Session+Two

Session 2

2.3 Website Analysis

 * What characteristics make these websites so convincing?

Website #2 is even more convincing than #1. On the Home page there is a visual of a US News and World Report Magazine article talking about the "Pregnant Man". This site is also designed in a visually appealing way with characteristics of reputable sites: grey scale, multiple pages, news and media, etc. There are links to medical professionals and materials. I did not feel that website #1 was as convincing. The color scheme and set up of the page was not as "professional" looking as the other. It did not seem to offer the same amount of "reputable" sources as the 2nd.


 * What evidence is available to prove that these websites are hoax sites?

When looking at both these sites it is clear (maybe especially for adults) that neither story is all that believeable. to the untrained eye the sites may look reputable but when you start digging it is clear that neither has real legitamate evidence to back up their claims. Also, as a personal rule I have a hard time with sites that do not end in .org/.edu/.gov. Especially in the case of the medical website, the site should presumably end in .org if it is truly a medical/hospital distributed site.
 * What guidance can we give our students to help them avoid websites that contain inaccurate information?

I think alot of times students just take sites at face value. We need to encourage them to DIG. They should be looking at the site's address, the links to other sources and pages, the year the site was created, the people/group that supposedly created it, and many other criteria. A simple google search will not always yield a reputable source and students need to understand this before going off to research.

Evaluating Web Pages

This is a great tool for teaching students how to research. Unlike other resources, this one is concise and only provides the necessary information. It also gives students (and teachers alike) tools to check the validity of a source. I especially like the tools they mentioned for checking the names of the authors. That, in particular, never occurred to me to do. It also encourages students to look at bias/sponsors/other philosophical reasons for creating the site. I can see this being a tool for any of my classes.

Resources for Inquiry Based Learning:
[|Buck Institute for Education]

This is a great site for resources on PBL. Though it is not strictly calling its materials "Inquiry Based" they are definitely applicable. This is a great site for rubrics that can be used or formatted to fit a project/inquiry's specific needs.

Thirteen

Intro to Inquiry

=﻿= =2.4: 3 Minute Pause.=
 * Summary: The ever-changing technological world is exciting and brings with it many challenges! While the amount of available information grows, so does the need for close scrutiny of sources. The UC Berekely checklist on evaluating sources is a great tool for this process. In addition to the growing amount of information and sources is the push for inquiry based learning. There is a plethora of sources out there to begin looking at for Inquiry Based Learning!
 * Student Involvement! It is all about students not being the receivers of information but being the searchers, the solution-finders, the problem solvers, the initiators. For teachers it is about choosing topics and questions that are appropriate and lend themselves to this type of learning!
 * Connections: I find inquiry based learning both exciting and scary. I always fear the pitfalls of trying a new approach but always understand the benefits as well. Even in my short career thus far things have changed a number of times and I know that it will only continue to change and evolve (especially with 21st century standards).
 * Questions: How do you introduce inquiry to students? How do you assess it? How do you monitor their work/thinking?
 * Should inquiry be done individually or in groups? or both?

=2.5 Essential Readings=

Questions:
 * How many questions should you give students to guide their research?
 * How much guidance should teachers be giving students?
 * Should all learning be inquiry based? Is it like PBL?

Comments:
 * I am excited to learn more about Inquiry Based learning and start inplementing it in the Fall!
 * I am curious to see how our curriculum takes shape while implementing inquiry based learning.