Understanding the “Grammar” of the Internet

“The Internet is the wild, wild West of information

Students need to learn :

Meta-Web Information a way to develop the critical thinking skills of understanding the structure of the information on the Internet and how to cross-reference the sourceAuthorsPurpose

and there is no sheriff in town !!

Let’s Talk Tech

Working protocol URL- universal

resource locator (indicator or address)

Aka- web address

Domain names:What do they

mean?www.shschicago.orgwww.uiowa.eduwww.chicagocubs.comwww.whitehouse.govCountry codes –

domain extensions

As with books, there are Internet equivalentsof footnotes, indexes, and bibliographies

Invent a domain name E-VENTURE Think of a domain

name to advertise yourself.

See if it is available at www.register.comor EasyDNS.com

Check all domain extensions

Which ones exist and who owns them?

AUTHOR

The Story of Zach http:// pubweb.

northwestern.edu/~butz/di/intro.html

Internet addresses begin with general information and end with the specific

Easy who is

Author’s name should be clearly stated

Source for information should be stated where necessary

Email address should be provided for questions

Wayback machine

Dissecting a web address

Does he have expertise?

Credit : Alan November, Web Literacy for Educators

Purpose

What is the site trying to accomplish?Sell? Present information? Advocate ideas? Entertain?

What is the difference between advocacy and objectivity?

Does advertising overshadow the content?

What We Should look for…

1. Accuracy -

2.Authority-

3. Objectivity-

4. Currency -

5. Coverage -

Author and “contact us “ section

Credentials? URL? Where does it come from?

Why was it written? Purpose? Is there advertising?

Is it current? When last updated? Dead links?

Is there a fee? Is it text only? Software necessary?

Image: http://www.lessonpaths.com/learn/i/explore-the-topic/radcab-2

Readable• Is this a “just-right” resource for me?• Can I understand the information on my own, or with a little help?• Is it “kid-friendly”?

Trustworthy• Can I find an author or publisher name?• Do I recognize the resource? ( URL, publisher, author,name)• Is the information current? What is the copyright date?• Can I find at least one other source with the same information?Useful• Does this resource have what I am looking for?• Does it follow my research plan?• Do I need it?

source: Bailldon, Mark and Rindi. Guiding Independence:Developing a Research tool to support Student Decision making

When deciding to use a resource for your research project, ask yourself the following questions

Research Resource Guide Sheet

Terms you should know

URLIP address

BiasDomain Name

ExtensionReadabilityAdvocacy

Using an example of a site we looked at earlier, see if you can apply some of these concepts to this web address: www.globalwarming.org

E-venture Comparing sites First, what you can you describe from the

following URLs without even clicking on them?

Global Warming #1 Global Warming #2 Global Warming #3 Global Warming #4With a partner, rank the usefulness of each

site based on the criteria you have determined.

Share your information and support your rankings with

Evidence.

A Good Mnemonic

R

E

A

L

Read the URLDo you recognize the domain name?What is the extension in the domain name?Are you on a personal page?

Examine the contentIs the information on the site helpful?Does the site have more resources & links? Do the links work?Is the site upto date/ can you tell when it was last update?Is the information correct/Are the facts different from information you have found elsewhere?

Ask about the author and ownerIs the author’s name on the site?Is there a contact person or e-mail address?Is there any information about the author/Does the author know the topic well? Is he or she an expert?

Look at the Links

Bibliography

ALSC Children and Technology Committee.”Selection Criteria,”Great Sites. http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/criteria.html

.Baildon, Mark and Rindi. “Guiding Independence: Developing a Research Tool to Support Student Decision Making in Selection Online Information Sources. The Reading Teacher. Vol. 61, No.8. May , 2008 . Pgs. 636-647

November, Alan. Empowering Students With Technology. Pearson Education:2001.Schrock, Kathleen. Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators,”Critical Evaluation of a Website Middle School Level.” http://discoveryschool.com/schrockguide/evalmidd.html January 15,2008