1 - INTRODUCTION



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|(1) Evaluating Internet Resources: Most of what is posted on the Internet has never been subjected to the rigors of peer review |

|common with many traditional publications. Students must learn to evaluate the reliability of information of the websites they |

|visit. |

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|Select two websites that provide information about a topic related to your curriculum. Cite the URLs and names of both sites and |

|explain which is more reliable using evaluation criteria. |

Wikipedia is the first obvious choice for nearly any research topic in schools today. For a bit of an exercise in irony, I took a look at the Wikipedia article on Peer Reviewing at . Many people discount Wikipedia as an information source because of its open source policy. It is true, anyone can post anything on the site and it will be immediately displayed. The site is closely monitored, however. Erroneous information is usually removed within the hour. Furthermore, there is a strict standard for citation and evidence. The article on Peer Reviewing had 59 cited references including a litany of reputable journals. In this fashion, Wikipedia is really the pinnacle of a peer-reviewed source. One must always remember, though, that it is only a starting point. Any information derived from Wikipedia must be backed up with hard evidence from another source.

I also looked at . This is the website for one of the nation’s largest and most trusted news sources. The articles found there do not cite sources, for much of the information comes from the journalists’ first-hand research. The credibility of the source comes directly from the credibility of the news organization. This credibility has been earned from years of reporting with relatively few errors or misrepresentations. Such news sources are reviewed by media watchdogs (and each other), but much like Wikipedia, criticism usually comes after the information has already been released.

|(2) Research with Electronic References: Since we live in the Information Age, it is particularly important that teachers are able |

|to access and evaluate information to prepare accurate, up-to-date lessons, and to teach their students the principles of |

|electronic research. In this activity you will examine a variety of electronic references in your quest to acquire information for |

|lessons or other professional activities. |

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|Identify two topics to research using electronic references (broadcast news, almanacs, quotations, etc.). Research the first topic |

|using at least one resource from each of five categories of electronic resources. Repeat the process with the second topic, using |

|references from five additional categories. Include the URL, name of the resource, key information acquired, and a screen capture |

|from each resource. (See examples of research ideas). |

|Identify the special features (e.g. hypertext linking of terms, Boolean search capabilities, archival search, knowledge tree, |

|downloadable movies, online audio transcripts, animations, translations, reference lists, printer-friendly output, multimedia |

|links, PDA or bookreader download, visible directory structure, etc.) of each of the reference tools you have used. |

|List criteria for determining the authenticity of information on a website. |

|Compare and contrast electronic references with their traditional paper counterparts. Discuss at least ten tasks or features that |

|are possible with electronic resources that are not possible with traditional paper resources. |

|Develop a lesson plan that incorporates electronic references. Your lesson plan should require students to use two or more |

|electronic references to address a specific curricular objective. |

First I will research the Civil Rights Movement. There are many online resources for researching such a topic, including the following:

1- Newspapers (this article is from the LA Times):

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2- Broadcast News (this article was taken from ABC news):

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3- News Magazines (this article came from Time Magazine):

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4- Online Encyclopedias (this article came from Encarta Online):

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5- Online Almanacs (this was taken from Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley):

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Next I will research the John F. Kennedy assassination. There are many useful online resources, including the following:

1- Street Maps (this is a picture of Dealey Plaza on MapQuest):

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2- Library catalogues (this is an entry for a title at CSUN’s Oviatt Library):

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3- Research databases (this screenshot is from the Wikipedia article on the assassination):

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4- Public Domain Text (the following is from the Internet Public Library):

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5- Quotations (this screenshot was taken from ):

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Online resources are to be used with caution when doing research. There is no official review process for information posted on the internet, and information found there must always be checked for accuracy. Internet resources can provide a good starting-point for research, and basic background information. Research and information is so pivotal to the study of history, though, that it cannot be taken lightly. I discourage online resources as much as possible with my students for several reasons. Aside from questions of legitimacy and accuracy, the internet is filled with minutia. It is too easy to become lost in a sea of related facts that do not necessarily help your paper. Many of the sites listed above are run for profit, which they attain by selling ad space. This means that their goal is to keep you there with a string of interesting (and often less than useful) information. The internet excels at entertainment. It is also very good at archiving basic information. When it comes to deep, meaningful historical research, though, I believe one is better served in an old-fashioned library.

