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Can be daunting with its volumes of resources

Takes skill & perseverance. Should be done with prudence when

› selecting sites for your students to use

› doing online research

Magnitude of resources Any person can create a webpage Search portals do not scrutinize sites

Information Opinion Point of View or Perspective Commercial or business Personal

Authorship Publishing body Point of view or bias Verifiability Currency

Author is well-known and well- regarded

Positive referral from another trusted source

Biographical information is given Other contact information is supplied

Name or link to governing organization Organization is:

› Recognizable› Suitable to topic at hand

Identified relationship between author and server

Verify server where document resides

Decide where webpage resides (URL)

› Corporate site?› Political agenda?› Philosophical agenda?

Explanations of research methods provided

Bibliography / links to supporting documents

Individuals/sources are identifiable Use other sources to cross-reference

Date of information Publication date Date of last revision Current, active links

You may work with a partner to utilize the evaluation chart to evaluate two different websites.

Spend approximately ten minutes per website

http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/ http://www.martinlutherking.org/

Upon review of the sites, Conclusions? What were some red flags? What surprised you?

.edu = Education Site .com = Commercial Sites -

Unrestricted! .gov = Government Agency .org = Organizations – Unrestricted! .net = Intended for ISP’s & Networks

(but can be purchased) .info = Unrestricted!

.biz = Intended for Business – Unrestricted!

.pro = Professionals/Organizations .k12.nj.us = Public / Private Schools .library.nj.us = Public Libraries .state.nj.us = Official State Websites .name = Individual, Personal Website

Web Search Strategies In Plain English http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=B8aYoVpdz8o Hints on identifying personal pages are

available inUnderstanding and Decoding URLs.

http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating/url.html

Read "Rising Tide: Sites Born of Hate", New York Times, March 18, 1999 to learn about tough-to-detect extremist point of views.

http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/02/circuits/articles/18hate.html

Get students to evaluate web pages by exploring these hoax sites!

http://www.shsu.edu/~lis_mah/documents/TCEA/hoaxtable.html

http://youtu.be/kWs4xP_fkhwTutorial which explains the ABC’s (and D’s)

of evaluating websiteshttp://tinyurl.com/44pemkALA’s Great Sites For Kids Selection

Criteriahttp://tiny.cc/8uegzSite includes a website evaluation

checklist, a lesson plan, and a list of links for students to evaluate

"Evaluating Internet Information." The Sheridan Libraries Homepage. Web. 15 July 2010. <http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating/>.

"Helpful Hints to Help You Evaluate the Credibility of Web Resources." Mason Academic Research System (mason.gmu.edu). Web. 15 July 2010. <http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/web-eval-sites.htm>.

Morris, Pat. "Developing Validation Criteria for WebPages." Reading. Web.

STANDARD 8.1 Computer and Information Literacy: All students will use computer applications to gather and organize information and to solve problems.

8.1.8 B. Application of Productivity Tools Evaluate the accuracy, relevance, and appropriateness of print and non-print electronic information sources.

8.1.12 B. Application of Productivity Tools 7. Evaluate information sources for

accuracy, relevance, and appropriateness.STANDARD 3.5 Viewing and Media Literacy:

All students will access, view, evaluate, and respond to print, nonprint, and electronic texts.

3.5.7 B. Visual and Verbal Messages 2. Evaluate various media messages for

credibility.

1. Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge

1.1.5 Evaluate the information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.

1.2.4 Maintain a critical stance by questioning the validity and accuracy of all information

Learners will understand the importance of assessing online resources.

Learners will learn and apply 5 criteria for assessing website credibility

Discuss the importance of knowing the credibility of information sources.

Discuss the criteria posted in the PowerPoint.

Distribute 2 copies of the Website Evaluation Chart to each teacher.

Have teachers form pairs to explore two websites with false information and complete the evaluation chart.

Discuss teachers’ conclusions. Use the PowerPoint to show

teachers some web based material to support further understanding.

Use the PowerPoint to provide teachers with a few resources that they could begin to use for lessons with their students.

Show teachers how this connects to the Technology, L.A.L., and Information Skills standards.

Allow a few minutes for Q &A.

Website Evaluation Charts