169 tech-centric situations—tech topics most important to your teaching as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations
Today’s tip: Evaluate websites
Category: Parents
When students use the internet to research a topic, likely they get hundreds—or thousands—of possible resources. Beyond selecting based on key words and extensions (such as selecting websites that end in .edu and .gov), how can they make choices that will inform their learning rather than misguide it?
Here’s a poster with seven tips on how to evaluate websites:
- Is the author knowledgeable?
- Is the website publisher credible (one the student knows to be accurate)?
- Is content accurate (based on student knowledge)?
- Does the content include a depth of knowledge on the subject?
- Is the information included on the website up to date? The definition of ‘up to date’ will vary with the topic. History probably doesn’t change much, but science might (such as Pluto is no longer a planet).
- Is the website unbiased? Are they sharing information so readers can draw their own conclusion or trying to get them to agree with an agenda?
- Is the website age-appropriate? Does it use words and concepts that fit the age group that will be using it?
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Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, Amazon Vine reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
That is all good advice. However, regarding Pluto it wasn’t really the science itself that changed but rather it was how IAU defined a planet that was updated/clarified. However, the new definition does not work well for exo planets so we may be up for another change of the definition.