Chapter 5

In Chapter 5, we read partly about information problems and appropriate responses.  Some of the responses we as teachers employ are censorship and filtering.  One issue with using the internet for academic purposes or in a school setting is that there is a high possibility that students will become distracted by unrelated websites or inappropriate content.  The internet is chock full of the like, so it is easy for students to stumble upon such sites.  We've discussed preventing this with firewalls, child lock, and other forms of censorship and filtering, but I have found them to not be fool proof.  I work at Long Island City H.S. and the computers in our room have well known distracting websites blocked, but students still find ways to surf the web for things unrelated to school work, college and scholarship research, or applying for financial aid.  I have found students doing online shopping and watching videos on websites other than YouTube.  They are as clever and sometimes cleverer than teachers when it comes to finding ways around rules and borders.

I enjoyed reading and thinking about whether Wikipedia is "good or evil."  It has been a debate that I have heard about for years now and the popular opinion seems to be that Wikipedia is not credible or acceptable.  For this reason I haven't, until now, voiced my opinion that although Wikipedia can be manipulated by the public (i.e. 2011 when fans of Sarah Palin attempted to make her accidental incorrect statement about Paul Revere, American Revolution patriot, on a bus tour seem like fact by altering the corresponding Wikipedia page) it is an extremely useful resource.  When it comes to finding a simple fact such as the birthdate of a celebrity or the number of marriages of a historical figure, wikipedia puts the answers at your fingertips.  It is also useful for finding general or specific opinions and tidbit-like facts about events or theories.  Whether I would cite Wikipedia on my dissertation is unlikely, but I find it to do mroe good than harm.  In my own experiences I have attempted to use websites such as Britannica.com and been unable to find a certain listing (which existed at Wikipedia.org) or been limited in what I could research.  What I have wondered over the years is if teachers only "bash" Wikipedia to ensure their students learn about more varied and proofread sources.

Search engines, in addition to students' cleverness can also lead them astray as them attempt to do school work.  If the search engine is not effective enough in targeting what the searcher is looking for, students could find themselves jumping from one unrelated topic to another and delaying their initial purpose.

1. What will you accept as a resource on your students' bibliographies or works cited?

2. Wikipedia: yay or nay? Why?

3. Which is ultimately "better," old school library research or new school internet research?