Journal Post #5 Researching and Evaluating Internet Information

Photo Credit to David Erickson on Flickr

Focus Question

What are search engines and how do they work?

According to the book, a search engine “retrieves information from the internet”. When you type something into the search bar of Google or Bing, what comes up? Generally a compilation of various sites that include your search terms will be listed.  The major benefit of search engines is that they are incredibly fast. The time that it would take you to search through hundreds of library books is no longer necessary. In a matter of seconds you’re provided a plethora of search results to choose from. If you’re looking for more education based results, you can always use library database search engines or refer to education blog sites such as Edutopia.

Photo Credit to Nando Quintana on Flickr

Tech Tool 5.2

                Tech Tool 5.2 is titled “customizing your web browser with iGoogle.” iGoogle allows you to make your homepage more relevant to your own personal interests. You are able to link to the sites you use daily, so that when you open your browser the links are already there and you’re ready to go. This eliminates any time wasted trying to remember the various sites you use weekly. Additionally, you’re able to choose your own theme which changes the background and the colors of the page. You can also add search engines for easier access to the internet. To me this seems very similar to the Symbaloo and Delicious sites we’ve used in class. Personally I think I’d prefer Symbaloo and Delicious because you’re able to log into them from any computer no matter where you are. Overall I think that iGoogle is great for your home computer, but I definitely think that there are better options.

Photo Credit to Astronomy Blog on Flickr

Summary

                Chapter five discusses researching and evaluating internet information. The first section discusses search engines and how they work. The books goes into detail about how to use keywords and how to find results that are relevant to the information you’re looking for. Another big section in this chapter discusses plagiarism. While it is okay to use someone else’s work, we must give them due credit by using quotation marks and listing references. This section of the chapter discusses the importance of discussing plagiarism with students prior to having them complete assignments. By mentioning the issues caused by plagiarism prior to having them turn things in, teachers are hopefully able to stop some of the issues before they get a chance to occur. Aside from plagiarism, another big issue discussed is misinformation and using sites that aren’t credible. It is important to mention that sites that aren’t current or accurate are not to be used. A good way to discuss this is by teaching the acronym “AAOCC” (Accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage). The chapter then ends with a potentional lesson plan involving technology in the classroom at a middle school or high school level.

References

Maloy, R. W. (2011). Researching and Evaluating Internet Information. Transforming learning with new technologies (p. 112). Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.