Thing 14. Reliable Online Resources

* How could you introduce these resources to your students? I think when I introduce each research paper to each class, all of these resources need to be readdressed. I did this once with my AP lit and comp students. I will walk through this process again in the spring when the ninth graders go through the research process.

* Have you dealt with the impatience of students waiting for that instant answer? How do you handle that? I think everyone wants an instant answer. I am lucky, though, to have advanced level classes so most of the students are quite conscientious and really want to find accurate information. I think they are really good at understanding that google might be a place to start, but they need to use this information as a spring board. I think it is nice to validate the use of google, but to teach them how to find reliable resources. Also, it seems students do like to know where to go to find reliable resources. I know one person in this group talked about how the students seemed relieved to know where to look--that the question of where to go was answered. I agree with this. If students are directed to the right place--and a place that information can be found--they are relieved. I cannot blame them if they get frustrated when they search and search for information and still find nothing, so I think it is important to direct students to sources that will be most appropriate for them.

* What other reliable online resources do you rely on? I like Smithsonian myself as well as Internet Public Library, but I don't know if my students would like these sources too. I will introduce it to them in the spring. I would love to bring all my ninth graders to the Minneapolis Public Library downtown, but I cannot imagine bringing 80 ninth graders anywhere on my own--and really, who at school would want to chaperone that trip? But, it would be great to show them all of the resources there! Of course, that is a digression since this is about ONLINE resources--sorry.