June 1st Assignments

1. Define what it means to be information literate.

"Understanding the grammar of the Internet, just as we do with print media, is the first step in helping students to be more astute and careful about how they interpret information on the World Wide Web. If you do not know the rules, it is impossible to win the game" (November, 2010, p. 12)

In the above quote, Alan November so graciously points us in the direction of what is information literacy. Ultimately, it is a deep understanding of the "rules" of the Internet. This understanding begins with the basics, being able to interpret the grammar used. November begins this explanation by teaching us how to break down the URL or web address to figure out the purpose and truth behind every website. This is done in parts to include the server name (basically, who is posting the information, domain name (where or what type of establishment the who comes from,) and then the specific page name and location. In starting here, we can glean essential information and weed out the sites that may not be the most beneficial sources of information.

Going one step beyond, informational literacy also entails having the ability to and critiquing a site for its appropriateness and value. One can do this in many layers, starting with finding the right search engine (such as Yahooligans when searching for kid-friendly sites,) to having a plan to critique (for example, Kathy Shrock's Web Evaluation site,) to communicating with others (educators, etc.) to help locate usable sites.

Informational literacy is being a thoughtful, critical, and responsible user of the World Wide Web. It is knowing how to find clues to "good" sites and using them to evaluate and ultimately improve our students use of the Internet. I think it is also guiding our students to be information literate in learning how to evaluate sites for themselves.

2. How can teachers and students thoughtfully evaluate online information resources, including the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia?

Square one, as said best in Cornell University Libray's Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools
is to know your purpose in using the web. You will look at websites very differently if you
are looking for the latest celebrity gossip as opposed to researching a site to use in a WebQuest for your students. (Cornell's site is a great resource in linking to other sites that will direct a critique.)

Once you determine your purpose, then you can break down the URL (like I stated in answer #1) to look for clues to the who, what, where, why, when, and how is behind the site you are looking at. From this step, the evaluation can branch out. Finding out if the site has an author (or authors,) and researching him/her/them is also very useful. I personally was very moved by November's account of the high school boy, Zack, who found that site about the death camps in the Holocaust being simply a method of controlling lice (2010, pp. 12-13). Imagine had Zack been able to find out the information November revealed to us about Arthur Butz being not only an engineering professor who had no authority to make claims about historical events, but also a "respected" (I use the term loosely,) professor hailed by white supremacy groups? Needless to say, a bit of investigation into an author can reveal tons about the site.

Still, there are sites, like Kathy Shrock's website which actually teach how to evaluate by offering evaluation checklists. The ABC's of Web Page Evaluation is a great tool that students in upper elementary grades (3-6,) can use, but it can also be adapted to older students (and some students, like my Special Education students, may find using this form is helpful regardless of their age.)

On sites like Wikipedia, where many can edit work without validating it first, one great way is to follow the edits made by using the "discussion tab". Other ways to do this can be to use tools, like the Wayback Machine mentioned in November (2010, p. 17), which track edits and website histories. One can also track links and find out "whoelse" links into a page to determine the page's purpose.

Finally, after using all of these great tools, we should also remember to rely on instinct and good old common sense. Especially as teachers, we have eyes in the back of our heads and will certainly know when something is / is not good for our students. Furthermore, most of our districts have (or certainly should if they do not,) Internet usage policies. These can be very valuable resources in determining the value and / or appropriateness of a site. Having a deep understanding of these is definitely paramount (it also helps us be more Information Literate.)

3. What are a few of the similarities and differences between the four instructional models of Internet use (Internet Project, Internet Workshop, Internet Inquiry, and WebQuest)?

Ultimately, all four models are ways in which we can have our students use the Internet to learn. All four involve the students using the World Wide Web to track down and follow information to gain deeper understanding. They are all student-centered learning activities in which they interact with the Internet and gain new experiences and new information.

They are different in that Internet Projects, are basically simulations or Internet-based learning activities in which students can participate in. They are pre-existing projects, like the Flat Stanley Project, in which many other students globally participate.

Internet Workshops, on the other hand, are still globally-based, however students research a specific topic (or topics) and then come together, in a workshop-type forum to share ideas and ask questions of each other. Unlike the Internet Projects, the workshop is more a place for students to generate ideas with each other and brainstorm (on a wider scale than a classroom would offer.)

Internet Inquiry is a guided tool for students to use the Web to ask questions and gain information. In the Inquiry, students are using the Internet to research and find information. An Inquiry starts on the simplest level with a search engine (like Ask Jeeves,) and a question or topic to study. It opens students up to much information, but does not have the global, team-based learning that would be found more in the Internet Project or Workshop.

WebQuest is also a guided tool for students to use the Web, however, it takes them through very specific sites, with very specific questions, to locate very specific information about a very specific and narrow topic. It is a great way to get students to interact with sites and find information (and students do have fun learning experiences from WebQuests,) but it can be very limited as it may lack the feedback and brainstorming tools that the other instructional models possess.