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Website Investigator: Information Forensics Goes to School

The purpose of this session is to provide participants with an understanding of efficient methods for evaluating online information and to demonstrate effective ways to teach these information fluency skills in classrooms.The new generation of NETS standards for students (ISTE, 2007), is based on the premise that efficacy and productivity depends on students’ abilities to conduct research and manage digital information fluently. An essential skill is the ability to evaluate information from a variety of sources and media.This session directly addresses this information fluency standard by helping participants…1. Understand the role of investigation (information forensics) in evaluating information:• Two types of searching: how investigation differs from speculation;• Determining when investigative searching is necessary and when it is not;• Effective means of finding critical information with limited clues;• Using specialized search engines and browsing techniques to track down information;• Analyzing results to determine credibility of the source and content.2. Observe effective methods for helping students exercise speculative search skills:• Off-line 'readiness' activities;• Group and individual Search Challenges;• Interactive tutorial games;• Think-aloud searches;• Evaluation reporting;• Group discussion about credibility.

Story HighlightsChristensen, Horn: Federal spending on schools is set to jumpThey say it would be a big mistake to use money to let failing schools resist changeCo-authors: Federal money should go to innovators challenging traditional waysThey say technology should be used to create new forms of schooling

The most likely result of this stimulus will be to give our schools the luxury of affording not to change.

Fourth, direct more funds for research and development to create student-centric learning software. Just a fraction of 1 percent of the $600 billion in K-12 spending from all levels currently goes toward R&D. The federal government should reallocate funds so we can begin to understand not just what learning opportunities work best on average but also what works for whom and under what circumstance. It is vital to fund learning software that captures data about the student and the efficacy of different approaches so we can connect these dots.

Researchers and policy wonks need to end the bickering and listen carefully to these young professionals eager to make change. If we don’t listen, many of them will leave teaching for other careers where they will have greater potential to grow, contribute, collaborate, and lead.

There have been several surveys of Erie County residents done recently, sometimes as separate studies, and sometimes as part of broader works. Not all were designed to focus on economic development, although all of them include information that bears on that topic. This document gives a brief summary of some of the themes that have emerged from four of those studies.