Teaching
Guide :
Aim:
The
purpose of this module is to provide WIT participants with an
understanding of what makes a good web site and to later apply
this knowledge when developing their own site.
Rationale:
The
critical evaluation of web sites is essential when using these
sites to plan lessons and activities for children's use.
Subject
Matter: Criteria,
developed by the American Library Association, are presented for
use in evaluating web sites.
Audience:
Participants in WIT Basic
Learning
Objectives:
Participants will read and consider the introduction to evaluating
internet resources, with a focus on bias and credibility of information
Participants will evaluate web sites and identify which are appropriate
for children's use.
Participants will assign a rubric score to each evaluated web
site .
Materials:
Handout: a copy of the Site Critique Checklist (one copy will
be available in the handouts; more can be printed)
Computer resources - computer with internet access, printer
Time - the time varies depending on the component of the module
used. 1 -1 1/2 hours
The
Instructional Plan:
Activity
1: Read
and Discuss Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites.
Divide participants into groups of three to four and give them
about 30 minutes to discuss. (Keep an eye on the groups and stop
the discussion early (or let it go on) depending on how productive
it is. Help groups be aware of the time and make sure groups don't
get bogged down. Tell the groups to have one person be a scribe
(that is, take notes on the discussion) and a different person
be responsible for reporting back to the whole group.
After the small group discussion is over, have participants return
to the whole group and take responses from the reporters. Take
one response from each group in a round robin fashion until all
answers have been shared. Do the same for the second two questions.
Activity
2:
Evaluating
A Website Using The Site Critique Checklist
Part A of this activity will be done independently. It should
take about 20-30 minutes depending on how long people spend at
each site. After participants have had time to review sites, circulate
and note what site people want to evaluate, so that you can match
up partners who are reviewing the same site. If this becomes cumbersome,
you may scrap this part and just let partners compare/discuss
their evaluations of their different sites. Part B should take
about 10-15 minutes.
Activity
3: Assigning
a score to a site..
This is really an optional activity, if you think it is worthwhile.
I feel a bit iffy about it, but I thought it might be nice to
give a shorhand indication of the desirablity of the site and
also to get the point across that a site could be excellent (even
perfect score) but not be appropirate for use in the classroom
for a variety of reasons. This should only take five to ten minutes.
