DIGITAL HANDBOOK

HOW GOOD A GOOGLER ARE YOU?

GOOGLE IS A COMPUTER PROGRAM: LOGICAL AND PREDICTABLE LIKE A DOMINO SET - GET THE FIRST SEARCH WORD RIGHT AND YOU'LL SET OFF A WHOLE SET OF HELPFUL REACTIONS.

HOW GOOD A GOOGLER ARE YOU? TEST YOUR SEARCH SKILLS NOW!

STEP ONE:
Open up this WORD DOCUMENT Key in your answers to the following questions. Save the document and print it out, or e-mail it as an attachment to your teacher or the teacher-librarian.

STEP TWO:
Click here to open up GOOGLE SEARCH.

Searching on Google is easy! If you know a few things. 

Simply key in one or more search terms into the search box and hit the 'Enter' key or click on the Google Search button.

Try this - Key in Coquitlam, BC.

How many hits do you get?

Why do you think the computer listed the first site first?

What is listed 20th? Why?

TIP ONE

Choose very specific search terms and multiple search terms; if you're planning a vacation to Coquitlam, BC you'll do better with vacation Coquitlam, BC than with either vacation or Coquitlam, BC by themselves. And vacation Coquitlam, BC golf may produce even better (or, depending on your perspective, worse) results.

List 5 search terms you might use to find recreational things to do in Coquitlam. List them here:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Search one of the 5 and list the URL (addresses) of the best one.

Recreational activity I chose:
Search words I used:
Best Site I found

TIP TWO

Capitalization

Does GOOGLE care about capitalization of letters? Search Google for Dr. Charles Best Secondary and dr.charles best secondary. Do you get different lists?

Yes OR no?

TIP THREE

Google Automatically excludes common words such as "where" and "how", as well as certain single digits and single letters.

Why do you think this is so?

If you are not sure, check out this link, and scan for the answer.

TIP FOUR

What happens when you put quotation marks around phrases? Try it! Search for:

"Secondary Schools in BC" and Secondary Schools in BC

Do you get different lists?
If yes, why do you think they are different?

TIP FIVE

Word variations (stemming)

Google will search not only for your search terms, but also for words that are similar to those terms. If you search for pet lemur dietary needs, Google will also search for pet lemur diet needs, and other related variations of your terms

Test this out. Key in Coquitlam libraries
What kinds of hits do you get that are similar but not exactly the same words?

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AND FINALLY....

Search a few words such  as: elephants Africa; marmot Vancouver Island
But Click "I'm Feeling Lucky."

What is the difference between this search and a general search?

Search your own name in GOOGLE.
Do you get any hits? If not try with quotation marks, or add more search terms such as BC.

Are you surprised?

Do you feel your privacy has been invaded? If so, get used to it - your name is likely to be there for a long time.

thanks to the Google Help Center

INFORMATION LITERACY: details for the "really interested"

1 - DEFINITION AND MORE: Wikipedia: an excellent, timely source

photo courtesy of (morgueFile)
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2 - THE INFORMATION LITERATE PERSON:

Christina Doyle defines the information literate person as… one who:

• recognises the need for information
• recognises that accurate and complete information is the basis for intelligent decision making
• formulates questions based on information needs
• identifies potential sources of information
• develops successful search strategies
• accesses sources of information including computer based and other technologies
• evaluates information
• organises information for practical application
• integrates new information into an existing body of knowledge
• uses information in critical thinking and problem solving.

Doyle, C.S. (1992) Final Report to National Forum on Information Literacy. (University of Calgary. Information Literacy Group, 1998).

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3 - Why information literacy goes way beyond just teaching the skills.Here is an excellent  powerpoint presentation by Christine Bruce, author of "Seven Faces of Information Literacy."

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4 - What's hot and relevent: Information Literacy Weblog

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5 - And more...

