You have just described the job of the librarian to a "T"!!! One of the resources I developed a few years ago was a page on my website that goes through a set of criteria for evaluating websites for validity, accuracy and currency. At the bottom are a number of links to evaluation instruments that teachers can use with students in determining the value of a source. There is also a collection of websites to illustrate common fallacies used to dupe the viewer into beieving whatever they read. I've used these resources with students and adults alike.
http://www.usd308.com/hhslibrary/Web_Evaluation.html Have fun! Cyndi --- Lisa Thurston <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I think that it's fine for teachers to encourage kids to use the Internet to > find resources for research projects. Part of that encouragement, however, > should include perhaps a whole lesson - or even more time - on how to judge > Internet resources, for one, but also directions to look when seeking > reputable resources (eg. the online databases you mentioned, even Google > scholar), but suitable for the age of the kids in question. I don't think it > is rocket science - kids will learn quickly to distinguish reputable from > disreputable resources, given some training. > > The important issue to me is that kids when on the Internet (vs being in a > library) have a much greater opportunity to make a wrong decision when > choosing whether to get on with their work or to distract themselves. Of > course this is not a new issue, but seems to be exacerbated when a class > full of kids get on the net. Close supervision and small research groups > seems to be the best tactic. Perhaps schools should have a person employed > as a permanent student Internet research liaison officer who would fill the > double role of being very good at supervising kids using the net and also > able to offer hands-on help to assist them finding information on the net. > > On your point, Andy, I understand some primary school teachers here are > assigning homework activity which requires students to "research" something > on the Internet. The same problem as Michigan is of course here in South > Australia, although not as high as 40%. The official answer is that Internet > is available in public libraries and school libraries for free after hours. > Not perhaps, the best answer, but an optimal one it seems. > > Andy Carvin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > According to the most recent NTIA A Nation Online report, at least 40 > > percent of Michigan households don't have the Internet. I would imagine > > that households with children a much more likely to have Internet > > access, but I would be very curious to see how Michigan intends to deal > > with these access inequities, even if it's just 10% of students.... -ac > > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > [email protected] > http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with > the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. > Cyndi Bowman, Librarian Owner of Cozie, WCCC Hutchinson High School (World's Cutest Chubby Hutchinson, KS Chihuahua) [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Havin' more fun than the average bear ..." _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
