Fact, Opinion, Bias?
Internet safety is such an important aspect of the teaching and learning processes of my classroom. The Connecticut State Police offer an hour-long program interacting with students about the hidden dangers of the “5 W’s and the H” questions (who, what, when, where, why, and how?) when it comes to social networking within the vast world of the internet. My district is extremely responsible when it comes to educating students and parents about some of the hidden dangers their children might face when allowed to surf and discover without limits. As their classroom teacher, it is my responsibility to be sure that students understand the power they have to make good decisions.
Internet safety is such an important aspect of the teaching and learning processes of my classroom. The Connecticut State Police offer an hour-long program interacting with students about the hidden dangers of the “5 W’s and the H” questions (who, what, when, where, why, and how?) when it comes to social networking within the vast world of the internet. My district is extremely responsible when it comes to educating students and parents about some of the hidden dangers their children might face when allowed to surf and discover without limits. As their classroom teacher, it is my responsibility to be sure that students understand the power they have to make good decisions.
I find it necessary to dedicate two class sessions at the beginning of the academic year to show students how to choose sites based on FACT vs. OPINION criteria in order to be approved within my classroom. I have a step-by-step evaluation rubric with the goal of the 2-day lesson: Students will understand that not everything posted to the Web and at their fingertips is appropriate for use within my English classroom for their web-questing biographies, persuasive brochures, literary essay analyses, and mini-advertising campaigns, and written project work. In cooperative groups, students are given multiple sites, (some containing true bias and questionable objectivity for instance), and other sites which are the bona fide super-sites.
Scaffold That Journey
There are cases where I need to quickly focus students for particular research where I have pre-approved posted sites – completing the evaluation process for them. According to the recommendations of Schrum and Levin (2009) in their book, Leading 21st Century Schools, it is critical that teachers properly evaluate fact vs. opinion in addition to the “authority, accuracy, objectivity, and currency,” of a web page prior to approving and posting a site for classroom use by students. I find it best to organize pre-approved sites by topic, in the interest of time, directly to my classroom interactive Web page: https://sharedserver.rsd17.org/teacherwebpages/lynnelandry/default.aspx.
While I show my students the proper evaluation criteria in total, in the event they must take a look at sites for other classes in the 8th grade, I do find that pre-approving eliminates the question and any parent concerns that their children might be spending too much time in the search, rather than writing to the topic at hand. It is just plain more appropriate at these fragile ages: 12, 13, and 14. Too much can be left to the imagination when the focus needs to be on completing the assignment for that superior synthesis learning for my Millenials.
I have put my criteria measurements to the test here as an illustration. Again, thanks to Schrum and Levin (2009) for their organization of four major criteria evaluators necessary to be sure sites are appropriate for the teaching and learning in my 21st century classroom. I frequently use the website: Oracle Thinkquest http://www.thinkquest.org/
Authority
The site clearly shows the organization responsible for site contents. There is a link within the site which describes the goals of the organization. The site clearly displays postal address information and phone number contacts, in addition to an email address. The official approval of the organization is clearly noted on the website. The fact that this is a national organization is clearly noted as well. Copyright holder information is noted, “ In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/, the Foundation has designated an agent to receive notifications of alleged copyright infringement associated with the Site.” (http://www.thinkquest.org) There is a full page link associate with this copyright notation. This information is crucial when evaluating the authority within a particular website.
Accuracy
The sources for facts are varied and presented in order to validate accuracies. One would be hard-pressed to find any type of grammatical or typographical errors of any kind. Quality-control efforts would certainly be of the highest order for a company like Oracle, Inc. sponsoring an education website. I’ve done the homework. Not only was Oracle part of my national accounts service in my former life as a health benefits consultant at Aetna, Inc., its reputation within the technology world is well-known to those not living under a rock…
Ojectivity
Oracle fully supports this education website and does not rely at all on sponsorships or advertising of any kind. This objectivity serves to avoid any type of bias whatsoever. With contributing partners like Apple and Google, there is an added sense of Web responsibility. The contributor and partner company names are listed without flash, just as a matter of note on the last page link of the site. No sales pitches, just a name to indicate a partnership of promotion, delivery and support is provided.