Information Literacy as a Liberal Art

David Warlick's - A Student & Teacher Information Code of Ethics

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David Warlick did us all a huge service by creating Citation Machine and Rubric Builder.
Download David Warlicks_Code_of_Ethics document
Source

Seek Truth and Express It

    Teachers and students should be honest, fair, and courageous in gathering, interpreting and expressing information for the benefit of others. They should:

        * Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error.
        * Always identify sources. The consumers of your information product must be able to make their own judgment of its value.
        * Always question the sources' motives.
        * Never distort or misrepresent the content of photos, videos, or other media without explanation of intent and permission from the information's owner. Image enhancement for technical clarity is permissible.
        * Tell the story of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so.
        * Examine your own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others.
        * Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.
        * Give voice to the voiceless; official and unofficial sources of information can be equally valid.
        * Distinguish between opinion and fact when expressing ideas. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context.

Minimize Harm

    Ethical teachers and students treat information sources, subjects, colleagues, and information consumers as human beings deserving of respect.

        * Gathering and expressing information should never cause harm or threaten to be harmful to any one person or group of people.
        * Recognize that private people in their private pursuits have a greater right to control information about themselves than do others.
        * Consider all possible outcomes to the information you express, guarding against potential harm to others.
        * Never use information from another person without proper citation and permission.

Be Accountable

    Teachers and students are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and to each other.

        * Clarify and explain information and invite dialogue about your conduct as a communicator.
        * Encourage the information consumer to voice grievances about your information products.
        * Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
        * Expose unethical information practices of others.

Respect Information and its Infrastructure

    Information, in the Information Age, is property. Information is the fabric that defines much of what we do from day to day, and this rich and potent fabric is fragile.

        * Never undertake any action that has the potential to damage any part of this information infrastructure. These actions include, but are not limited to illegally hacking into a computer system, launching or distributing viruses or other damaging software, physically damaging or altering hardware or software, or publishing information that you know is untrue and potentially harmful.
        * Report to proper authorities any activities that could potentially result in harm to the information infrastructure.

GENERIC TOOLS

BLOGS - STUDENTS
Learnerblogs.org provides free, high quality, WordPress blogs for school students.

BLOGS - TEACHERS
Edublogs.org : Free blogs for teachers, researchers, librarians and other educational professionals

DIAGRAMS
GLIFFY: A suite of online applications which enable you to create diagrams, which are posted by the company and so accessible to anyone online (service presently free). Create: Flow Charts, Workflow documents, Class Diagrams, Network Diagrams, Database schemas, Website layouts/wireframes, Floor plans, Seating charts

WIKIS
Wikispaces - Create simple web pages that classes or groups can edit together.

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If you know of any excellent online tools that you would like to share with teaching colleagues, please add them to the comments at the bottom, thanks.

FOUR TYPES OF ONLINE SKILLS: COMMUNICATION - SEARCH - CRITICAL THINKING - TECHNOLOGY

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Identify the basic online skills you consider essential to your students and your lesson.

For more depth on the subject, there are excellent performance standards and indicators from established sources such Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards and Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.

LESS: Not to worry, if you get confused by all the current jargon about information/technology/computer/communication/literacy - click here.

MORE: Details concerning the information literacy theory behind this practical list.
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1 - COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• Access and subscribe to current, relevant online resources (news and other online subscriptions, e-alerts, Web feeds or RSS feeds)
• Communicate online (e-mail, global penpals, weblogs, discussion groups, wikis). Here is a terrific model of a science teacher who uses a blog to host classroom discussions in science. Click for Blog and Wiki subscriptions.

