Information Literacy

Information literacy is the ability to 1) locate, 2) evaluate and 3) use information effectively.

Locate

• Use the Big 6 or Super 3 to help you define your task and guide your research process.
• Use search tips and tricks such as quotes to find the exact phrase. See Google's basic and advanced search tips.
• Use different search sites because there are advantages to all of them. Here are some excellent search tools and some of their important features.
  • google.com: a good general search engine that favors web sites with strong "link popularity". Use basic and advanced search strategies to find information. Try the advanced search.
  • alltheweb.com: Many of the features of Google, plus you can search for audio and video files easily. It also has some clustering features (provides categories to help refine your search) Enter a URL in the search box and you can obtain background information on that site such as who owns it and who links to it.
  • Yahooligans: Many times it is easier to use a directory. Yahooligans provides a directory with links appropriate for students. If you need an encyclopedia, dictionary, world facts, quotes or other reference information, Yahooligans is very helpful.
  • Primary Sources: Ellisisland.org | Library of Congress

Saving, Printing and Taking Notes

• Use Control-F to find a word in a page.
• Save as (web page complete, HTML only, Text)
• Printing: use print preview to save paper. Print only what you need.
• Taking Notes
  • Copy and paste words and pictures into WordPad (programs>Accessories> WordPad)
    • Highlight text and select Edit > Copy. Paste into WordPad.
    • Right-click on a picture. Select Copy from the pop up menu. Paste into WordPad.

Evaluate

Five Criteria for evaluating web sites

1. Accuracy: is the information accurate?
2. Authority: are the authors qualified?
3. Currency: how new is the information?
4. Objectivity: is it fact or opinion?
5. Coverage: does it tell you what you need to know?

Ask yourself these questions about a web site before you use the information.

What can the web address tell you?
Who wrote the page? Is he, she, or the organization a qualified authority?
Is it dated? Current, timely?
Does the information seem authentic?
Does the page have overall integrity and reliability as a source?
What is the bias?
Could the page or site be a joke or spoof?
If you have questions or concerns, how can you satisfy them?

Activities

Which ones are real and which ones contain false information? Visit the web sites below and place a check mark in the correct box. Use the questions above to guide you. You may answer your questions using the Fact or Fiction E-mailer

Now log into your Google account and fill in the online form

Web evaluation worksheet handout. View/Print this worksheet. (Courtesy of Chico Unified School District.)

#2 Online Safety

Take the Children's Internet Safety Quiz, read about chat room safety and then investigate parental filtering software for the home.

Internet Security:

• Cyber Patrol (http://www.cyberpatrol.com/)
• Cybersitter (http://www.cybersitter.com/)
• Norton Internet Security (http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/nis_pe/)
• Net Nanny (http://www.netnanny.com/index.html)

Note: Filtering software is not perfect nor a substitute for parental supervision.
Above resources are provided to start your search for filtering software; we are not recommending any specific products.

Chat room and Discussion Safety Tips

• See if the chat room is monitored by whomever operates it and whether any steps are taken to remove people for inappropriate behavior.
• Teach your children not to rely on what other people say or even who they claim to be since it may not be true.
• Make sure your kids know never to agree to a face-to-face meeting with someone they only know through a chat room.
• Be sure your children know never to give out personal information such as name, address, or telephone number while in a chat room.
• Teach your children not to use online aliases that reveal their real name, age, or address. For example, a 10 year-old girl named Jane Smith from Austin, Texas, should not choose an online identity like: "Jane10," or "JaneSmith," or "JaneAustin."