Nine: Information Literacy

DUE MONDAY APRIL 23. 

Now, that you have figured out how to create your very own custom search engine, and learned a little bit about internet safety let's look at some ways that you can refine your searches without creating the custom search engine!


With the explosion of information that exists today, the only thing that could be more important to your teaching than being information literate is being able to teach your students to be information literate! In the last decade, accessibility to "non peer reviewed information" has presented a new problem. Previously, students (and teachers) relied on authentic and reliable information found in enclyclopedias, journals, books, etc. Today, much research is done via the internet. Who can post on the Internet? ANYONE! This means that the information may, or may not, be peer reviewed. Therefore, we all must learn to use a critical eye when doing research on the internet. Take a look at this web page: The Earth Is Flat. At first glance, this might look like an authentic web page, published by Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania. However, if you know that a tilde (~) located within a web address indicates a personal web page, you would have reason to doubt the information on the page. This just one small example of why it is so VERY important to be able to to identify what information is needed, understand how the information is organized, identify the best sources of information for a given need and locate those sources.

The Internet is growing exponentially and will continue to do so! As an educator, you will need to know the tricks for finding information in this never-ending volume. Yes, we can all type some words into a search engine and hope for the best, but how do we intentionally find what we really want. There are basic search tricks and there are advanced search tricks. Since you probably have your basic search skills in place, let's skip to advanced.



Assignment ~ Activity One: Vist this site Four Nets for Searching Better. Read the introduction and then work through the four NETS activities (listed under the N E T S near the bottom). This will give you some guidelines for narrowing your searches and getting the information you really want.

Google also has some other tricks for getting at that information:

 1.  On this page, Google Search Operators, there is a list of search operators that can be used to refine your Google searches.

2. This page,  Google Search Help, is straight from Google.  Take some time to read the following sections listed on the left: 

Operators and more search help

Search results options and tools

Assignment ~ Activity Two: Choose a search topic. Then use some of the search operators from the above mentioned documents to try to find the desired information. Each one will bring different results. Use the same topic for all of the operators so that you are able to see the difference in results as you change search criteria.

Once you are finished, you will have better idea of how to find the information you really want!

Post to your blog about your experience and how, specifically, a few of the operators changed your results.

EIGHT: Internet Safety

Due April 16

Today’s students will be the first generation to use the Internet for their entire lives.

This unprecedented access to resources will enhance their learning, research,

communications, explorations for new ideas, and expressions of creativity.

Unfortunately, this remarkable resource has become susceptible to abuse that often

targets young people. 

As educators, perhaps our greatest priority is to protect the students. In terms of online safety, the ever-changing nature of the Internet makes this objective a constantly moving target. Although the task is daunting, we must stay ahead of the curve in detecting and reporting Internet threats and predators. Instructors need to be well informed about the latest computer threats and integrate Internet safety into their curricula throughout the school year.

In the state of Virginia, teachers are required, by law, to teach internet safety within their curriculum.  Hence the importance of staying well informed on topics that involve student use of the internet.

Assignment: 

Following is a list of sites that pertain to internet safety.  Please visit these sites and read up on

the importance of internet safety in the classroom. 

1.  On your blog, indicate the five most important issues that, you feel, should be addressed in regard to internet safety with students.  Explain why you think each of these is important. 

2.  In addition, discuss how you would integrate these topics into your every day teaching.

Internet Safety Sites

·         http://mrsa.wikispaces.com/Internet+Safety+Curriculum+Resources

·         http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/internet_safety.html

·         http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/parent-guide

·         http://www.netsmartz.org/internetsafety

·         https://secure.brainpop.com/trial/step1/

·         http://www.wps.k12.va.us/schinfo/internet/glossary.pdf

·         http://www.azag.gov/children_family/InternetSafety_ParentsWeb.pdf

·         http://kids.getnetwise.org/safetyguide/

·         http://www.safekids.com/child-safety-on-the-information-highway/

·         http://www.freeclubweb.com/powerpoints/internet/internetpredators.html

·         http://www.wps.k12.va.us/schinfo/internet/internet.html

SEVEN: Google Custom Search Engine

Ever wish you could create a customized search engine that searches only across sites that you specify and displays results that you know will be appropriate for you or your students? Google Custom Search Engine (CSE) allows you do do just that. All you need to do is choose the websites and pages you'd like to search, then follow a few simple steps to create a CSE. Think of it as putting the power of Google web search to work for you.
Let's say you're a teacher and you want your students to access only school-safe sites. (Ones that won't be blocked!) Using Google's Custom Search tool, you can pre-select the sites, list them in the settings of your new search engine, and then let your students use it -- knowing that they're searching the web safely. And because you choose the sites to search, they'll get a limited number of highly relevant search results, making the time they spend online more efficient and rewarding.
With Google Custom Search Engine, you can:

• Create a CSE at any time and Google will give you unique URL for easy access by you and your students.
• Control the look and feel of your CSE.
• Invite friends and colleagues to collaborate and contribute to your search engine, enhancing its usefulness to your community.
• Easily add more sites to your search engine's index as you surf the web.

