Thing #2 Evaluate Information

As you select information, you must decide if it is correct or appropriate information to include in your project. Print materials used in school have gone through an editorial process prior to publishing and well-established evaluation processes by librarians and other educators responsible for their selection.

This is not always true about information from web sites. The very nature of the web and the ease by which anyone can add information to the web makes evaluating online information critical.


Review these sites for criteria, sample lists, and ideas for how to "teach" evaluation skills to students.

Evaluating, Selecting, and Citing Web Sources - Flash presentation

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly Or Why It's Good to Evaluate Web Sites
This link contains several things you can use in evaluating websites.
Criteria to consider.

A Webquest about Evaluating Web Sites

Much of the information from the 2.0 world is so new or changes so rapidly that blogs are sources for the information. Here is an article that focuses mainly on how to evaluate the validity of blog information.

Below is one of many YouTube videos that may help you address website evaluation. Key words "evaluate websites" will bring up a list of other videos to consider using.


Activity for you to complete:

Use two of these forms (printable or online) to evaluate ONE of the online resources you have chosen to use in creating your project. Go through the process of finding all the information necessary to declare the site a good one for each of the two forms.

Simple checklist - printable
Evaluation form - fill out on line and print results
Kathy Schrock's elementary evaluation form. More forms
Worksheet for evaluation - printable
Evaluation Wizard - input url for online evaluation.

In your blog post for Thing #2:

1. Share the results of evaluating your selected web site. Did it measure up?
2. Were there any differences in results between the two forms you chose to use?
3. Do you have any thoughts about how to make this process a natural part of the research process for your students?


So now you should be ready to "outline" your plan!

Credits:
Visual - MS Clipart j0439824.png