As for a lesson for my students, I would have them write a short research paper. It could be on any topic relevant to the class, and they could use any sources they liked. There would be a minimum of five sources, but they could be of any type. Upon completion of the paper, a second part of the task would be assigned. Students would then be required to do additional research from five more sources, and this time they were required to be credible, scholarly sources from a library. This new information would be used to revise and rewrite their papers. The purpose of this assignment would be to demonstrate the necessity of powerful sources when writing a strong paper, and the extent to which such sources benefit the final product.

|(3) Educational Research: Teachers should be familiar with research related to the teaching of their discipline. The Educational |

|Research Database (ERIC) provides access to abstracts from numerous educational publications, and is the best place to start when |

|conducting educational research. |

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|Find two or more abstracts of recent, relevant articles related to the use of technology in the teaching of your subject. Summarize|

|implications for the teaching of your subject. Cite the articles using APA format., and include the text of the abstracts. |

Abstract 1:

“Making History: An Indiana Teacher Uses Technology to Feel the History” (2008). Technology & Learning, 28(7), 26. EJ790317.

Full Abstract:

Jon Carl's vision is simple: get students passionate about history by turning them into historians. To accomplish this, he created a class centered on documentary film-making. Students choose a topic, conduct research at local libraries, write a script, film video interviews, and create video segments of four to 15 minutes. District technology specialists and members of Evansville's local history community review these "rough cuts" for historical accuracy, technical merit, and storytelling interest. Students use the feedback to re-edit their pieces, which air on WNIN, the local PBS station, and are rebroadcast on the local NBC affiliate. Given the high-tech nature of Carl's class projects, one might think he came into Feel the History with a technology bent. In fact, he had no experience at all with film production. In almost a year's time, however, Carl mastered Sony DSR-PD170 video cameras, wired and wireless microphones, document and photo scanning via Adobe Photoshop CS2, and video editing using Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0--and he has trained his students to do the same. Because of Carl, students not only gain the tech skills of a filmmaker, but they also become historians in the community.

Summary:

This abstract refers to an article about a teacher who uses technology effectively in his history classroom. This teacher uses documentary filmmaking and local exposure as motivational tools to get his students invested in the learning.

Abstract 2:

Langhorst, Eric. (2008) “Golden Oldies: Using Digital Recording to Recapture History” School Library Journal, 54(3) 50-53. EJ790064.

Full Abstract:

Analog audio recording has been around for a long time, but today's digital technology makes the process even easier, thanks to inexpensive equipment and free editing software. This year, the author's students at South Valley Junior High in Liberty, Missouri, will embark on an oral history project in which they will record their own family stories, then share them with the community through local libraries and museums. Through various projects, including a book blog, students have discovered their local past. The challenge now is to help them understand history as something more than a series of well-known events and famous--or infamous--individuals; that it can be much more personal. Such a connection, the author has found, often creates a spark that drives an individual to learn more about history in general. The oral history project is designed to help students learn more about their own heritage. Then, hopefully, they will make connections to broader historical events that they generally encounter in the classroom.

Summary:

This abstract describes an article about a teacher who brings oral history to life with digital recording. Such technology can help make history seem contemporary to students. Also, a unit like this one that deals with one’s personal family history can serve to personalize an otherwise distant lesson.

|(4) Online Academic Journals: A growing number of academic journals are available online, some of which are free, and others of |

|which require a subscription. |

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|Find an electronic journal related to your subject and include a screen capture of a relevant article. Briefly summarize the |

|article. |

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|Administrators should be familiar with the legal code as it pertains to education. Research a legal case relevant to education in |

|secondary schools and include a screen capture from this case. Briefly summarize the case. *PTP-tip The PTP requires that |

|"Candidates for a Teaching Credential understand and honor legal and professional obligations to protect the privacy, health, and |

|safety of students, families, and other school professionals. They are aware of and act in accordance with ethical considerations |

|and they model ethical behaviors for students. Candidates understand and honor all laws relating to professional misconduct and |

|moral fitness." You may wish to cite relevant laws or cases as an aspect of an artifact for TPE 12. |

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This is an article on the formation of the American Navy during the late eighteenth century. It is something of a “people’s history” as it focuses on the movements of the masses more so than on the maneuverings of the elite. It goes into great detail on why the people wanted a Navy, and how they went about procuring one.

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Perhaps the most important Supreme Court case in the history of secondary education is that of Brown v. Board of Education (1954). It is the landmark case in which Earl Warren wrote the unanimous decision that “the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place in modern society.” This decision soundly struck down the previous precedent set forth in Plessy v. Ferguson, which had established the doctrine of “separate but equal.”

|(5) Locating multimedia teaching resources: At many libraries, teachers can obtain cards which give them special privileges as |

|educators, including the ability to check our more resources and keep them longer. Teachers can check out books, CDs, DVDs and and |

|videos. |

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|Find a video related to the teaching of your course in the Los Angeles Public Library System (or other public library system), CSUN|

|main library, or the CSUN Teacher Curriculum Center. Describe the video resource and its call number, and if possible, find a |

|teacher study guide for the video by performing an Internet search. |

I watched Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey (Oviatt Library: 85680). It is an entertaining film about Leon Theremin, the scientist who invented the first electronic instrument. It is also the only instrument in the world which is not touched by the player at any time.

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