1. VIRTUAL TOURS Consultant:Susan Gillespie External Client:Heather Suwinski Project 5:Visual-Based Instruction

2. Standards L6-8RST9: Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic. L6-8WHST8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

3. Objectives Students will explore different websites in order to learn how to evaluate creditable websites. Students will evaluate websites with the following criteria: accuracy, authority, objectivity, and currency Students will create a comparison chart for four websites that have virtual tour components. Using the information from the comparison chart, students will write a comparison paper on two of their favorite virtual tours website.

4. Essential Questions What are virtual tours? How can virtual tours benefit students education? Why is it important to evaluate websites? What are the criteria to a creditable website? What is authority, accuracy, authority, objectivity, and currency when evaluating websites?

5. Website Credibility Procedures: Write the words “trustworthy” and “reliable” on the board. As a group, brainstorm what these words mean, how they are related, and what kinds of things might display those characteristics. Group these items into a concept map. Read the three short news briefs. After reading each one, tell the source of that information.

6. New Briefs 1. We are having a tornado drill and after that we are going to have a field trip to someplace really cool. Plus I heard that there was going to be a famous person coming to school today, but there was a bomb threat so they could not make it. (source: school bus conversations) 2. Our school is the best one around. We had the highest scores and will probably win an award. You will get to have a HUGE party to celebrate. (source: an unknown adult that is passing though) 3. We are going to have a celebration for a job well done this year. We did very well on our standardized test. We will have a pep rally on Friday. (source: principal)

7. Website Credibility Continued Students should discuss with their group and agree on one of the choices to select as a reliable source of information. Students should tell why they made their selection in the edmodo discussion blog. Using a computer with an internet connection and a projector hooked up to it, the teacher will select a website with virtual tours components and evaluate a website in a whole group setting using the given rubric.

8. Website Credibility Continued Using the same rubric as demonstrated before; students will work with a partner to evaluate four websites that have virtual tours. Students are to evaluate the websites with the following criteria: accuracy, authority, objectivity, and currency. Then they will make a comparison chart to compare and contrast the websites. Individually, the students will write a paper a comparison paper on the websites they evaluated.

9. What is a virtual tour? A virtual tour is a simulation of an existing location, usually composed of a sequence of video or still images. It may also use other multimedia elements such as sound effects, music, narration, and text.

10. What is accuracy? Accuracy tells if the information is reliable and correct, is there an editor who verifies the information. Is the information on the website error-free and dependable?

11. What is authority? What are the author’s qualifications,credentials and connections to the subject? Is there a contact person or address available? Can the webmaster be contacted easily?

12. What is objectivity? Is the material presented in a unbalanced manner which is only one side of an issue? Is the information an opinion? Is there advertising on the page? What is the purpose of the site: to sell, to inform, to persuade?

13. What is currency? How current are the links? Have any dates expired or moved?

14. Website Evaluation Rubric Name______________________Date________________ Website Evaluation Rubric Name of site: ___________________________________ URL: __________________________________________ Type of site: (personal, organization, government, company, etc.)_______________________ Purpose of the website: (to give information to help you learn, to try to sell something, to try to change your opinion about something, etc.)_______________________________________

15. Website Evaluation Rubric Continued Virtual Tour component: was it user friendly, page lay-out organized, easy to navigate, right about of information, engaging, use of colors and font correctly Rank the website in the following areas using this scale: 1 Horrible 2 Poor 3 OK4 Good 5 Excellent Accuracy- Design of Website Looks official (no spelling mistakes, clear format, good graphics) _________ Moves from page to page easily________________ Objectivity Non-bias information__________ Are there facts on the page that you were looking for? __________ Links to other websites useful ______________ Information useful Authority-Credibility Author’s name and email address are given_________________ Name of the organization sponsoring the page is given_______________ Currency- Up-to-Date Gives a recent date for the last time the page was updated._________________ Links to other websites current________________________

16. Example of a Virtual Tour Comparison Chart Components of Visual Literacy Smithsonian The Henry Ford Museum Online ExhibitsThe Henry Ford Museum Online Exhibits Anne Frank Museum Amsterdam - the official Anne Frank HouseAnne Frank Museum Amsterdam - the official Anne Frank House... Virtual Tour - Martin Luther King Jr. National HistoricMartin Use of visualsequal amount of texts and graphics, visuals appealing to the eye more texts than visuals, lot of advertisements, excellent pictures in video, scrolling pictures across the top, equal number of visual as texts very few visual on front page

17. Comparison Chart Continued Page layoutthree column format busyness, tab buttons across the top, and up and down two column format positive and negative spaces, three column format Use of colors and fonts complementary color; appropriate use of font for the tone of the information on the website small font, small visuals good color contrast, appropriate size font simple fonts and appropriate colors for the tone of the website

18. Virtual Tour Comparison Chart Ease of Navigation tabs were across the top of page, no dead links, did not have to search for hidden links dead links not easy to maneuver, too a while before pages uploaded easy to get back to home page, scroll over key words more information appears dead links under the teacher’s resource tab, several requested pages not found Current Informationlast posted modified, calendar had current events, no expired events posted information and dates current up-to-date information, it even acknowledge it would have been Anne Frank’s 84 th birthday up-to-date information, calendar of events

19. References Georgia Common Core Standards retrieved at http://www.georgiastandards.org http://www.georgiastandards.org Golombisky, K., & Hagen, R. (2010). White space is not your enemy: a beginner’s guide to communicating visually through graphic, web & multimedia design. MA: Focal Press. Kobre, K. (2012). Videojournalism: multimedia storytelling. MA: Focal Press. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Reading Room retrieved http://www/loc.gov/rr/printhttp://www/loc.gov/rr/print