2

• Technology can provide the means for active, authentic learning through investigation in the classroom and in the field
• Flexibility is required for effective thinkers-- Emerging and rapidly changing technologies demand individuals who are prepared to experiment, adopt, or discard technology tools as they appear, evolve, become successfully entrenched, or fall by the wayside (14)
• How to use the Internet as a source of information for meaningful learning
• The teacher must model the process of asking questions, such as who, what, when, and where, to identify search terms that are associated with the problem
• As students navigate the Internet, they must think about the information they encounter and how it relates to their existing knowledge
• How to use the Internet as a source for information: (1) Equip students with the skills to search effectively; (2) Know whether a web site is reputable and contains accurate information
• Teaching effective research skills will decrease the likelihood that students will access inappropriate sites
• Online simulations
  

Prior to reading the chapter, I did not realize that children actually need to be taught how to distinguish between "good" and "bad" web sites. I had never considered that it is the teacher's responsibility to help students gain the skills needed to effectively evaluate a web site and determine if the information is valid. This encouraged me to create a plan of how I would teach this to my students. To begin with, I like the idea of incorporating WebQuests in my classroom (25). I would create a WebQuest on how to evaluate a web site. In addition to criteria for web site evaluation, I would also include a list of several sites for students to evaluate. For example, I would ask students to visit the two web sites posted on the WebQuest of the same topic, with one being valid and the other "bad." Using the aforementioned criteria, I would have students determine which is the credible source. UPDATE: I modified an existing WebQuest on how to evaluate a website to better fit my view of how I plan to approach the subject in my classroom: http://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AdGcUjfT_XtWZGZrNnRjcGdfMmcyYzN4Y2d0&hl=en.

While searching the Internet for ways to teach children how to evaluate a website, I came across this page: http://www.radcab.com/. The design of the page immediately caught my attention, and I found it to be appealing to the eyes with its bright colors and cartoon-like images. In fact, I plan to create a poster using the information and graphics to hang in my classroom in the computer area. I like that the site offers a mnemonic acronym for web site information evaluation accompanied by a brief description that children can understand.

RADCAB - Your Vehicle for Information Evaluation

Relevancy- Am I on the right track? Is the information related to my purpose?

Appropriateness- Is the information appropriate for my age?

Detail- How much information do I need?

Currency- Is the information up-to-date? When was it published or updated?

Authority- Who is the author? What are his qualifications?

Bias- Why was this information written? Was it written to inform me, persuade me, entertain me, or sell me something?

The chapter also encouraged me to consider taking virtual field trips in the classroom. I was introduced to the EarthCam web site (http://www.earthcam.com/) in EME 2040. This would be great to incorporate in the classroom, especially when studying Geography.

I am concerned that, as a teacher, I am expected to keep up with the latest technologies; however, I cannot even keep up with the technologies that are widely used today. I am not familiar with how to use an iPod or GPS system, for example. In fact, I do not enjoy using my cell phone often. Furthermore, there is the issue of how I would obtain these mobile technologies to familiarize myself with them.