Let's be real. There is no denying blogs can be excellent resources, but evaluating blogs for authenticity is time consuming. William Richardson references Steven Downes's post on strategies for determining the validity of information, but basically states there is no way to tell if the information you read on the Web is true.Steven Downes's site
Good luck finding his post on strategies for determining valid sources. I searched for about 40 minutes--without any luck.
Blog core values - Easy reading stategies for determining authenticity.
What steps do you use to determine relevance and authenticity of information found on the Web? Who should be responsible for teaching students these stategies?
Okay...I finally found Steven Downes's strategies! 6:47 pm it's been driving me crazy, but it was a worthy search.
4 comments:
I tried to visit your web links "Blog Core Values" and "Steven Downes's Strategies," but I could not get there because of the filter. Any suggestions?
I also read Downes's blog core values and agree that it was interesting but very elementary. Don't we utilize similar evaluation skills in many aspects of our lives already? Would you believe everything a car salesman tells you about a car and buy it without doing any homework of your own?
I had a nice post with Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter for my AP kids, but I found that I would rather discuss verbally with my students, instead of trying to make my fingers keep up with my brain. Scott wants me to use the blog to carry over our literature discussions, but there's something very not of the moment in that. However, since we cannot have interminable classes, I guess it is a viable solution.
It is also a good solution for time management. But I found that my students did not the concept of having one more thing to do - computer related or not.
Students certainly don't want more to do, but what if it became a natural and required part of the course? If they knew that the blog was required and accepted it as fact, you might find that conversations or discussions eventually blossomed. Just as it is in class, you have to cherish the days when the discussion enlightens and impresses even you. I don't think you can hold the blog accountable for the production of insightful participation or the lack thereof. It's merely a tool to extend thinking and conversation beyond the classroom walls.
What if students responded on blogs they created? Would that improve the number or quality of posts/comments?
What if a different student organized and ran the discussions for a week — a sort of student moderator?
Just ideas.
I know. I know. You want the pen and paper and the face-to-face encounters. I can respect that. :)
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