Media Literacy and Nettrekker

[Renee]

Hi,
I'm wondering what your thoughts are regarding the use of products like Nettrekker that provided "pre-evaluated" websites for schools - for a fee. Our district just bought a one year subscription for middle and high school (elementary wouldn't chip in any money). My feeling is that this is providing high school students with a "crutch" and taking the place of teaching them critical evaluation of websites. I'd like to see that same amount of money spent on professional development for teachers and librarians to collaborate and work together to educate students. I seem to be in the minority in my district and would like to hear from others - whether your district is using a similar product and your perspective on the use of such tools.

[Pat Ropchan]

Hi,
I previewed NetTrekker at my school and had my student advisory group last year (6 grade 12 students) preview it also. We decided to get it for the elementary ONLY because, as you say, the junior high and senior high kids need to use their own brains to determine what is good or not.

[Michelle]

I'm not opposed to using products like NetTrekker. I think providing students with access to pre-evaluated search engines, web directories, and pathfinders is an excellent way to "model" effective information searching and website evaluation as part of the overall information literacy curriculum. Students will have many opportunities to evaluate websites even when using NetTrekker. For example, students may follow links from NetTrekker to sites outside of the NetTrekker directory and will need to know if these new sites are authoritative sources of information.

Other applications of pre-evaluated resources are pathfinders. Many school librarians are using pathfinders as a way to identify and pre-evaluate web resources that are specific to individual lessons or curriculum units. Again, students still need to be able to evaluate the source, not only to make sure it is an authoritative source, but to ensure that it is relevant to their research question or overall resource needs. Check out the "Index to Collaboration Pages" developed by Joyce Valenza and published on The Springfield Township High School Virtual Library.

http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/pathmenu.html

My only thought against products like NetTrekker is that they may limit the search results and leave out many important sources. They should not be used exclusively in the search process but in addition to other means of finding information. Furthermore, there are many similar search engines and directories that are free.

[Jeri Hurd]

Here, here! I read a study that talked about how college freshmen use the library for research. The answer: not well. Aside from not knowing how to frame their research, they also complained about "not having a source of websites they knew their professor would approve." My first thought: this is a kid raised on Nettrekker! While I can understand its use in the primary, I believe by 7th grade we need to be teaching these kids to use the internet wisely. We have nettrekker, but I never really tell the kids about it. We mostly use it for the elementary.

However, the study also made me wonder about pathfinders. I spend ages hunting down sites for the kids. Am I (are we?) ultimately doing the students a disservice? Rather than finding them specific sites, should we just lead them to good portals, and let them do the digging? I'm not sure I agree that students still need to evaluate the sources on their pathfinder. After all, that's what we're doing, and they assume, rightly, if we give it to them, it's a good site. They may need to evaluate the information for their particular needs, but that's not the same as determining the quality of a site.

[Michelle]

I see Nettrekker! and pathfinders as access points; like the card catalog and an index in a book, they list relevant resources for use. Students still need to synthesis and evaluate the information to ensure it meets the goals of their research. Providing students with access points models effective information and selection, if done right.

[Stacey Hall]

I agree with your analogy, Michelle. Students need to be provided with a frame of reference in order to know an appropriate information source when they see one! I also think that in teaching students how to evaluate Web sites through WebQuests, they can be lead to sources such as Nettrecker to use as a model (like you said) and then be required to validate additional on-line sources that are not found in such products.

[Deborah Stafford]

On NetTrecker, I feel that the money spent would be better spent elsewhere, perhaps on a good online database. Then teach kids HOW to be good searchers, how to use tools like IPL, Google directory good keyword terms etc.

On pathfinders, if we make sure we keep the pathfinder general, that we include in the pathfinder good keyword terms and paths, then we scaffolding for them. Once they get in the habit of using good search tools and good terms I think it will carry over into searches where they don't have the pathfinder. But if the pathfinder is "only use these sites" then yes, are doing a disservice.

Debbie