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"We are constantly surrounded by information, and it is not always easy to know which sources to trust. Being able to evaluate the credibility of information is an important skill used in school, work, and day-to-day life. With so much advertising, controversy, and blogging going on, how do you sift through the chaff and cut to the chase?"

Many different activities that students can do to learn how to best search the Internet and also evaluate websites.

The results of the report suggest that public school districts need to start training their teachers to teach digital media skills to K12 students, according to Hargittai and Don Knezek, chief executive officer of the International Society for Technology in Education. "In a case that an administrator says it's [knowing digital media skills] not important, that administrator is not looking at the world today and how youths [do research]", says Knezek, who calls the skills "new century literacies." The study is "an excellent indicator for pre-K12 education and a reality check for higher ed and postsecondary training.

"With the advent of the World Wide Web and the huge amount of information that is contained there, students need to be able to critically evaluate a Web page for authenticity, applicability, authorship, bias, and usability. The ability to critically evaluate information is an important skill in this information age. To help you get started with this process with your students, I have designed a series of evaluation surveys, one each at the elementary, middle, and secondary school levels. The elementary, middle, and secondary surveys have been re-designed and updated in February of 2009. The virtual tour, blog, podcast, and teacher site evaluations have been added since 2005 and updated in 2009."