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2 - SEARCH SKILLS

KEYWORD

• Do an effective keyword search with GOOGLE  (How Good a Googler Are You? lesson)
• Do an effective internet search in general (tutorial for your students)
• Use GOOGLE services and tools, including scholar and/or language translation tools

SIMULATIONS

• Manipulate interactive simulation websites: e.g. GOOGLE EARTH, Biology labs

DATABASES: TEXT

• Retrieve information from text-based Databases
• (e.g. magazines)(EBSCO, GALE, PROQUEST),(EBSCO tutorial)(EBSCOhost Trainer Guide) multi-media database archives, (archive tutorial), using skill subsets (E.g. Scanning, sorting abstracts, evaluating, extracting information)

DATABASES: NUMERICAL

• Retrieve information from Numeric Databases using skill subsets (E.g. Deduce summary information from the data, Perform basic statistical analyses, Draw conclusions and make recommendations. (Help)
• Access scientific data and use analysis tools provided
• Extract Meaning from Data  - E.g. BC Statistics, (tables, charts, diagrams, maps)
• Here's a Database User's Tutorial

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3 - CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Evaluate websites for relevance, reliability, and readability

Ethically use information

• Understand the Creative Commons, open source (e.g. WIKIPEDIA), open access science as well as copyrighted material (Canada).  Cite sources for text, images, sounds, (using online citation tools).

Solve real-world problems and make predictions

• Use computer application/tools that organize and process data
• Use graphic organizers, spreadsheets and databases using skills of reasoning, inquiry and communication.
• Use computers to develop models to guide research.

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4 - TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
(Brief examples only - taught in depth as content of Information Technology courses)

• Screen literacy: understand hyperlinks; manipulate multiple windows, cut-and-paste, etc.
• Create documents in basic applications of Word Office: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

When is the computer a hindrance to learning?

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1. When is is assumed to be the prime motivator in a lesson - Give them a computer and they will learn. When computer use sticks out like a sore thumb in a lesson, and is not integrated naturally into the paedagogy of the lesson.

2. When used as a babysitter or time-filler, not unlike other technology used primarily for passive entertainment (e.g. dvd movies), with little resonsibility on the part of the learner.

3. When there is no purpose or plan to the lesson. (Students wander aimlessly, or spend weeks creating a Powerpoint presentation which be much more easily created on poster paper.)

4. When the amount of shadow work created for the teacher or student far outweighs the value of the lesson. This is the extra time and effort put into finding the resources, setting up the machines, dealing with computer and printer hassles etc.

["Ivan Illich (1981) coined the phrase shadow work to describe work that used to be performed for pay but had been downloaded to individuals in households. Some familiar examples of shadow work include self-checkout, self-serve gas, and automated banking (Menzies, 1997). The development of new technologies has increased this unpaid workload... In her work on the relationship between shadow work and technology, Menzies (1997) documents further how certain activities once considered part of labour force activity, like on-the-job training or reading a user's manual on how to use a piece of software, are now deemed to be unpaid work....    Shadow work remains largely invisible." 
Paraphrased from source, Menzies (1997)]

5. When the kids have already spent a lot of time on computers at home. Here is an abstract from an international study, by Fuchs and Woessmann, Computers and Student Learning.
We estimate the relationship between students’ educational achievement and the availability and use of computers at home and at school in the international student-level PISA database. Bivariate analyses show a positive correlation between student achievement and the availability of computers both at home and at schools. However, once we control extensively for family background and school characteristics, the relationship gets negative for home computers and insignificant for school computers. Thus, the mere availability of computers at home seems to distract students from effective learning. But measures of computer use for education and communication at home show a positive conditional relationship with student achievement. The conditional relationship between student achievement and computer and internet use at school has an inverted U-shape, which may reflect either ability bias combined with negative effects of computerized instruction or a low optimal level of computerized instruction.

When exactly is the computer the perfect tool for learning?

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ANSWER: When it enhances the learning experience.

• When the "real" option is not available (students cannot physically attend, field trips are not feasible, school facilities are limited -labs, libraries far away)
• When the individuality of the learner is nurtured (researching topics of interest and personal curiosity)
• When the computer does something that only can be done by a computer: droning, number crunching, designing (speeded up searching, access to many resources, access to professional tools; citing sources, communication tools)
• When a student needs to escape the physical environment of the classroom
  
• When it reduces the administrative burden of the teacher.
• When information technology is the subject of the class
• When the teaching of digital online communication and research skills are smoothly integrated into the class.
• When an critical understanding of the human-created biased media "lens" is integrated into the lesson.
• When it gives students an opportunity to communicate or publish, which they otherwise wouldn't have.

