Info Fluency

Strong comparison chart of major search engines. It's good to be reminded of the powerful features of multiple search engines.

Here's a collection of on point articles for anyone interested in libraries and the future.

Interview and chapter from Dr. David Barr, founder of the 21st Century Information Fluency Project. This Google book article from Joyce Valenza & Reva Basch's book Super Searchers Go to school reaveal some of David's thinking about the knowledge, skills and dispositions for successful searching.

Anyone who knows David Barr recognizes his amazing understanding of 21st century information systems. This is a gem. Don't miss it.

Get an early Start on ISTE 2010 in Denver!

Information Literacy Games: Finding Kermit

This blog post features a great video of Kermit the frog singing It Ain't Easy Being Green. It follows up with an explanation of a search game that can be used with the whole class in a lab or on an individual workstation. It's part of a free series of online information literacy / information fluency games available from 21cif.com.

Finding Kermit was the inspiration for one of the first Internet Search Challenges created by Dr. Carl Heine. The task is to track down a picture of Kermit ready for graduation in the least amount of time. The search game is embedded on the page so you can try it without going to the main site.

Many teachers use this as a whole class lab activity. Put up a search challenge and then it's off the races! Most of these games were developed for middle and high school students. Adults find them challenging as well.

This video explains in detail how the google operator intitle: can be used to find media. Good explanation of operators! Finishes with a section on how to search university sites for lecture notes. Useful.

Atwell explains the effectiveness of the Reader's Workshop approach in an articulate response to a New York Times article. If you need a way to explain the value of allowing readers to select their own reading, this is the resource for you.

Superb resources for anyone interested in teaching website evaluation, critical thinking, media literacy or 21st Century learning skills in general.

FactCheck.org and FactCheckEd.org are essential tools for living in this part of the century. 8-)

This is a link to the Keyword Blog, which I write for 21cif.com

The Center for Social Media is a project of the School of Communication at the American University in Washington, D.C. The Center in conjunction with the Media Education Lab at Temple University in Philadelphia and The Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property, a project of the Washington College of Law at the American University in Washington D.C. has developed a Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education. The National Council of Teachers of English is signatory to the document, along with various other legal and educational groups. The code was funded by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and The Ford Foundation through the Future of Public Media Project. (Annotation by Larry Michaud - UW-Stout E-Learning Practicum)

Are you a middle or high school math or science teacher? If so, check out these new and innovative online professional development courses from the University of Illinois and the Illinois Math and Science Academy. Courses are available free of charge for Fall 2009.

Are you a middle or high school math or science teacher? If so, check out these new and innovative online professional development courses from the University of Illinois and the Illinois Math and Science Academy. Courses are available free of charge for Fall 2009.

Fact checking is essential in a (mis) information rich environment.

Brilliant resource from the Annenberg Public Policy Center. My research and experience with the 21st Century Information Fluency Project has revealed that teenagers HATE to fact check. Luckily, FactCheck.org also has a highly developed classroom section that provides in-depth lesson plans and media links.

This is a treasure trove!

The mission of the Skype an Author Network is to provide K-12 teachers and librarians a way to connect authors, books, and young readers through virtual visits.

Several categories provide access to experts blog reading feeds. One very useful search habit is to find a trusted expert and follow their web 2.0 trail. Credibility by association is a step in the right direction.

Lately, I've encountered several searches that ended badly. That is, I could not find what I was looking for.