Journal Question #1

Article: "Teaching Zach to Think"

Link: http://kathyschrock.net/planting2/pdf/group5.pdf

Question: At what age/grade level do you think students should be encouraged to "search independently" by using search engines such as Google or Yahoo and not using links that have been bookmarked by a teacher ?

I feel that students should be able to search independently on the Internet by middle school, starting with sixth grade. I know that many students by that point have been using the computer for five or more years but I think that at this age they can be taught how to conduct meaningful searches using legitimate sources. Obviously, I don't advocate students wildly searching without the proper training on how to search effectively. Teachers should be responsible for showing students how to differentiate between fact-based scholarly websites and personal websites that may or may not be accurate.

The eighth grade students in my school have a interdisciplinary research project conducted in both history and English class. This is a great opportunity to show students the proper procedures for Internet research. The students were instructed not to use Wikipedia and had to use at least 5 different web sources. Students were responsible for checking the validity of their information by cross-checking it with other sources such as encyclopedias or other library books.

At middle school age, students are bombarded by information from a multitude of sources on the Internet. They need to be able to weed through good and bad sources in order to make informed decisions. Teachers can help students several ways. First, students should be instructed to avoid any websites with the word "users" or the "~" sign in the address. Students should also know that any site with a ".gov" or ".edu" ending can be safely accessed and trusted. Lastly, make sure that the author or authors of the website have credentials to back up their writing. Informing students of these tips can greatly increase their ability to effectively navigate the Internet.