HERE ARE THE NITTY GRITTY SKILLS

THE SKILLS

Identify the basic online search and communication skills you consider essential to your students and your lesson.

For more depth on the subject, there are excellent performance standards and indicators from established sources such a  Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards and Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.

For example (in no particular order, not comprehensive), the ability to:

• Do an effective keyword search with GOOGLE
• Do an effective keyword search in general (tutorial for your students)
• Use GOOGLE services and tools, including  scholar and/or translator.
• Manipulate interactive simulation websites: e.g. GOOGLE EARTH, Genetics labs
• Retrieve information from text-based Databases (e.g. magazines)(EBSCO GALE),multi-media database archives, (archive tutorial), using skill  subsets (E.g. Scanning, sorting abstracts, evaluating, extracting information)
• Database Tutorial
• Retrieve information from Numeric Databases  using skill subsets (E.g. Deduce summary information from the data, Perform basic statistical analyses, Draw conclusions and make recommendations.( Help)
• Access scientific data and use analysis tools provided
• Access and subscribe to current, relevant online resources (news and other online subscriptions, e-alerts, Web feeds or RSS feeds)
• Evaluate websites for relevance, reliability, readability
• Ethically use information - Understand the Creative Commons, open source sites (e.g. WIKIPEDIA) as well as copyrighted material (Canada).  Cite sources for text, images, sounds (using online citation tool)
• Extract Meaning from Data  - E.g. BC Stats, (tables, charts, diagrams, maps)
• Use computer applications to organize and process data, analyze and solve real-world problems and make predictions -  use graphic organizers, spreadsheets and databases using skills of reasoning, inquiry and communication.
• Use computers to develop models to guide research.
• Screen literacy: understand hyperlinks, etc.
• Create documents in basic applications of Word Office: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Communicate online (e-mail, penpals, weblogs, discussion groups , wikis.)

WHAT ARE FIRED-UP LESSONS?

Fired-up lessons are creative, active, stimulating lessons with an online component.

Simply put, they are online documents, with links; images, sounds, feeds and whatever bells-and-whistles are provided to you (by your weblog or website host).

Much, much more than a 2-dimensional paper handout, a published lesson is "fired-up", weaving together layers of
1. Subject Content
2. Search Skills
3. Communications Skills
4. Technology Skills

They can take place within the context of a regular school day, with a teacher present, afterhours, as homework, or on any computer anywhere, anytime, for that matter. They are as flexible as the teacher and curriculum allows.

Here are some models of FIRED UP ONLINE LESSONS

Graphics 11: Artists for Social Change
English 9:  Digital Poetry Writing
English 11: Analyze this Poem
AP English: Jazz and Literature ( from University of California, Davis)
Tourism 11: Tourist in Vancouver
Canadian History: Research Paper
Law 12: Research Paper

How Good A Googler are You?

WEBQUESTS - online research lessons
Check out this database that contains over 2500  lessons.

Model of a teacher who posted brief notes to his students daily (more of a blog journal).

Publishing with WebQuest Authoring Tools

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Instead of creating your own fired-up lesson from scratch and posting it on your school website or personal blog - here are two new design tools that help you create your lesson and also host it for you. They also have huge archives of online lessons called webquests.

Webquests are online research activities, first invented by Bernie Dodge in 1995.

QuestGarden "is an online authoring tool, community and hosting service that is designed to make it easier and quicker to create a high quality WebQuest. No knowledge of web editing or uploading is required. Prompts, guides and examples are provided for each step of the process. Images, worksheets and other documents can easily be attached or embedded in the WebQuest, and users have complete control over the appearance of the final lesson."

Here's another, free, tool -INSTANTWEBQUEST.

Click for Blog and Wiki subscriptions.