It used to be that when inquiring minds wanted to know the answer to a burning question, they would take their curiosity to the local library and skim through a selection of books to find the answers. It was a fairly safe bet that those answers printed within those musky pages could be deemed as reliable. Today, all a student has to do is type that burning question into Google or Yahoo and scroll through the hundreds of selections. It's also a fairly safe bet that the site they choose to find their answer is unreliable.In today's world, where information is just a click away, it's important for students to understand that anyone can build a website and post information on the internet. The savvy researcher can often spot a fake/hoax web site, but many students fail to take the time to move beyond the first three sites that pop up on their screen. Most often those sites include Wikipedia, Answers.Yahoo, or Ask.com
Yes, these sites can offer a starting point for information, but they should never be used for academic research. Our first unit is designed to take students through the steps of finding and using reliable sites, as well as how to paraphrase information to avoid plagiarism. Lastly, the students will practice presenting their information to the class. Presenting in front of peers is often difficult for many students, and they will have several occasions throughout the year to practice and hone their presentation skills.
According to a recently published article in Fox Business, titled, "The Skills Employers Wish College Grads Had," many employers feel that "recent college students and grads don't make eye contact, don't carry themselves well, and don't speak with authority, which can be a little disheartening to the interviewer" (Vasal). These are skills that we want every student to begin to master so that by the time they reach high school, college, and beyond, they will will have the courage and the know-how to present themselves and their work confidently and accurately.
No comments:
Post a Comment