As I'm creating my webquest and hotlist, I see that consideration needs to be made about whether the sites are reliable and a good place for children to use when researching their topic. This is also a topic I should be teaching my students during their time in the computer lab. Last year was my first year of being the LMC Director and I felt it was a year of 'getting my feet wet.' I didn't cover everything I wanted to and this is one of those areas. I need to create some lessons or better embed this topic into their research projects.
I found a good place on Kathy Schrock's web site called The Five W's of Web Site Evaluation that helped me organize my thoughts when looking at an online resource.
Who - Who wrote the pages?
What - What does the author say the purpose of the site is? What information is included?
When - When was it created and/or last updated?
Where - Where does the information come from?
Why - Why is this information useful and why should I use this information?
I thought this simple approach would be useful when selecting online resources and an easy way to instruct my students when looking for information on the Internet. Along with my search, I found some decent student-friendly rubrics for students to use when evaluating web sites. I will definitely be incorporating this into their next projects in the LMC.
Hi Ellen~
ReplyDeleteI am sure that you learned this in one of your library courses, and I hate to repeat myself, so I won't. Instead, I will send you back to my first blog on it. Click here---http://kbgtie543.blogspot.com/2009/07/value-of-internet-resources-for.html
The Big6 Model of research and the Super3 also teach how to evaluate web sources. (They also cover print sources if you are interested. I know that there are as many information literacy models out there as there are people who created and use them. The best one to use is the one that you find best! Remember, if you teach it, they will come!
Good information!
Kathryn
Ellen,
ReplyDeleteYou make a great point by addressing the importance of students using reliable sources. I used the 5 W's in a project I did for NLU's Instructional Design course. It is easy for the students to understand and easy to use. The 5 W's are a great way for students to evaluate a website and determine if it is appropriate to use when researching. Great blog!
Great find, Ellen! I feel like you do a little about last school year. It was my first year teaching and there are many things I am changing about next year. I am excited for the changes! But you are right, at first it feels like you are just getting your feet wet. I think a great teacher is one who keeps adapting his/her lessons and continues to see if he/she can improve. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteEllen
ReplyDeleteI can certainly understand your being in a library setting. That was me this past year. Luckily I have been on good terms with our LMC director. I helped her get our new Library Cataloging software working. I think your approach of keeping it simple is the best approach with younger kids. I treasure having the ability to send out a good website quickly to my students. I find that I have to use valid sites I find during school but at home they need to know how to search effectively. Thanks for your post
Kurt