They Teach by TeachThought Staff This post is promoted by Noet, makers of Encyclopedia Britannica Noet Edition and the free research app for the classics, who asked us to talk about the credibility of information research in a digital world. And because credibility and research are such important digital concepts–or really, data and thinking concepts, actually–we itemized each tool as lesson in and of itself. The Google Generation has a universe of information, right there on a little pinch-and-zoom screen. Further, “by ignoring the phases of inquiry learning, premature Googlers often find what they want rather than what they might need. This doesn’t make digital research better or worse, but rather different. Lesson 1: Not all sources are created equal. Lesson 2: Access matters–so improve it. Lesson 3: Want credibility? Lesson 4: Wikipedia is neither good nor bad. Lesson 5: The internet never forgets.
Paint swatch activities I don't know about you, but I am haunted by things that are free. Two of my biggest haunts - FedEx envelopes and paint swatches. Paint swatches, in particularly, are like sirens calling my name at Home Depot and Lowe's. I can barely walk by the paint section without caressing a colored swatch and dreaming how (or why?) I need a swatch collection. Must be genetic, little O loves them, too. Thankfully, teaching gives me an excuse. Pick a color..... Convenient way to group students (Thank you, Linda, Nathan and Jordyn).... Choose a swatch..... Colorful way to debrief a lesson with exit tickets..... Pick up some of the multi-color paint swatches.....handy for mini-KWLs..... And mini-KWLS.... Mickey friends, I bet you have a way to put these to teaching and learning use..... Fabulous blog reader (or follower), what clever ideas do you have for paint swatches? Best, Jen
Teaher's Guide to Information Crap Detection Information overload, information crap,information pollution...are some of the words that are being used now to describe the tsunami of irrelevant information we are bombarded with day and night.In December 2009, Google began customizing its search results for all users, and we entered a new era of personalization. With little notice or fanfare, our online experience is changing, as the websites we visit are increasingly tailoring themselves to us.Everywhere you turn you find information that seems relevant to you but in fact is nothing but crap. This is probably why Eli Pariser recommended what he called Information Bubble. Howard Rheingold is another guy who has done a lot of writings on Information Crap. in an article posted last year. The first thing we all need to know about information online is how to detect crap, a technical term I use for information tainted by ignorance, inept communication, or deliberate deception. 4- Crap Test 5- Video
Classroom Observation Tips Typically a student teacher spends the first few days observing his/her cooperating teacher before gradually assuming classroom responsibilities. Even as the student teacher assumes increasing responsibility for instruction, there are many occasions to study the mentor teacher. These are perfect opportunities to observe and analyze the strategies used by the cooperating teacher. The student teacher must remember that he or she is a guest in the cooperating teacher’s classroom. As such, the purpose of the observations is not to critically evaluate the host teacher, but to identify effective strategies and techniques employed by that teacher. Observing is the process of studying classroom activities to determine teaching strategies and student responsiveness. Careful observation and critical analysis is often more beneficial if structured and planned. Before observing your cooperating teacher it would be a good idea to share your plan with him/her. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Checklist for Evaluating Web Resources | University of Southern Maine Is the Web a good research tool? This question is dependent on the researcher's objective. As in traditional print resources one must use a method of critical analysis to determine its value. Here is a checklist for evaluating web resources to help in that determination. Authority: Is the information reliable? Check the author's credentials and affiliation. Does the resource have a reputable organization or expert behind it? Are the sources of information stated? Can the author be contacted for clarification? Check for organizational or author biases. Scope: Is the material at this site useful, unique, accurate or is it derivative, repetitious, or doubtful? Is the information available in other formats? Is the purpose of the resource clearly stated? What items are included in the resource? Is the information factual or opinion? Does the site contain original information or simply links? How frequently is the resource updated? Does the site have clear and obvious pointers to new content? Other Tips:
WebAnywhere: A Screen Reader On the Go 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:
The TeaShanty Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask 1. What can the URL tell you? Techniques for Web Evaluation : 1. Before you leave the list of search results -- before you click and get interested in anything written on the page -- glean all you can from the URLs of each page. 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. 2. 5. 1. 2. WHY?