Evaluating Websites
Topic: Evaluating Websites
Over the past two and a half years, I have constantly stressed the implementation of technology in my social studies classroom.  Whether it be uses of the overhead projector, laptop and LCD projectors, or DVD players, I have emphasized the fact that use of technology truely helps to bring social studies to life.  I have found that the only way to have my high school students develop an appreciation for history is to have them "live history".  They have conducted various WebQuests and Internet-based assignments in which they research and develop their own critical-thinking evaluation papers; however, in asking students to conduct such assignments, requires them to understand which websites are legitimate and valid and which are not.  I have found that it is crucial to encourage students to investigate the differences in Internet domains.  Through having students research and notice how .edu or .gov sites tend to be reliable, they will then gravitate to those websites in the future.  Regardless of the lesson, when students are asked to conduct a constructivist task in which they research and then solve the problem, they will begin to think critically on their own.