DISCUS and Web Evaluation – tired of the old one
Sep 4th, 2011 by Cathy Jo Nelson
Those of you in South Carolina know the value of DISCUS and probably like me try to do all but cartwheels as we evangelize using it along with any other paid subscription services for online research with our kids. I have used the downloadable content (logos, powerpoints, brochures and more) from our DISCUS Toolkit, but I have seen the glazed look on my students’ faces when I use them to introduce or review this valuable source. I hope that the hands-on part of the lesson will light the fire I so want to see–students all hot and bothered because they have successfully found information that will fulfill the requirements of a school project.
Now I’m not saying that the content in the DISCUS toolkit is not worthy—far from it. It could be that I’ve overused it. I think parents especially appreciate it. But my students needed something updated. So I took it upon myself to take from the content and do a mashup, so to speak, of the original work. The material was there, I just put a new spin on it, adding to it a little more content to meet the needs of my collaborating teacher and I as we talked about doing online research for his science class.
I also put a little Zen in the mix. Shucks, gosh, darn though–it’s still a “sit and get” lesson. FAIL. But overall I’m pleased with it. Thoughts?
I did not put any notes in the slide deck, so I will add a few here for the slides that may need information.
- Intro
- Discus
- Lesson Goal 1
- Lesson Goal 2
- Lesson Goal 3
- What is the free world wide web?
- How does Google, the favored search engine of our students, work? (YT Video)
- Slide of School lunch menu (plain)
- Slide of another school lunch menu (a little less plain.)
- Slide of Ruth’s Chris Steak House Menu
- Slide of Harry Caray’s Restaurant Menu; I will use these images in an analogy to compare “free” to purchased–Google to DISCUS. (Thanks Fran Bullington for the idea!!)
- DISCUS: name origin, who it is for, where, when.
- Guarantees - reliable authors
- Guarantees – reliable publishers
- Guarantees – Authority
- Organized
- Current
- RADCAB – Acronym I use when evaluation sites; website
- DISCUS is an assurance that there will be no integrity issues with online content–guaranteed free from filtered content.
- Wordle showing various content
- Wordle showing types of material
- DISCUS Screenshot
- DISCUS Screenshot without busy interface–what I WISH the DISCUS home page looked like. I want to see this one as the home page, and then a tab added that reads “DISCUS in Detail” and let it be what the DISCUS homepage is now.
- Home access – handing out bookmarks here.
- Doing a sample search on Global warming and Pollution as an example in DISCUS–show how to snag a copy/past citation, particularly APA; discuss differences in Proquest and Gale databases and how they handle citation requests.
- A search on the www for the same topic–site does not identify author or other necessary info for a solid citation.
- Landmark Son of Citation MAchine (model using it for an APA citation, the required format for their science class.)
- Purdue Online Writing Lab – to show the format and difference to MLA
- Reiterate goals
- Reiterate goals
- Bring up Filter Bubble. Show YT video of Eli Pariser. Discuss.
- Close.
We are so fortunate to have DISCUS in South Carolina; I can’t imagine research without it. Convincing high school students of its value is not always easy, but your colorful, eye-catching presentation should do the trick for the 9th graders you’ll be teaching.
Thanks for sharing this! I look forward to hearing your take on the presentation’s success.
Fran Bullington´s last [type] ..To Be or Do, or Not to Be or Do: Is That the Question?
This was a great presentation! I think it puts some pep into the old “yadda yadda yadda” routine. Some teachers could benefit from this preso too!
Pat´s last [type] ..40 Inspiring Blogs
[...] recent blog post by Cathy Nelson shared the way she has remixed her DISCUS and web evaluation presentation to be more engaging and [...]