Journal #8: "Find the Truth About the Pacific Tree Octopus"

Ferrell, K. (2011). Find the truth about the pacific tree octopus. Learning & Leading with Technology, 39(1), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-august-2011.aspx
[NETS-T: IV, V]

It is easy to forgot that NOT EVERYTHING ON THE INTERNET IS TRUE!! There are many inaccuracies posted on the world wide web and this article is a great reminder that we must teach our kids how to intellectually search for information and analyze the results for truth. Mr. Ferrell's lesson is inspiring because he allowed his students to figure this out for themselves. As teachers, its easy to take the shortcut and just point this out. I think the meaning gets lost in this translation and the students do not appreciate and remember the information in the same way. Mr. Ferrell's students needed to learn for themselves how to appreciate the access we have to information, and learn the valuable lesson that just because we can easily access a webpage, does not mean every word on the page is true. Another great addition to this lesson was that he gave them CHOICES! If we thought for a moment about adding in more choices into a lesson I think it would make such a difference for students who feel like they never are very interested in the topics being taught. Some might go with history/Explorers while others go with the environment/Tree Octopus - neither one is wrong. This is key, and I think goes a long way in giving children a subtle and important lesson on making choices and adding in variety...(the spice of life!)

Q#1: How are other ways we can help our students understand the value of searching for and analyzing truthful information on the internet?

Don't forget about the library! I know every school is different, and some might have limited access to learning materials. No excuse! Ask your students to find books in the library or at home and compare information in the books they collected with information on the internet. This might include making a field trip to the public library if you are looking for specific information but all the more reason it becomes a fun out-of-the-classroom experience. Expand their horizons while teaching them the value of truthful knowledge! Remember to include teaching how to look up information in dictionaries and encyclopedias. Short tutorials on each of these academic resources will be something that students carry with them as they advance their education.

Q#2: How can we as teachers use textbooks in a better way to teach truthful material. I think anytime a student hears the words "take out your textbook and turn to pg. 122..." they fall asleep! (I know I would!)

Textbooks can be a great source for knowledge if used in the correct way. For me, it's all about viewing the textbook as A source, NOT the ONLY source. This ties in with the question above about about using the library and the web. If you are using textbooks in class, breaking into groups and breaking down the material  can be an interactive way to get students motivated about reading the material together. This can be done whether you have access to the material in hardback books or digitally. Take the material from the book and combine it with other sources. Come together as a class activity to make a list like Mr. Ferrell's class did to come up with the best comprehensible summary of the material - weed out what might me inaccurate or unnecessary information. Allow students to use text as a segway into creativity. Give them CHOICES to express what they have learned - some prefer to write, others draw, paint, create a story, etc. You will end up with a classroom of students who are excited about the assignment and understand what information is truthful and accurate.