exploring and evaluating online resources february 2012
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Outcomes
By the end of today’s session, you will have:
Strategies to help your students evaluate websites
Strategies to help your students improve their Google searches
An awareness of student-friendly resources beyond Google
Agenda
Evaluating Websites
Improving Google Searches
Alternatives to Google
Online Resources Available Through Knowledge Ontario / School Board Library Sites
Discussion
What are some of the issues / challenges your students will face when searching the internet?
Issues students face in searching:---------
A search for
Immigrants Toronto
in Google…
…yields over 14.5 million results!
Evaluation of Websites
How could a student be tricked into thinking that these sites are real?
Tree Octopushttp://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/
Martin Luther Kinghttp://www.martinlutherking.org/
Tools for Evaluating Websiteshttp://go.utlib.ca/cat/5993033
pp. 31-32
Improving Google Searches
Improving Google Searches
- (to exclude) “ ” (phrase search)
OR
google site:.edu
* (Obama voted * on the * bill)
http://www.askkids.com/
http://kids.yahoo.com/
http://quinturakids.com/
http://www.quintura.com/
http://www.yippy.com/
http://www.dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/
Activity
What makes this search engine better / worse than Google (for your students)?
Be prepared to share your findings with the class.
Activity
http://www.askkids.com/
http://kids.yahoo.com/
http://yippy.com/
http://www.quintura.com/
http://www.dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/
Free Internet vs. Licensed Resources
Internet Licensed Resources
No editor or gatekeeper (not filtered)
Sponsored hits / advertising
No censorship (no criteria – anyone can post anything)
Professionally created / edited
Materials carefully selected (censorship; quality control)
Current / continuously updated
Indexed with Subject Headings
What are KO Licensed Databases?
http://eresources.knowledgeontario.ca
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/libraries/cat.asp?schoolNo=9
Licensed Databases
Other things to Consider…
The importance of…
Formulating a clear research question / topic (pages 12 – 16 of Research Success @ Your Library)
Selecting the “right” keywords and synonyms (see pages 10 & 11 of Research Success @ Your Library)
Other things to Consider…
Creating effective search strategies (pages 21 & 22 of Research Success @ Your Library)
These slides are available online