Resources for Web Literacy Presentation

This presentation references some websites and resources found at http://www.prn.bc.ca/ts/?p=1175 or via http://bit.ly/hGM3hX

Please have it opened to start – TY!

S

Web LiteracyJarrod Bell@jbellsd60

jbell@prn.bc.ca

Resources for Web Literacy Presentation

This presentation references some websites and resources found at http://www.prn.bc.ca/ts/?p=1175 or via http://bit.ly/hGM3hX

Topics

Browsers

Search Engines

What makes up a URL (protocol, domain, file path)

Some strategies to check a URL (legitimate, users, whois etc)

How to Shorten URLs

The WWWW of evaluating web content

Browsers that we use in SD60

Internet Explorer (note about IE6 – needs to go)

Firefox

Chrome

Safari

Camino (note – needs to go)

Search Engines

Have a look at the page on the Technology Services blog that I showed before. Find the list of search engines.

While holding down the Command button, click on each search engine. This should open the search engine in a new tab (provided you are using a modern browser that supports tabs – if not, time for an upgrade!)

Search for Kermode – check out the results

Search for Kermode Bear – check out the results

Search for “Kermode Bear” – check out the results

What is the difference between the three searches above?

Search Engines

Advance Searches

Boolean Logic (George Boole for the math types)

Wiki search in Google – Search for wiki Kermode Bear (just learned this on Sunday)

Licensing Search in Advanced Searches

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

URL is a web address (like directions to your house by landmarks). Browser looks for the web address on your DNS server (Domain Name System) which gives a numeric IP address (directions to your house via GPS route to your home address)

Try entering 205.206.163.40 in your address bar, where does it go?

U R L

http://www.prn.bc.ca/ts/?p=1175

http:// is the protocol (hypertext transfer protocol)

Domain is www.prn.bc.ca (Top level domain is .ca for Canadian website; some others are: .com commercial; .org organization; .net network; .edu educational) www.prn.bc are 2nd (.bc), 3rd (.prn), and 4th (www) level domains

Path or File path is what follows after the top level domain/ts/?p=1175.

Path refers to a place on the server to find what it is you are looking for like C:\Users\Bob\Desktop\goodwork.jpg

Why should I understand URLs?

Checking the URL is a great way to foil Phishing attacks (fraudulent attempts to access your info via a social cue of some kind ie. “Your bank account is about to expire.”)

What is the Top Level domain below www.cibc-com.info www.desjardin.bank

I can make www.cibc.com in an email or web page point someplace else, always check the address bar,

Banks won’t ask you to update your personal information online via an email. Phone your branch (check the number!) or do it in person.

Shorten URLs

Please go to http://www.prn.bc.ca/elc/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SD60logoText.png

Or bit.ly/h6U1ZD

http://bit.ly - you can truncate the URL by dropping the protocol

WWWW of evaluating web content

When looking at a website ask Who What When Why And other questions!

Who

Who is the author or creator of the website content?

Is it clear who wrote the material?

Is the author qualified to be publishing the information?

Could you contact the author, if necessary?

Who sponsors the website?

Is it clear who is sponsoring the site?

Is there information or a link to a website describing

why the sponsor supports this site?

Who - Check the URL

Do you recognize the domain name?

What is the extension of the domain name?

What do you know about the author?

Is the author’s name given?

What are his/her credentials?

Are you on a personal page?

Look for the following clues:

A name (such as abutz)

Tilde (~)

Percent sign (%)

The words users, people, or members

Whois

Look up who owns and operates a website

http://www.easywhois.com/

enter domain name ie www.prn.bc.ca and check

What

What information is relevant to your research question?

Is the information consistent with what you know about the subject?

Is it a not-for profit sponsor? (ie. what kind of site is it? --.org, .com, .edu, etc.)

Is the information comparable to other resources – print or electronic?

What

Is there spellling and grammatical mistake? :P

How it looks is not always everything (beach ball analogy from Jason Ohler, Tech it Up Conference & his book Digital storytelling in the classroom: new media pathways to literacy, learning, and creativity)

Is there a lot of advertisements on the site? What could the number of advertisements mean?

When

When was the website created or updated?

Is the site current?

Are the dates of any statistics or graphs clearly displayed?

Has the website been recently updated or revised?

Why

Why was the information published?

Is the purpose of the website to present accurate, factual information?

Is the information provided as a public service?

Is the website free of advertising or if advertising is displayed, is it separate from the content?

Why

Is there an overwhelming bias? what purpose did the author have for creating

the website? Does the author have a reason for distorting the

information Does the author appear to be trying to persuade

the user to believe a certain point of view Is the page sponsored by a particular

organization Is the writing style positive or negative

Resource http://www.multcolib.org/homework/sochc.html

Why

Bias continued Do a Fact or Opinion activity Highlight adjectives, positive,

negative words, vague phrases or clichés

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/index.cfm or bit.ly/ha9WpW Click on teachers link

Apply WWWW

Pull up the list of websites that were listed at the beginning of the presentation at bit.ly/hGM3hX

Pick four of the websites at your table and use the four W’s to determine which of the websites are real.

Last Notes & Thank you

This slideshow is available via slideshare on the link for the resources earlier.

Web Literacy for Educators by Alan November is a wonderful practical text resource (provided earlier this year)

Thank you to Toni Thompson for her Web Literacy notes @tonettethompson

Web Literacy is a regular inservice presentation in the Wireless Writing Program