The
Construction of Inquiry-Based
Internet Learning Activities
A
Workshop for the Midwinter Conference
Center for Jewish School Leadership
The Lookstein Center, Bar Ilan University
Nova Southeastern University
Research
Associate for Technology and Teacher Education
Center for School Improvement
University of Chicago
with assistance from Tamar Freidman
February
18, 2002
Agenda
-
4:15 Goals of the workshop
-
-
-
-
6:10 Debriefing
Goals:
-
to learn a little bit about searching
-
to formulate 3 or 4 really good questions to promote student inquiry
-
to find 3 or 4 web sites that could be used as starting points for
student inquiry into those questions.
Partners
Rate yourself on the following Internet-literacy scale:
- Complete neophyte: never used the Internet.
- Beginner: have browsed the Internet but haven't had time to form any
bad habits or use a search tool routinely.
- Infatuated: still new enough to using the Internet that you find yourself
wasting time looking around. Have used one or more search tools routinely.
- Bored: enough Internet experience to realize it's useful for certain
things but not worth browsing. Know the differences between Yahoo and
Google (and when you would choose one or the other)..
- Experienced: Have created web pages incorporating content from a variety
of other sites; have used the "Advanced Mode" of one or more
search engines.
If you're a 1 or 2, pair up with a 4 or 5.
If you're a 3, pair up with another 3 (you can be infatuated together!)
or (if there are any left) with a 4.
Searching tips
Two principles of effective searching:
-
Know how to choose the right tool for the search
-
Don't search for a concept: search for the most unusually words
that are likely to appear in a page about that concept
Some common search tools:
-
Yahoo (directory
with search engine; great for "drilling down" through categories;
lists established web sites only; also produces "hits" from
AltaVista)
-
AltaVista
(allows specialized searches for images, audio, and advanced searches)
-
Google (probably
the best all-purpose engine; powerful "advanced" mode)
-
Icquick (a
metasearch engine: searches multiple search engines at once)
-
Some tough sample search questions:
- What is Bill Gates' wife's maiden name?
- What is the religious makeup (percentages claiming adherence to
each religion) of the population of the lands controlled by the
Palestinian Authority?
- Find a company that will deliver a live rat to your house.
- What is the address of the McDonald's restaurant in Hyde Park
(a neighborhood in Chicago)
- How much is the fine for parking a motorhome on a residential
street in Chicago?
-
Tips:
-
Nine Tips for Fast Web Searching (from World Wide Web Searching
for Dummies, 2nd edition, by Brad Hill (Foster City,
CA: IDG Books; 1997)
- Turn your graphics off
- Use multiple browser windows
- Use your Back button
- Use the Go or History list to leapfrog
- Make fast search decisions
- Knock twice (try again if no answer)
- Build a bookmark list
- Ask directions in newsgroups
- Avoid Web prime time
Work time
-
Decide on a subject area (can be interdisciplinary, but pick a theme
or topic area)
-
Decide on a grade level (primary, intermediate, secondary or more
specific)
-
Agree on a set of criteria for how to tell if your questions are
"good" or not (you can use Dewey's
criteria from yesterday's talk.)
-
Open up a Word document to record your ideas and the URLs of the
web sites you find. Put your names, subject area, and grade level
at the top.
-
Brainstorm questions that would meet your criteria. When you agree
on the wording, type it into your Word document.
-
Prioritize your questions in terms of how much you like them.
-
Starting with your favorite question, use a search engine to find
three or four web sites related to each question. (You can use ALT-TAB
to switch between Word and your web browser)
-
When you are done, PRINT three copies of your report (one for each
partner plus one for Craig).
If you want, you can email your questions and web sites to me at: c-cunningham@uchicago.edu
|