By Todd Fitzpatrick and Rita Platt
We all know that the internet is a mix of the best and worst information on any given topic. Helping students learn to find information on the internet is a critical skill and a lifelong gift we can give them.
Internet expert Alan November uses the acronym R.E.A.L. as a tool for teaching students if a site is reliable or not. If the answer to most of the questions below is ‘yes’, it’s probably a good site.
R = Read the URL. Does it have a .gov? a .org? a .edu?
E= Examine the content. Does it look professional? Is it up to date?
A= Ask the author. Is contact information provided?
L= Look at the links. Are they active? Do they lead to reputable sights?
Sheila Hofstedt shared more information on R.E.A.L. information with a cool pre and post-test here. hofstedt@aps.edu
Teacher Todd Fitzpatrick, developed a short exercise to help students evaluate the validity of websites. He created a list of paired links. One of each pair is a legitimate site and the other a hoax (often clever and hilarious). The students’ job was to view the site and determine which was real and which was bogus and to give the reasons behind their decisions.
Helping students learn to find information on the internet is a critical skill and a lifelong gift we can give them.
Try it to see if you can figure out which is which.* Then, teach your students to get REAL on the internet and let Todd’s amazing pairs help you!
* Key below.
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