[LM_NET] website evaluation (sort of the wikipedia conversation)

["Simonetta, Marcia S." <msimonetta@BCPS.ORG>]

I'm an elementary school LMS and, though I have some very nice website evaluation 
posters, I have decided not to even TRY to teach website evaluation. I just don't 
think 11 year olds are developmentally capable of doing it. I've had 5th grade GT 
students look at the Burmese Mountain dog hoax site and ask "where do they say it's 
a hoax?" Uh, they don't. And I swear, MOST students in my 4th and 5th grade classes 
looked at the tree octopus site incredulously, as if they could not believe they 
had never heard of such a creature--but they were clearly willing to believe one 
existed. No, I will let middle and high school librarians teach them those skills.

What I'm telling them is that if they use Google, they have to go through all the 
steps on the posters, and it's a pain and here's why. BUT, if they use SIRS or 
another database, there is a staff of professionals doing that work for them--they 
don't have to bother with trying to decide authority, currency, etc... It's done 
for them. And, really, wouldn't we all rather have someone doing the hard, 
frustrating stuff for us? I know I would. (Of course, Wikipedia does not show up as 
a SIRS hit.)

I'm not saying students don't need to learn those critical thinking skills, I'm 
just saying 11 year olds and younger are not ready, and cannot do it. It's too many 
steps and takes too much prior knowledge.

Marcia S. Simonetta
Library Media Specialist
410-887-1937
Seventh District Elementary School
Parkton, MD
http://teachers.bcps.org/teachers_elem/msimonetta/index.html
msimonetta@bcps.org

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