Digital Researcher
#DigitalLiteracy
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Today's students are more than just Digital Natives, most come to school knowing how to work many many pieces of technology....and yet not being Digital experts. Kids are great at playing with technology but still rely on teachers to help them turn that play into learning. Digital Literacy is very similar to print literacy: it must be explicitly taught. Students need to learn how to use search engines, evaluate results, look for and recognize the best sources for their needs. They need to be exposed to quality websites (just like quality literature) and cautioned about consuming too much junk. Part of being fully digitially literate is being both a responsible cyber citizen (being Internet Safe) and a respectful cyber citizen (citing sources, not plagariazing, etc.). Read more about setting students up for success with just the right amound of support and then dig into the digital resources available to McKinney ISD teachers and students.
Resouces
Helping Students become Better Researchers from Edudemic
LangWitches Teaching Research in Elementary
Resources Available to MISD Students/Staff
Student textbooks (print and online) (look at Pearson, Think Central and Connect Ed)
BrainPop (BrainPop Jr and BrainPop ESL)
View ALL of these links here. (Passwords.)
FAQ
Are there search engines made for KIDS?
Yes, there are many search engines specifically designed for children and students. All have pros and cons. Some of the best are Kiddle.co, Wolphram-Alpha, KidRex, and Sweet-Search. Some other Google alternatives include DuckDuckGo and Bing.
These are elementary kids, do they really need to cite their sources?
Yes. This does not mean that they need to write complete MLA citations, but even the youngest students should be taught the concept of giving credit to their sources. K-1 students can write down titles and authors, students in grades 2-3 can slowly start adding more information including copyright dates, publisher (or responsible party). By 4th and 5th grade students should be able to complete fill in the blank versions of complete citations.
What about plagiarism?
It is also important to start early teaching students about the concept of plagarism, reasons to avoid it, how to avoid it and the consequences of plagarism. However this IS a more difficult concept to grasp. Once students understand how to find their facts then introducing the concept of writing in your own words, and paraphrasing are appropriate. Consider setting students up for success with note-taking guides like this one.
My students believe EVERYTHING that is on the Internet! What can I do?
There are some great FAKE websites out there and students should be exposed to these to help them understand the importance of READING and THINKING about what they have found (not just being note taking zombies), then evaluating each site. Third graders have the Collin McKinney biography and autobiography resources to compare and contrast. Older students might check out sites like the Tree Octopus, Dog Island, Bermease Mountain Dogs, DiHydrogen Monoxide, The Dangers of Bread, Mankato-MN, Republic of Cascadia, Monsters University, Dracorex Hogwartsia, and Drivers License Search.
Challenge
Task 1: Think critically. It is tempting to GIVE students all of the resources they need, to pre-screen and select the best resources. Not only to keep them safe but for the sake of time. Reflect on why this should not be a common practice and how you can change your teaching habbits to help students themselves become more digitally literate and better researchers even at the youngest grades.
Task 2: Reading level is a HUGE consideration when sending students lose on the Internet. It is important to model how to select the best website considering things like domain (.com vs .gov vs .edu), content and age/reading level. Google Websites like ReWordify or Chrome extensions like Web of Trust and Read and Write can be used to help students with their Google searches. Install and evaluate these extensions, search for other tools and create a research strategy tip for your students. Submit this tip in your survey after completing this TLC.
Task 3: Visit and explore the resources available to MISD. Determine how each can be used with your students. In your final survey you will be asked to rate each resource for YOUR students.
Bonus Task: Post your research strategy tip to your favorite social media page (Twitter if possible) with #DigitalLiteracy
Claim your Badge
Please complete this brief survey to help TLC and future technology professional development improve and then download and save a copy of the Digital Researcher badge, it is also available from Creedly (claim code: E3D-F9FF-0FF). Visit the Show Off page to learn about ideas of how to share the badges you earn. Consider leaving comments below with additional questions, tips for others or feedback that was not included in the survey.