Session 2 Reading Responses

• In order to be information literate a person must be able to decode information on the internet and draw conclusions about whether or not that information is valid. This requires the use of a variety of investigative techniques along with an understanding of the structure of internet based information to critically examine the validity of that information.
• There are many ways in which teachers and students can thoughtfully evaluate online information resources, including the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. The first and most logical way to evaluate information is to make sure that you are in the right place. Make sure the information you are reading covers the topic that you are researching. The second step in evaluating an internet resource is to consider the source. The student or teacher should locate the author of the information and try to find out some of the authors background (November, 2010). Next, the teacher or student should consider the type of site the information is located on such as a government, commercial, educational, or organizational site. The evaluator should then try to find the main purpose for the site being created and when it was last updated. One quick way a teacher or student can evaluate a site is by quickly scanning the information for grammar or spelling errors. If a site has spelling or grammar errors it is more likely to be less reputable. Lastly, a teacher or student should test a source against a variety of other sources. If the information from one source seems completely different from a number of other sources its validity cold be questionable.
• There are many similarities and differences between the four instructional models of Internet use; Internet Project, Internet Workshop, Internet Inquiry and WebQuests. All four of these models can be used at all different instructional levels to incorporate the use of technology into all content areas (Leu, 2004). Each model involves the use of an important skill and are curriculum based. Internet workshops focus on reading, writing, and content skills. The students are required to gather information from the internet to share in a workshop setting. The basic idea behind Internet Projects are developing students' collaborative skills. Students can use these projects to collaborate with classrooms around the world. WebQuests are curriculum resources that allow teachers to share lessons and complete units with one another. Internet Inquiry models allow students to build upon all the skills learned in the previous three models. The students build on these skills by identifying problems that are important to them. The students then go out and gather information about their topic to present to the class. This model allows students to practice their problem identification skills.

References:

Leu, D.J. (2004). Teaching with the internet. Retrieved from http://ctell.uconn.edu/canter/canter_video.cfm?movie=234_introduction.mov

November, A. (2010). Empowering students with technology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.