Janet Lanham, LMS Fairdale Elementary Fairdale, KY

Janet Lanham, LMS Fairdale Elementary Fairdale, KY janet.lanham@jefferson.kyschools.us

What does ‘evaluate’ mean? e·val·u·ate e·val·u·at·ed, e·val·u·at·ing, e·val·u·ates 1. To determine or fix the value or worth of. 2. To examine and judge carefully; appraise. See Synonyms at estimate.estimate 3. Mathematics To calculate the numerical value of; express numerically. ---The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.Houghton Mifflin Company

A book is a set of pages bound together. Each page has part of the information or story, depending on if it’s fiction or non-fiction. To go from one page to another, you turn the page from a corner. A Web site is a set of Web pages that are linked together on the Internet. Each page has part of the information for the site. To go from one Web page to another, you usually click on words, buttons, or pictures called icons.

When you are looking for a book, you can go to a library or a bookstore. When you are looking for a Web site, you log on to the Internet. The World Wide Web is the part of the Internet that most people use. (That’s why most Internet addresses begin with http://www.)

In a book, we usually use the Table of Contents to find the pages we need. The Table of Contents is in the front part of the book. On a Web site, the home page is the starting place. It has the links that will help us find the Web pages we need. Let’s see an example. http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/

We use the Internet to do research and we need to know: 1. Is the information on the Web site reliable and true? 2. What was the author’s purpose for posting the Web site on the Internet? 3. Is the Web site easy and enjoyable to use? 4. How does it compare to other Web sites?

 In our library, Ms. Lanham orders the books. She has a college degree in library science and has been trained to select good quality books. The Internet is like a virtual library. Anyone can add a Web site; you don’t have to have a special degree.  Fairdale students check out books from our library. The books are chosen to be on our reading levels. Anyone can have access to (visit) Web sites. Sites may or may not be on our reading levels. [Certain types of Web sites require that you register or join before you have full access rights. ]

 When reference or non-fiction books are added to the library, they have already been checked by fact-checkers, editors, and publishers. Ms. Lanham reads book reviews to make sure she buys good books for us. She also monitors the books to make sure they stay useful and in good shape.  On the Internet, it is possible to post Web sites that no one edits, approves, reviews, or monitors. What does that tell us?

 No editing or fact-checking : Some Web sites could have mistakes in the information.  No reviews: We can’t check to see if a Web site is considered good or bad. We have to decide for ourselves.  No monitoring: The information might not be right anymore. The Web site links might not work as they should.

When you choose a book from our library, you usually compare it to several others before picking the one you like the best. What things do you think about when selecting the best book for you? (Let’s think about non- fiction books.)

Books about bears can be very different indeed! We have to pick the one that has the kind of information we need. We might also look to see if a book has enough or too many pictures. Some books might be too hard or too easy for us to read. It’s just as important to compare Web sites to make sure we are selecting the best one for our needs.

Let’s read this book and find out just what we can do to be able to tell if a Web site is the right one for us!

Let’s think about what we learned in The Strangest Dinosaur That Never Was by Marilyn Arnone. We can use the tips Mac and Sandy came up with to help us evaluate Web sites. How about starting with our own Fairdale Elementary site?

Clue # 1: Does the information make sense with what we already know? Is it factual ? (Remember, factual means true.) http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/Elementary/Fairdale/wel come.html

Clue # 2: Is there enough of the information you need? http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/Elementary/Fairdale/welcome.html

Clue # 3: Can you tell when the Web site was updated? Is the information new enough to be reliable? http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/Elementary/Fairdale/welcome.html

Clue # 4: Does it look good? Do the buttons and links work correctly? http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/Elementary/Fairdale/welcome.html

Clue # 5: Can you find the author’s name? Is there a way to contact the author if you have questions about the site? http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/Elementary/Fairdale/wel come.html

Clue # 6: Can you contact an expert? Who is the expert on Fairdale Elementary? Is the site connected to people or organizations we know and trust? http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/Elementary/Fairdale/welc ome.html

Why are Web sites posted on the Internet?  To share information.  To entertain (Eko Jasti!)  To change our minds or convince us of something.  To connect us to people.  To sell us something. Be sure to consider the author’s purpose for posting a Web site before deciding if you can trust the information on it!

 Just because something is on the Internet, that doesn’t mean it is true or factual! The first Web site you find might not be the best one for you to use.  You have to evaluate and compare Web sites to find the best information for you! Good luck!