Web Resources and Critical Evaluation

There are many site available on the web and these sites are not always filled with credible information. There are many factors that students and teachers should look out for when researching to ensure the sites they are visiting are actually worthwhile sites.

Factors to consider...

Accuracy- It is important for a student or teacher to consider who created the site they are viewing. The creator should be able to be contacted from the site. This is a good indicator that the site is worthwhile to use in research. A person should also keep in mind the reason why the author created the site. Was it for positive reasons, negative reasons, reasons you agree or disagree with? The qualifications of the author should also be considered if available.
Authority- It is good to know who published the document and whether the publisher is different from the "webmaster". Is the institute that published the document well known or have a good reputation.
Objectivity- A viewer should look out for what goals and objectives the site meets, as well as the amount of detail the site provides. Does the author express his/her opinions?
Currency- When was the site produced and updated? The more current the site the more current the information. A researcher is most likely looking for the most current information available on the internet. Also keep in mind how current and up to date any of the links are that are provided by the site.
Coverage- If there are any links provided on this site, do they correspond to the common theme of the site? Is there a common balance between text and images? Is there correct citations provided for the text and images?

All of these factors should be kept in mind when viewing a site to determine the cites credibility.

http://www.ala.org/acrl/undwebev.html

For more information about fair use and copyrighting refer to: www.halldavidson.net

Helpful Sites for Teachers/Students

Enchanted Learning^®	http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html	This site provides wonderful resources for teachers. Enchanted learning has many creative lessons and activities on a large variety of topics.
	http://www.scholastic.com/	Scholastic's website has tabs that provides links for parents, kids, teachers, administrators, and librarians. This site is filled with helpful information, tools, and activities.
	http://school.discovery.com/	Discovery Education provides wonderful links for teachers. There are teaching tools available, as well as many lesson plans. This site also provides homework help for students.
	http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/	This is an excellent search engine for children. It provides easy to navigate links, as well as having a calendar tool, joke of the day, and other miscellaneous items that are fun for children.
	http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/KidsClick!/	This is also a very helpful search engine for students. The site is divided into categories based on subject area.