Currency
Privacy policies and date updates are included within the site.
Stay or Go?
Based on this evaluation I would continue to keep this website within my repertoire. It is and will continue to be posted on my student accessible website. I have a responsibility to my students to show them how to evaluate source information for themselves – and to be that model for them with the sites I link them to within my Web 2.0 classroom. This is an exemplar for them!
Who Will Step Up to Journey Where Others are Now Going?
Schrum and Levin (2009) quote Anne Davis of Georgia State University regarding the need for teachers to be the forerunners to provide the framework to understand “responsible weblog use.” (p. 131) “We need courageous leaders who are willing to explore the strengths and weaknesses of this medium. Our students live in a world where they will have access to increasingly more powerful communication tools. Who should teach them how to manage the power of these tools? We have come face to face with technologies that are now threatening the existing culture of teaching and learning. [Will we] carefully analyze the risks of moving forward to provide powerful role models for our students[?]” (p. 132)
PLCs, Cooperation and Our Future
Right now - at this very minute - in Connecticut, our new governor, Mr. Dannel P. Malloy is critically evaluating how teachers will be paid, kept, rewarded, and admonished for their teaching practices. It will be a difficult road ahead when teachers’ unions, administrators, policymakers, and the individual teachers themselves must forge ahead amidst our difficult economy. Once again, balancing budget on the backs of our education system is called up as an option. Wisconsin really is just next door…Oh, and by the way - what other profession MUST an individual be required to pay for extended education credits in order to, oh yes, simply keep their job? I don’t agree that a teacher earning $90,000 should be permitted to ride out until retirement. It becomes the responsibility of those of us within a teaming structure, those willing to spend the time to learn the Web 2.0 technologies, to offer senior colleagues our help. Teaching and learning should be a continuous cycle. One can teach an "old dog" new tricks; patience, understanding, kindness, and constructive criticism is offered to our students – our colleagues could benefit from that as well. Teaming teachers together in professional learning communities (PLCs) is a great start within the process to begin incorporating Web 2.0 across the initial to professional educator certified teacher gamut within our Connecticut schools. I’m ready to partner that. I’m willing to be a teacher-partner to my colleagues who need the nudge to forge ahead for the Millenials and Gen Z-ers we serve within our practices.
Scaffold That Journey
There are cases where I need to quickly focus students for particular research where I have pre-approved posted sites – completing the evaluation process for them. According to the recommendations of Schrum and Levin (2009) in their book, Leading 21st Century Schools, it is critical that teachers properly evaluate fact vs. opinion in addition to the “authority, accuracy, objectivity, and currency,” of a web page prior to approving and posting a site for classroom use by students. I find it best to organize pre-approved sites by topic, in the interest of time, directly to my classroom interactive Web page: https://sharedserver.rsd17.org/teacherwebpages/lynnelandry/default.aspx.
While I show my students the proper evaluation criteria in total, in the event they must take a look at sites for other classes in the 8th grade, I do find that pre-approving eliminates the question and any parent concerns that their children might be spending too much time in the search, rather than writing to the topic at hand. It is just plain more appropriate at these fragile ages: 12, 13, and 14. Too much can be left to the imagination when the focus needs to be on completing the assignment for that superior synthesis learning for my Millenials.
I have put my criteria measurements to the test here as an illustration. Again, thanks to Schrum and Levin (2009) for their organization of four major criteria evaluators necessary to be sure sites are appropriate for the teaching and learning in my 21st century classroom. I frequently use the website: Oracle Thinkquest http://www.thinkquest.org/
Authority
The site clearly shows the organization responsible for site contents. There is a link within the site which describes the goals of the organization. The site clearly displays postal address information and phone number contacts, in addition to an email address. The official approval of the organization is clearly noted on the website. The fact that this is a national organization is clearly noted as well. Copyright holder information is noted, “ In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/, the Foundation has designated an agent to receive notifications of alleged copyright infringement associated with the Site.” (http://www.thinkquest.org) There is a full page link associate with this copyright notation. This information is crucial when evaluating the authority within a particular website.
