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

Reflection and Evaluation

Just as you have been asked to reflect and evaluate your own work in the previous programs, you will want to reflect upon the journey you took in creating this project and all the preparation it took to achieve it.

Even more importantly, you will want to build an evaluation piece or rubric for the student-created version of whatever it is you have designed for them to do. RubiStar is one such source for creating rubrics for project-based assessments. To use it you must register for a free account. Here is a tutorial on how to create a rubric.

Here is more information on creating rubrics along with some samples and links to templates
Here is a simple checklist that may prompt you in thinking about evaluating student projects.
Kathy Schrock has information and several templates to use in creating evaluation pieces.


For your final post for Library2Play 3:

Reflect back on this paragraph from the opening screen of L2P3

An even MORE important aspect of this particular professional development activity is that it will provide you with a concise guide to share with other teachers and learners in your circle of influence that are interested in doing similar things with their students. You will be able to point them to your blog where they can see the steps you went through and the kinds of questions you worked through in building your product.

1. How did analyzing each portion of your project as you worked through it aid you in thinking about how to help students (and other teachers) create their own technology-enhanced projects.
2. How do you anticipate using your series of blog posts and the L2P3 blog itself in the future?
3. Describe one other way you anticipate helping others grow in using technology.
4. The success of the 23 Things program has been established. How did the "23 Things" format translate to this type of program that was more systematic?