Information Literacy Class (11/29)

Here's today's agenda:

1) Cool Math Games

-choose a game to play (5 minutes)

2) Watch Elizabeth Gilbert's talk on Creativity

-Do we tend to put creative people (directors, actors, musicians, etc.)

on a pedestal?

-Do we tear them down if they don't live up to our expectations?

-Think about athletes, do we not label them some of them the "greatest"?

-Do they hold their athletic ability forever?

3) Evaluating Sources Lesson:

a) Go to Evaluating Web Sites

b) Each student must evaluate each website for content, authority, reliability,

and design.

c) Each student must complete the evaluation chart according to their role

(I've downloaded the chart onto my website)

C = Content * Is the information accurate? Compare it with other sources. * Do you still need more information? * Is it current? Is the date of creation/update given? (How important is the date for this topic?) . * Is the treatment shallow or scholarly? * Is this the best source for this information? Books, periodicals, webpages all are "best" at certain types of information.

A = Authority * Who is the author? * Are the author's credentials given? * Is the author an expert? * Can you contact the author? * Has the author published widely? * For a webpage, you may have to go back to the homepage to figure out who / what agency is responsible for the site. * Do a search on the web to find out about the author / organization. * Look the site up with Network Solutions to find out who runs it / owns it * Are the sources / bibliography given? * Are they scholarly sources? * Can you verify the sources? * For a webpage, who links to it? (Check by using Google - in the search screen putlink:webaddress) You may be able to judge a site by those that link to it. * Are there links to other sites? * Can you make any conclusions based on the type and strength of these sites? * Enter the author's name into listserv and newsgroup archives to find out what he/she might have posted.

R = Reliability * Is it biased? * Does it present all sides of the argument / situation? * Are opinions presented as facts? * Is it from a reliable source that has done prescreening (library, virtual library, university professor, professional journal, specialized database) * What is its purpose? Is it investigating an issue, examining different viewpoints, or arguing a point? * What is the domain? You can often but NOT always tell the purpose of a site by its domain: .gov .com .org .edu

D = Design * Do the links work - both the internal navigation links and links to other sites? * Is the site overly concerned with graphics and less about content? * Does the glitz get in the way? * Are there errors in spelling, grammar or syntax? * Do the colors and graphics enhance the purpose of the site? * Is the site user-friendly and easy to use? * Is the design of the site consistent throughout all the pages?

Information Literacy Class 11/22

Agenda for 11/22:

1) Warm Up: wordle.net

-click "Create your own"

-enter as many words as you can think of to describe yourself and your

world.

2) Post Links on Your Website:

a) create a link to my website

b) create a link to this blog

c) create a link to your wordle

3) Evaluating Sources Lesson:

a) Go to Evaluating Web Sites

b) In groups of 4, students will evaluate websites. Each student will have a

specific role within the group (content specialist, authority/credibility

specialist, bias/purpose specialist, viability/design specialist).

c) Each student must complete the evaluation chart according to their role

(I've downloaded the chart onto my website)

Information Literacy Class (11/18)

Here's what we accomplished on the second day of class:

1) Warm Up: minute to win it

2) Appropriate Use of the Internet Lesson

-Read "Internet Safety for Teens"

-Answer the following questions in complete sentences:

a) What does it mean "you are a commodity"?

b) How can people find information about you even if you have deleted

it?

c) List at least three pieces of information you should never have on

your website, blog, facebook page, etc.?

d) Explain, in a well constructed paragraph, how information becomes

permanent on the internet.

KEEP YOURSELF SAFE OUT THERE, FOLKS!

3) Continue w/ Website Creation (weebly.com)

-please see me for a website rubric (also on my website)

First Day of Information Literacy Class (11/16)

If you missed class (or maybe just curious about what happened), here's today's agenda:

1) Warm Up: List 3 technological innovations you would miss the most if you were born 20 years earlier.

2) Classroom Expectations/Syllabus (link takes you to my website; download syllabus under "Attachments")

3) Watch "Changing Education Paradigms"

-Does our education system kill creativity?

-What does this video mention about the class's essential 4 C's (communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking)?

4) Create your webpage using Weebly

-Tutorials for Weebly

**On your home page, create a well constructed paragraph explaining why you couldn't live without the 3 technological innovations (from the warm up).**

Boring Book Reports?!?!

Do you despise the traditional book reports? Do your students?

Richard Byrne's Free Technology for Teachers (If you don't subscribe to his blog, you must!) had a post about entertaining alternatives to book reports.

He lists a few:

1) Animoto

2) Memoov

3) Google Lit Trips

4) ZooBurst

5) Glogster

What do you use with your students?

Presentation Tools

I was recently asked by a friend to create a document describing free, web applications his grad class could use for presentations.

I came up with this list:

1) Animoto (animoto.com)

A free, web application designed to create professional slideshows using your choice of pictures and music. It’s extremely simple. You decide on pictures, music, text, and themes, and Animoto does the rest.

**Similar online tools: slide.com, 123-slideshow.com

2) Blabberize (blabberize.com)

This free, web application allows a user to upload pictures and create audio to go with the picture. It even has tools to edit the picture to add movements or decorations.

3) Prezi (prezi.com)

Tired of the same old power points? This free presentation tool creates a zooming effect within your presentations. It allows a user to zoom in and out on uploaded pictures and text.

4) Glogster (glogster.com)

With Glogster, you’ll never need to buy poster board again. This free, web application allows users to create posters online using the tools to upload images, videos, and decorations.

5) Voicethread (voicethread.com)

Voicethread is a collaborative slide show presentation. It allows users to upload images, documents, videos and comment over the presentation. The user can then invite others to view and comment on the presentation using voice (mic or phone), text, or webcam. Users can also doodle on top of the presentation as well.

6) Weebly (weebly.com)

Weebly allows users to create a website or a blog for free! It’s an easy step-by-step process in choosing you page’s theme, content, links, and more. You can share your thoughts, ideas, and creations with the world.

**Similar online tools: Webs, Google Sites

7) Jing (http://www.techsmith.com/jing/)

Jing is free software allowing users to create images or videos of your computer screen (called a screencast). The image or video can be dubbed over with audio using a microphone (most computers have internal mics), and the user can instantly share the image or video through a link or email.

**Similar online tools: Screencast-O-Matic, Screentoaster

Blabberize

Mr. A's 8th grade US History class created projects using Blabberize. The projects centered around the American Revolution.

Blabberize allows a user to upload pictures and create audio to go with the picture. It even has tools to edit the picture to add movements or decorations.

He added the students' projects to his wikipage. Check 'em out!

How could students use Blabberize in your classroom???