*DISCLAIMER*
This class is fun and entertaining and I feel like I'm learning a lot of new material; however, I am off the meds today so I may come off a little too excited...we'll see where it goes. Good LUCK!! (to you as the reader, and me as the writer!)
In class last Monday we were introduced to a few different websites that would help us in our online searches. Before our introduction we took an "Online Literacy Quiz" and I'm embarrassed to admit, it did not bode well for me. Searching BEFORE our activity...well, I thought I was being thorough but apparently not. I had no idea how to make sure a website was authentic unless it was a website like google or yahoo! - ones that have their own stock. I was what I am deeming a "Simple Searcher" - I would go to google or yahoo! and type in the word I was searching for. Boom. Done. But, as it turns out - there is SO much more to be known in order to confirm authenticity. Such as, who actually owns each website? Domains, i.e.: the name of the website - http://www.blogspot.com the domain would be blogspot. These are things that must be paid for in order to maintain and keep up with them. But how do you find that information out? If you know who owns a website that can help you understand the authenticity of it.
Searching (and checking credibility) AFTER our in-class activity is much easier now! ;) I know that if you were to go to http://www.easywhois.com I could easily figure out who owns that domain! How cool! http://www.altavista.com can show you how many OTHER websites link to the website you are researching. All you have to do is type in link: and then your website. So, if I wanted to see how many websites link to this blog I would type in link:www.tmolyndsekay.blogspot.com. Unfortunately, my blog is currently not popular enough to even be found on this site, so maybe that was a bad example. However, you can find that yahoo! has over 200MILLION sites linking to their webpage. Makes me kind of jealous but I guess it makes sense since I'm just Lyndse Kay and not Lyndse Kay!. The "!" definitely increases popularity...yeah, that's what it is...the "!".
The history of a website can be found at http://www.archive.com.
This is all very helpful and makes confirming a website's credibility and authenticy much easier now!
In CONCLUSION I think that I am very distracted by my classmates sitting next to me. Courtney is dancing with her shoulders and crying over being 31 words short, CaitlyNATOR is being a BEAST writing everything out and some guy behind us just sneezed/coughed and it made me nervous for his health. (Sorry Guy Behind Us if you're reading this - I'm not judging!! Just under medicated, remember?)
In all seriousness, I'm not sure if my college student search habits will change. Most of my searching for classes is done through the Library Databases, which is already academically accredited...however, if I'm searching websites in order to write out a Lesson Plan, as a teacher, I will probably definitely use these methods. I can't really keep up with technology if I'm using sites that my students made up in order to trick me. I have to know if they are valid so I can get my own academic credit...aka...not get duped be it by students or just websites that seem to be helpful but are unknowingly bias or faking credibility and end up screwing up my plans to be the most awesomest English/Reading teacher this world has EVER SEEN!!! (I wish I could add audio right now because I typed that line and read it out loud as I wrote it, inspiring Courtney to start humming a theme song to go along...maybe I don't need the "!" after all!!)
Until nex time!
-lkh! (I had to at least try it!)
Reading your blog makes me feel bad for mine. As soon as I clicked on yours I thought "man, this is going to be fun to read," and it definitely was. If you keep this attitude up you'll definitely be the best/most fun English and Reading teacher the world has ever seen. Good luck! (Even though it doesn't seem like you need it)
ReplyDeletePhillip Hardy
As soon as I clicked on your blog I thought "man, this will be fun to read." And I was right. I have no doubt that you'll be the most awesomest English/Reading teacher ever, especially if you keep this energy up in the class room! Good luck (Even though it doesn't look like you need it)
ReplyDeletePhillip Hardy
I too don’t think that this activity will change my search habits too much. But as you said, it will be helpful as a teacher. It will allow us to give information from reputable websites and it will give us another tool that we can teach to our future students.
ReplyDeleteAngeline
Lyndse I agree with everything that you said including me dancing in class haha.
ReplyDeleteAnyways back to the class, it is hard to realize that the sources are at our fingertips but to actually use them is hard to actually do. Our generations have become so fasted pased and don't want to waste time doing all those extra steps.
CAH
Lyndse you really never cease to get a laugh out of me and though I was beasting in this assignment on Wednesday, you have put my blog to shame. I was the same way before this activity, oblivious to the fact that just googling something may not be the most effective solution. I never put much thought into the fact that the internet too can lie just like people. Really? who would have thought? That is why I feel it is important to use these new methods to ensure credit is being placed where credit be due.
ReplyDelete