Accuracy
The sources for facts are varied and presented in order to validate accuracies. One would be hard-pressed to find any type of grammatical or typographical errors of any kind. Quality-control efforts would certainly be of the highest order for a company like Oracle, Inc. sponsoring an education website. I’ve done the homework. Not only was Oracle part of my national accounts service in my former life as a health benefits consultant at Aetna, Inc., its reputation within the technology world is well-known to those not living under a rock…
Ojectivity
Oracle fully supports this education website and does not rely at all on sponsorships or advertising of any kind. This objectivity serves to avoid any type of bias whatsoever. With contributing partners like Apple and Google, there is an added sense of Web responsibility. The contributor and partner company names are listed without flash, just as a matter of note on the last page link of the site. No sales pitches, just a name to indicate a partnership of promotion, delivery and support is provided.
Currency
Privacy policies and date updates are included within the site.
Stay or Go?
Based on this evaluation I would continue to keep this website within my repertoire. It is and will continue to be posted on my student accessible website. I have a responsibility to my students to show them how to evaluate source information for themselves – and to be that model for them with the sites I link them to within my Web 2.0 classroom. This is an exemplar for them!
Who Will Step Up to Journey Where Others are Now Going?
Schrum and Levin (2009) quote Anne Davis of Georgia State University regarding the need for teachers to be the forerunners to provide the framework to understand “responsible weblog use.” (p. 131) “We need courageous leaders who are willing to explore the strengths and weaknesses of this medium. Our students live in a world where they will have access to increasingly more powerful communication tools. Who should teach them how to manage the power of these tools? We have come face to face with technologies that are now threatening the existing culture of teaching and learning. [Will we] carefully analyze the risks of moving forward to provide powerful role models for our students[?]” (p. 132)
PLCs, Cooperation and Our Future
Right now - at this very minute - in Connecticut, our new governor, Mr. Dannel P. Malloy is critically evaluating how teachers will be paid, kept, rewarded, and admonished for their teaching practices. It will be a difficult road ahead when teachers’ unions, administrators, policymakers, and the individual teachers themselves must forge ahead amidst our difficult economy. Once again, balancing budget on the backs of our education system is called up as an option. Wisconsin really is just next door…Oh, and by the way - what other profession MUST an individual be required to pay for extended education credits in order to, oh yes, simply keep their job? I don’t agree that a teacher earning $90,000 should be permitted to ride out until retirement. It becomes the responsibility of those of us within a teaming structure, those willing to spend the time to learn the Web 2.0 technologies, to offer senior colleagues our help. Teaching and learning should be a continuous cycle. One can teach an "old dog" new tricks; patience, understanding, kindness, and constructive criticism is offered to our students – our colleagues could benefit from that as well. Teaming teachers together in professional learning communities (PLCs) is a great start within the process to begin incorporating Web 2.0 across the initial to professional educator certified teacher gamut within our Connecticut schools. I’m ready to partner that. I’m willing to be a teacher-partner to my colleagues who need the nudge to forge ahead for the Millenials and Gen Z-ers we serve within our practices.
Igniting the fire from within begins with just one teacher who has the passion to make a difference within her classroom...Are you with me?
Sources:
Schrum, L. & Levin, B.B. (2009). Leading 21st century schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Oracle Thinkquest Education Foundation. Retrieved February 20, 2011 from http://www.thinkquest.org.
Schrum, L. & Levin, B.B. (2009). Leading 21st century schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Oracle Thinkquest Education Foundation. Retrieved February 20, 2011 from http://www.thinkquest.org.
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