Facilitator: Janet Lanham, LMS

JCPS Fairdale Elementary School

Evaluating Web SitesKLA/KSMA JOINT CONFERENCE SEPTEMBER 2007

Information Literacy StandardsInformation Power: Building Partnerships for Learning (AASL/AECT, 1998)

STANDARD 2

The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.

KDE Academic Expectation 1.1

Students use reference tools such as dictionaries, almanacs, encyclopedias, and computer reference programs and research tools such as interviews and surveys to find the information they need to meet specific demands, explore interests, or solve specific problems.

Getting to the CoreLower Primary Upper Primary Intermediate Middle High

SKILLS§  Sorts, classifies, and sequences information.

Selects books based on interest and/or need (with assistance).

SKILLS

§   Uses the copyright date to determine the age of information.

Evaluates the effectiveness of information from websites.

SKILLS

§   Evaluates sources of information for usefulness, accuracy, and currency (ex: copyright date).Classifies examples of real, realistic, and unreal content in media, e.g., a dinosaur artifact, a dinosaur museum replica, a cartoon representation of a dinosaur.

SKILLS§  Distinguishes between and uses primary and secondary sources.

§   Evaluates and selects information resources that are understandable, available, relevant, current, valid and authoritative.

§   Selects and evaluates information resources for objectivity.

§   Identifies and applies published criteria for excellence of resources.

Develops criteria with assistance to evaluate information for usefulness, e.g. copyright date, authority, fact vs. opinion.

SKILLS§  Uses three or more search engines to compare and contrast information obtained on a single subject. (CS-H-X.4.3)

§  Evaluates resources for relevance, accuracy, availability, timeliness, cost, authority, and ease of use.

Applies an understanding of the difference between primary and secondary resources.

Our Resources

Dr. Marilyn P. Arnone

Director of Educational Media at the Center for Digital Literacy.

Adjunct professor at the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University.

President of Research and Development at Creative Media Solutions, Oriental, NC.

Currently developing series of videos called Young Researchers aimed at the child audience.

With Dr. Ruth Small, author of Turning Kids on to Research:The Power of Motivation.

Dr. Arnone’s Goals:

“To introduce an important information literacy skill, evaluating Internet resources, through the medium of a storybook – read aloud by the educator.This …taps into the child’s familiar world of stories to introduce an IL concept critical to conducting research in all subject areas…”

“To provide a guide for educators that both suggests activities to reinforce learning points in the book and also provides additional ideas for planning lessons around the topic of evaluation in a curriculum context.”

My Experience:

I began with P3 and P4 classes and then adapted the unit to work with 4th and 5th graders at the end of the year.

The resources were a great springboard and focus for concepts that previously were addressed in a patchwork fashion.

The lessons would dovetail with collaborative research projects, however, I had success with a stand alone library project.

Instructional Activities Fiction / Non Fiction Review PowerPoint Intro Read aloud of The Strangest Dinosaur That

Never Was PowerPoint Conclusion Independent / Group Web site Evaluations Hoax Practice on FES Web site Induction of Information Detectives Research Projects using text and Web

resources

Bibliography

Arnone, Marilyn P. MAC, information detective, in the case of-- the strangest dinosaur that never was. Englewood, Colo. : Libraries Unlimited, 2003.

Permissions

Webliography 2Learn 'NetCheck Evaulation Tool K-3

"2Learn.ca 'NetCheck Website Evaluation Tool for Younger Students (Division One K-3)." 2Learn.ca. Kids Love 2Learn.ca. 1 Nov 2006 <http://www.2learn.ca/evaluating/div1netscheck2.html>.

2Learn 'NetCheck Evaulation Tool 4-6

"2Learn.ca 'NetCheck Website Evaluation Tool for Younger Students (Division Two)." 2Learn.ca. Kids Love 2Learn.ca. 1 Nov 2006 <http://www.2learn.ca/evaluating/div2netscheck2.html>.

5 W's of Web Site Evaluation

Schrock, Kathy. "Kathy Schrock's 5 Ws of Web Site Evaulation." Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators. 06 Nov 2006. Kathy Schrock. 6 Nov 2006 <http://kathyschrock.net/abceval/5ws.htm>.

ALA Evaluation Criteria

"ALA Selection Criteria." American Library Association. 07 July 2006. American Library Association. 1 Nov 2006 <http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/greatwebsites/greatwebsitesforkids/greatwebsites.htm>.

Evaluating Web Site Content

"Evaluating Website Content." Evaluating Website Content. 1 Nov 2006 <http://exworthy.tripod.com/eval.htm>. DiHydrogen Monoxide

"Dihydrogen Monoxide Research division - dihydrogen monoxide info." Dihydrogen Monoxide - DHMO Homepage. 01 Nov 2006. DHMO. 1 Nov 2006 <http://www.dhmo.org/>.

Impelefalo

"impelefallo." Evaluating Web Sites. 28 Oct 2006. 6 Nov 2006 <http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/Elementary/Fairdale/Library/impelefallo.html>.

Tree Octopus

Zapato, Lyle. "Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus." SaveThe Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. 27 May 2006. Zapato Productionsintradimensional. 1 Nov 2006 <http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/>.