Before
When
I searched for information on a specific topic I have never paid attention to
where the information comes from. I usually just type in what I am looking for
into Google and use the first couple of sites that are listed as a source of information.
I have never really thought about where the information is coming from. The
MAPing activity I chose was the Victorian Robots. After briefly viewing the
website I would have used this website to write a paper. While looking at the
website I concluded that the website was well put together and seemed to be a
legit source of information. The website has a paragraph stating that the New
York Times and NASA have declared the information used as true and verified.
That alone would have been enough for me to come to a conclusion on whether or
not to use the site for reference information to use on a paper.
After
After
completing the MAPing activity I have concluded that I need to be careful to
what websites I use to compile information. While completing the MAPing
activity I find out that the information on the website is a collection of
information that an individual has posted on the topic of Victorian Robots. I
have concluded that from now on I will verify all websites that I use before I
reference them. Not only is the information compiled by an individual but the
information is also twelve years old. I would have never thought that this
information was so old. That could reflect on a grade if I was suppose to use
information that was less that X amount of years old. I am just dumbfounded at
the point that I am 27 years old and just now finding this information out. I
guess will be more careful when searching the web.
Conclusion
My
habits of just typing a topic into Google will change from now on. I now know
that not all information is validated and creditable to use. I did not realize
that there are a lot of websites that are put together by individuals who might
not know anything about the topic they are posting on. I will make sure that I
inform my students while I am teaching that not all websites can be trusted. I
will make sure that I put stipulations on my rubrics stating that any website that
they use will have to be creditable. After completing this activity it has
opened my eyes up now so I will be able to tell if a website is worthy of using
for factual information. Hopefully while I am teaching I will have an impact on
my students so they know how to check and make sure that a website is
trustworthy.
Hey Wes,
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing you did when I looked at the "Tree Octopus" website for my activity. I was so focused on the task that I didn't even think for one second that the creature that the site advertises to be endangered was NOT EVEN REAL. It was a little embarrassing afterwards, I must say. In the beginning of the activity I went straight to the bottom of the website, and as soon as I read something about "university" I assumed it to be credible enough. I was very wrong, but I guess this activity really helped to bring out the point that the internet is full of false information just as much as real and usable information, and how gullible users can be if they are not careful.
-Karissa B.
I will agree. Most people are very gullible when it comes to information on the internet.
DeleteHello, Wes
ReplyDeleteSomething you said really rang true to me. How did I get this old and not know this stuff? It’s funny to think about the progression of the internet in my life. I’m 29 and remember when my High School did not have the internet. Just like you said after doing this activity, I also hope that I can spot things like old information, credible authors and false information. The students are the main goal in this and like you, I hope I can pass on this information to my students so that they can make better decisions about the websites they get there information from. Sometimes digging deeper into a website may take a lot of time, and researching an author may lead you nowhere but it needs to be done.
Brek Doyle
I agree that it does take a lot of time but I think it is well worth the time since there is so much garbage on the internet.
DeleteHey,
ReplyDeleteToday ppl consider wikipedia an actual legit database but in fact
its just ppl posting information up. Proper research gets lost in transition but what i like about wiki is that it can give you an idea
of what you may want to look up.
I agree, wikipedia's opensourcing is both a blessing and a curse. It's nice because you have access to brief summaries on almost any topic you can think of, but anyone can write one, and anyone can revise one with almost no oversight.
DeleteWesley,
ReplyDeleteI completely understand what you are saying. I am 30 and did not realize all of this either. I was just like you. I would type in what I was looking for and pick the first couple of results that came up. I hope to now be more careful in my online searches and pick credible, reliable sources.
Stacy McCleskey
Hey Wesley,
ReplyDeleteI am in your shoes. I didn't know there was a way you could check websites to see how credible they were. I'm glad I'm taking this class...lol.