Information Literacy Helps and Tools

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Information Literacy Issues  

 Seeking information:

  Beaucoup!
            Beaucoup! provides one of the best directories of search engines and portals.  This site
            offers links to more than 2,500 search engines, and exercises strict standards in 
            choosing each site.  All search engines listed must be free and primarily noncommercial.

Choosing the Best Search Engine for Your Information Need:
             Debbie Abilock's helpful chart for selecting the right tool for the task at hand.

Finding information on the internet: Activities and tutorials created by Joe Barker
            University of Berkeley
 OASIS  A tutorial designed to help improve skills in finding, using, and evaluating information of all kinds.  

Search Engine Watch:A site with help in using search engines, which engines are the most popular, 
            the latest changes and updates in search engines, searching tips, and links to specialized sites.

Search Engine Showdown:A site that gives the latest news on search engines, provides a search 
            engine feature chart, strategies, reviews of the search engines, and things to look for.

Spider's Apprentice: A helpful guide to Web Search Engines

Seven Steps of the Research Process: Seven steps outline a simple and effective strategy for finding information for  
                a research paper and documenting the sources found
Essential Questions:
 
From Now On The Question IS the Answer:  Jamie McKenzie's site for creating research programs with essential questions.  He talks about which questions matter and gives a questioning toolkit.
From Now On Filling the Toolbox:  Another part of the Jamie McKenzie site.  This site gives classroom strategies to engender student questioning.  There are two parts.
Framing Essential Questions:  Another part of the Jamie McKenzie site about essential questions.
Creating Essential Questions: This is a link to the Galileo Educational Network.  There are numerous links to articles on Inquiry-Based Learning, including why it's important, it's foundation, examples, and a rubric for this type of learning.
From Now On Questioning Toolkit:  Jamie McKenzie site with a toolkit for using essential questions.
Doug Prouty Power point:  A power point presentation on essential questions and the research process

 

 Evaluation:
 

  Checklist for Evaluating Websites : University of Maryland Library's checklist for the rationale for
            evaluating web sites

  Evaluating Websites : Criteria for evaluating web sites by Susan E. Beck, New Mexico State University
            Library

 
21st Century Literacy Skills:

21st Century Literacies:  This site describes four new literacies: ingormation, media, multicultural, and visual, with lesson plans and a comprehensive resources link.
What's So Different About the 21st Century:  A solid introduction to the new literacy skills.  This site includes clear definitions of the skills
21st Century Literacies -- Reading the World:  This site has exercises and handouts to help students with 21st century literacy skills.

 

Ethics:

Copyright Crash Course:   This site was created by Georgia Harper of the University of Texas and explains and answers many questions about copyright in a clear and concise manner

Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid it :  Website on plagiarism by the
            University of Indiana

Zippy Scenarios for Teaching Internet Ethics :Frances Jacobson's realistic scenarios are great for
             provoking student thought and discussion

Synthesis:

 Graphic Organizer Index : Webbing, mapping, matrix, and flow chart examples for causal, decision-making, comparing 
            and contrasting, and more

Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers : Online textbook for the writing process. Includes links, exercises, and 
            a citation manager

 

Information Literacy Overview:

Information Literacy: An Overview of Design, Process, and Outcomes : Guidance and resources from Debbie Abelock

Tools for Reading the World : Debbie Abilock's collection of 21st Century media literacy resources

Understanding by Design:  A new approach to teaching by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe It involves the design of curriculums to engage students in exploring and      deepening their understanding of important ideas and the design of assessments to reveal the extent of their understandings. In this approach, the teacher uses a "backward" design.  It may be thought of as purposeful task analysis.

 Rubrics:

Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators :Kathy Schrock provides examples of many types of rubrics including student 
                Web page rubrics, subject-specific rubrics, general rubrics, and much more.

RubiStar :  this a site for creating rubrics using a template with choices you make to get the perfect rubric for your 
               project.

Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric : Use to assess critical thinking, skills and habits of mind used in student 
               projects (Facione/California Academic Press)

Teach-Nology : This Web site for teachers offers free rubric generators that allow teachers to make grading rubrics by
               filling out a simple form.

TeacherVision  : This is a site that will help you to create rubrics and provides articles on the difference between
               holistic and authentic rubrics, the advantages of rubrics, weighting rubrics, and student-generated rubrics.