Savvy Searchers

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Savvy Searchers - Being a discerning Internet user
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Being a discerning user of the Internet

• as a source of information
• as a means of communication
• as a medium of interaction and collaboration

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Access to knowledge

• Knowledge is the most democratic source of
  power. As the world becomes more wired and more
  and more people are connected to the Internet,
  knowledge that once was restricted to the
  economic and political elite will be accessible
  to anyone with a computer and modem.
• (Alvin Toffler)

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Information and education

• Information is a powerful tool in education and
  one of the most powerful ways to put information
  to education use is through the embedding of
  information technologies as an integral part of
  the learning process.
• (Kurt Steinhaus 2006)

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The online life of the Digital Native

• Today, when a student is motivated to learn
  something, they have the tools to go further in
  their learning than ever before far beyond
  their teachers ability and knowledge, and far
  beyond what even adults could have done in the
  past.
• (Mark Prensky 2004)

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US Department of Education research

• Profile of the millenials
• 72 of new entrants have been online
• high school students on average spend-
• more time online than watching TV
• 24 hours per week online
• 15 mins online at school

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The power of the Internet?

• Lifts limits on time and place of learning
• BUT

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The need for critical thinking

• Clearly, the Internet is an invaluable source
  of information. Used unwisely, carelessly or
  unknowingly, however, it can be a source of
  persuasive, sometimes inaccurate or ill-informed
  information that can mislead or misguide those in
  search of truth or accuracy.
• (Michael Pohl 2000)

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Critical thinking

• The process used in evaluating alternatives,
  making judgements based on sound reasoning, or
  justifying a position, stance or point of view.
• (Pohl 2000)

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Critical thinking

• contrasted with unreflective thinking the
  kind of thinking that occurs when someone jumps
  to a conclusion, or accepts some evidence, claim
  or decision at face value, without really
  thinking about it.
• (Fisher 1997)

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Are our students prepared?

• in a world that is changing so rapidly that
  students are at risk of completing formal
  education unprepared for what lies beyond the
  information age.
• (Michael Pohl 2000)

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On developing critical thinking

• Empowering students with the ability to be
  critical questioners may well be one of the most
  beneficial things that teachers can do for their
  students.
• (Pohl 2000)

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Research a contemporary issue

• Biology AS 3.2
• Contemporary issue Bottom sea trawling
• Google news archive search results-
• New Zealand Herald article
• Planet Ark World Environment News
• Graphic organiser Inspiration (exported to
  Word)
• NZ slated for bottom trawl fishing concept map

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Being a discerning user of the Internet

• requires development of new literacies
• provides new tools to support this development

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C A M P E R for the Internet

• Consequences/ Consistency/ Currency
• Assumptions/ Accuracy/ Authorship/ Audience
• Meaning/ Main points
• Prejudice/ Point of view/ Provider/ Purpose
• Evidence/ Examples
• Relevance/ Reliability
• (Michael Pohl 2000)

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C A M P E R for the Internet

• Consequences/ Consistency/ Currency
• What is the consequence of me believing all of
  this as presented?
• How consistent is the information compared to
  other sources?
• Is there a bibliography?
• Does the site link to other sources of
  information about my topic?
• How current is the information and is the site
  updated regularly?

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C A M P E R for the Internet

• Assumptions/ Accuracy/ Authorship/ Audience
• What assumptions have been made here?
• How accurate is the information?
• Who is the author? What are the authors
  credentials?
• Who is the intended audience?

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C A M P E R for the Internet

• Meaning/ Main points
• What are the main points?
• What isnt here?

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C A M P E R for the Internet

• Prejudice/ Point of view/ Provider/ Purpose
• Who is the provider of the information?
• What is the authors point of view or bias?
• What is the other point of view?
• What is the purpose of the site
  inform/persuade/explain?

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C A M P E R for the Internet

• Evidence/ Examples
• What is the evidence to support the
• What examples are provided?

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C A M P E R for the Internet

• Relevance/ Reliability
• How relevant is the site to my research/key
  questions?
• Is the site reliable - easy to navigate, clear,
  and quick to download?

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Importance of questions

• Through the setting of rich/clever/open
  questions that have students interrogate the
  information resources, students are able to build
  understanding rather than just know about
  concepts.
• (Mark Treadwell)

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A significant emerging technology

• traditionally, information flowed in a single
  direction via the Web
• Web 2.0 content flows in a variety of directions
  depending on those who produce the information
  and those who use it

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Web 2.0

• a term used to refer to an ongoing transition to
  a fully participatory World Wide Web
• recognition that we have entered a new era of
  networked participation

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Web 2.0 - the read/write Web

• a two-way medium - users can be both readers and
  writers, co-constructing documents
• a move away from static websites and search
  engines
• a growing use of social software and increased
  levels of interaction and collaboration

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Web 2.0 tools
social bookmarks manager
online photo sharing

• weblogs
• wikis
• podcasts
• RSS feeds
• social bookmarking
• collaborative editing

interactive maps
music discovery service
video sharing and viewing
real-time user-generated media search
edit and shared documents
online collaboration
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Key competencies from the NZ curriculum

• capabilities people need to live, learn, work
  andcontribute as active members of their
  communities
• Managing self
• Relating to others
• Participating and contributing
• Thinking
• Using language, symbols, and text

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The Cult of the Amateur - Andrew Keen

• Because Web 2.0 celebrates the noble amateur
  over the expert, and because many search engines
  and Web sites tout popularity rather than
  reliability, its easy for misinformation and
  rumors to proliferate in cyberspace
• Since contributors to Wikipedia and YouTube
  are frequently anonymous, its hard for users to
  be certain of their identity or their agendas.

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Critical thinking

• Skilled and active interpretation and
  evaluation of observations and communications,
  information and argumentation.
• (Fisher Scriven 1997)

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The online life of the Digital Native

• One of the most intriguing things about the
  Digital Natives e-life is that it is continually
  evolving, and kids are continually creating new
  behaviors that facilitate their lives
• And while some Digital Immigrants are afraid of
  the new technology, and others may question its
  value, the Natives are never going back, en
  masse, to the old ways.
• (Mark Prensky 2004)