What will your CSE look like? If you choose to have Google host it, it will look something like this Revolutionary Times CSE made for elementary school students:  This Revolutionary Times CSE contains approximately 180 web sites.

Try searching this site using one of the following: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Betsy Ross, revolutionary weapons....or anything else that you can think of that has to do with the American Revolution.

So, you use the CSE and think, so what? Looks like it is just searching the web! But, remember, when you search using a CSE you are ONLY searching the sites that were included in the creation of that CSE. This translates to safer searching for students and also better, more narrowed results. For students learning to do web research and navigate the internet, this allows them to be in a controlled environment while gaining the skills needed to become information literate.

ASSIGNMENT:

Now it's your turn...

1. First, watch this video about creating a Google CSE:



2. Now, come up with a varied topic that would be applicable to what you teach or hope to teach. (For example, if you hope to teach physical education, your topic might be sports. If you hope to teach elementary school, your topic might be Virginia Studies.) The varied topic will allow you to encompass a large number of sites within one CSE.

3. Next, spend some time finding some sites that fit your chosen topic. You can always add more later.

4. To get started creating your CSE you can:

• Click here to begin on your own.

OR

• Use the Google Custom Search Engine Tutorial. This page walks you through the creation of your first custom search engine and gives you a tour of the control panel.

Since this is a Google application, you can use your Google account information to log in and create your CSE. (If you don't have a Google account, you will need to set one up. Go HERE to do that.)
5. You should include at least 25 sites in your CSE. Keep in mind, however, when creating a CSE, that QUALITY is just as important as QUANTITY!

Visit the Google Custom Search Help Center   for answers to FAQ.

6. Once you are finished, be sure to post the URL (web address) and the title of your search engine on your blog page.

**The Google CSE has the potential to be a very useful and powerful tool. Its potential goes far beyond what is covered in this assignment. It can also be used collaboratively and /or integrated into a personal / business web page. If you'd like to know more, spend some time exploring the Google CSE site!

SIX: Glogster Account

Your only assignment this week is to go to Glogster and set up an account.

To do this:

Click on SIGN UP at the top right of the page.
Then, on the next screen, there is a section that asks which paid account you want... NONE!  Look right underneath of that to where it says "Single Free".  Then to the right there is a "Register Here" button.  Then, click on the TEACHER tab (it defaults to the STUDENT tab) Just fill in all the information to set up an account.  ( Use Virginia Avenue as your school).  We will be using this account in class.
Once you set up an account, you should receive a confirmation / authorization email. In order to access all of the tools on this site under the free account, you must click the link in that email to confirm. So, be sure to do that!

Need help, let me know.

FIVE: StoryBird

DUE: Monday March 19

Storybird: A new literacy tool for a new generation!

Storybirds are short, art-inspired stories you make to share, read, and print. Read them like books, play them like games, and send them like greeting cards.

Watch this video to see how to create your own:



After watching the video, take some time to look around the site at StoryBirds that have already been created!

ASSIGNMENT:

1. Create a StoryBird account.
2. Create your own StoryBird.
3. Save and publish it.
4. Post the URL to your book on your blog to share with others.
5. Blog about your StoryBird experience.

FOUR: Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is the term given to describe a second generation of the World Wide Web that is focused on the ability for people to collaborate and share information online. The internet has made a transition from being "static", point and click, to "dynamic", meaning interactive and collaborative. Many of these dynamic Web 2.0 web sites are great tools for classroom use.

Assignment:
Below is a list of Web 2.0 sites that have been identified as being great for classroom use. Please explore all of them.  You are being given no direction as to the use of each one of them but if you need help, many of them have "tours" or help sections.  You can also find tutorials for many of them on You Tube.  Once you have done that, choose three to blog about. In your blog please include a description of the site, how it works (generally) and how you feel it could best be used in the classroom. We will discuss these at our  next class.

WEb 2.0 Sites:

Build Your Wild Self

Bubbl.us

Wordle

Google Docs

Teacher Tube

Porta Portal

Create a Graph

Bibme

Gizmos This one is a paid subscription, but click Browse Gizmos at the top...and you can look a many of them for a few minutes for free.

Google Earth

Net Smartz

Tagxedo

THREE: SMARTBoard

This weeks assignment is based on the classroom lessons from the last few weeks....SMARTBoard!

Create a SMARTBoard document that covers a topic you hope to teach. The document can be as short (or as long) as it needs to be. You will present this at our next class.

In your presentation, or in the document, you must use the following:

FIVE of the following tools:

 Screen shade/ cell shade
 Camera- picture taken off the web
 Magic Pen
 Shapes/ lines
 Changing properties (color, size, transparency)
 Changing background color
 Using text
 Using a table

You must also include one item from the Activity Tool Kit (the premade activities) and, at least, three items from the Gallery.

You should have already received the link to download the SmartBoard Software. If you have not already downloaded it, pleases know that it takes some time to do this. Don't wait until the last minute!

This should be fun for you!! Can't wait to see what you come up with!