Navigating the Internet Appropriate Internet Use in the Classroom

Anyone can publish on the web! Sifting through the vast information can be difficult. Here are some strategies to help guide you in your search.

Evaluation Criteria These are the criteria to consider when evaluating a web page: Accuracy Authority Objectivity Coverage Timeliness

Accuracy Critical questions to ask Who wrote the page? Can you contact him/her? –Know the distinction between Author and webmaster. –An author writes the content of the page, a webmaster maintains it. What is the purpose of the document, why was it produced? –To give information? –To sway your opinion? –To entertain? –To advertise a product or service? Is the research documented with a bibliography? Can the information be verified?

Authority Critical questions to ask Who published the document? What is the domain of the document, what institution published the document? –Click here for information about addresses and domain names domain names.Click here for information about addresses and domain names domain names. Does the publisher list his/her qualifications?

This indicates the location of the domain. This is a government website. This indicates the name of the website. This is the Whitehouse site. WWW stands for World Wide Web. http stands for hpyertext transfer protocol. This is the method for transfer of information to your computer.

By looking at the domain extension you can determine if the information source will help with your topic..com - commercial site - You will always find advertising on this page.edu - educational site - Usually from a university.org - a non-profit organization.net - network providers.us - usually a K-12 educational institution Click here for more information about web addresses

Objectivity Is the information trying to sway your opinion? Does it give both sides of an issue, or does it consider the other side? Is there any advertising on the page? –If so, how much? –Sometimes a very good website has popups or advertising. You have to decide if it is inappropriate or too distracting. NEVER click on pop up advertisements!

Currency Is the page dated? If so, when was the last update? –Look at the bottom of the page, dates are usually found there. How current are the links? Have some links expired or moved?

Coverage What topics are covered? What does this page offer that is not found elsewhere? Can you get the information you need right away? How in-depth is the material?

Resources The following resources can be downloaded from the Teacher Resources section of the Web Safety page to use in this lesson: –Website evaluation checklist –Internet search techniques