Internet safety

Want to learn more about how to keep your kids safe online? The Federal Trade Commission's OnGuard Online website has a section just for parents called Net Cetera. Order a free copy of their printed guide or view and download it online.

Check out books from the public library to read together by searching using the subject header: Internet -- Safety measures -- Juvenile literature.

One important point to keep in mind is that scare tactics don't work! A better approach is balanced, realistic education and ongoing conversations.

The internet offers endless opportunities for learning and exploration, but like any other tool it's important to learn how to use it safely and effectively.

A noted author shares his thoughts on parenting & homework

I was delighted by this offering from T.A. Barron: Veni, Vidi, Wi-Fi: A Father Discovers His Role Is a Lot Like a Librarian's. If your household is anything like mine (and his) you're aware that thanks to the Internet, homework today is nothing like homework was when we were in school! The possibilities are greater but the hazards are as well. Read this article, think it over, discuss the issues with your kids - and the next time they sit down at the computer to do homework, see what happens...

A great gift you can give your child: information literacy!

We all want to send our children out into the world as well prepared as possible, but in today's technology rich society it is easy to suffer from information overload! Young people may be comfortable using technology (sometimes more comfortable than their parents are) but that doesn't mean they are always able to efficiently locate and evaluate resources or make the best use of the information they locate.


It's never too early to start modeling information literacy and supporting it in your own home! The more you can reinforce the lessons your children hear at school and demonstrate their applicability to real life problems, the more relevant and important they will seem.

Some of my previous blog posts about research describe things you can do to support these skills at home. In particular I would highly recommend developing a thorough acquaintance with the Big 6 steps for information seeking.

During library classes we have brainstormed real life (non-school related) situations in which people used the Big 6, and students have come up with a range of examples from, "My dad needed to choose a new car" to "I went on a hike with my family and saw a bird I couldn't identify." As you investigate a new recipe to try for dinner or start planning your next family vacation, try to let your child in on the steps you're taking as you look for and evaluation information. Modeling this process will help them break down their next big school project into logical and less intimidating steps.

You can use almost any situation as an opportunity for developing your child's information literacy, from advertisements you're exposed to (Can you trust the source? Can the claims be independently verified? If so, where and how?) to a spam email forwarded by a gullible relative (Is that dire warning really true? Can we believe everything we read? Where could we go to figure out if it's true or not?).

I'd also recommend this wonderful guide:

What Should Parents Know about Information Literacy?

Online research - advantages & pitfalls

One of the greatest advantages of being a student doing research today is, unfortunately, also one of the greatest hazards. Sitting in the comfort of your own home you can access unimaginable amounts of information that previously would have required manually searching through a variety of books in a variety of physical locations.

However, with this ease of access come the perils of copying and pasting. Suddenly the possibility of plagiarism, whether intentional or accidental, looms much larger.

Thanks to Mrs. Sachdeva, our Technology Specialist, for pointing me towards this Tech & Learning magazine blog post, "Copy. Paste. Done." It is an important read for both parents and educators.

As you help your student surf the internet looking for information for an assignment, observe what they are doing. Are they looking for information they can synthesize on their own to create a new whole? Or are they looking for a site that provides "the answers" ready made for them?

A friend of mine who is a university librarian has observed that even undergraduates come into the library hoping to find a book or database or website that will hand them "the answer" to their professor's assignment. The reality is that higher level thinking requires us to find the data and then select and interpret it ourselves. Students who learn this earlier in life will become more competent and responsible users of online information, as well as more critical and original thinkers.

The Big 6: Your guide to research!

Fifth grade students recently learned more about the Big 6 approach to research by doing an exercise in library class. They had already reviewed this technique in class with Ms. Russell, and by finding a way to apply it to information needs that come up in daily life they became more comfortable with actually using it.

Fifth graders came up with a variety of creative personal information needs such as finding out how to improve their playing in a particular sport, investigating their family's history, and learning more about an upcoming vacation spot.

People's information seeking behavior is a major area of study in the field of information science (i.e. library schools)! In this information age we are generally bombarded with too much information rather than too little and this can become overwhelming. A simple tool such as the Big 6 can help make looking for information - whether for school, work or personal use - a lot more manageable regardless of your age.

For children in grades K-2, there is the Super 3. The steps are:

1. Plan
2. Do
3. Review

Visit the website for more details!

For older students, there are two sites, both linked to the main kids' page, one for grades 3-6, and one for grades 7-12. The six steps are the same for both age groups, but the explanations and examples are given in more complexity for older students.

Virtually all information needs - from deciding which washing machine to buy to writing a report about the life of Jefferson Davis to choosing the perfect breed of dog for your family - can be broken down into manageable steps using the Big 6.

Many people procrastinate because the task facing them seems so large as to be daunting! If you notice this behavior in your child, you can help him or her by first taking a few minutes to break down the task into the following six steps:

#1 Task Definition: What needs to be done? (Being crystal clear about what you need to do is crucial before you get started! This will help keep you on track.)

#2 Information Seeking Strategies: What resources can I use? (Think creatively! Resources go well beyond books and the Internet to encompass people, organizations, periodicals, etc.)

#3 Location & Access: Where can I find these resources? (The library may have the perfect book for your project but unless you place a hold on it right away you may not get it in time. Or Aunt Mildred might be an expert in the area you need advice in, but you'd better call before she leaves on her 6 month trek around Nepal!)

#4 Use of Information: What can I use from these resources? (This is an area where many people get distracted by interesting but irrelevant information. Remember step #1? If what you read or hear doesn't apply to what you need to do, disregard it for now. Stay focused - and you can always go back later and follow up on that fascinating tangent.)

#5 Synthesis: What can I make to finish the job? (In the case of a school assignment or work project this may be determined by someone else. If it is a personal information need, you can define it for yourself: how about a list of characteristics your new digital camera should have? Or a cookbook of your family's favorite recipes to give as holiday gifts?)

#6 Evaluation: How will I know I did my job well? (Was that llama the perfect choice of family pet? Were you satisfied with your playing at the last chess tournament? Did everyone ask for second helpings of that new casserole you tried? This is an area where you can decide for yourself what the criteria for a job well done will be.)

Citations 101

This weekend our 5th graders will be busily writing up their solar energy papers for Ms. Stivers's science class after doing research during library classes. One of the less exciting aspects of the research paper process comes next: creating the bibliography!

Fortunately things have come a long way since I was a student flipping through my Turabian guide. You can take some of the pain out of this process by using the following sites:

• KnightCite Citation Service


• Son of Citation Machine


• World Book Online (choose World Book Advanced, click on Citation Builder and follow the instructions; login information available from your teacher or Ms. Simeon)

Simply fill in the boxes, click on "submit" and voila! Remember, we use the MLA format at Open Window & Vista Academy.

Research? Help!

When it comes to research, some people enjoy the thrill of the hunt, while others feel despair. I confess to being one of the former group and I hope I can persuade those of you who are not that it really can be quite enjoyable!

While there are many models for research, one that is particularly user friendly is the Big 6. These six simple steps will lead you systematically from your original question to a polished finished product.

Of course one of the major research questions people often have is where to look for information? Our school library subscribes to several useful databases (see details on the left) that provide safe, efficient access to information. Similarly, you can access many databases and websites screened for K-12 students via our local public library.

What about Wikipedia? It is very popular with many students and their parents, and it is a wonderful experiment in online collaboration as well as sometimes being a useful jumping off point. For example, Wikipedia's footnotes are often a good place to start your search. However, due to hoaxsters, human error and person bias it has its perils as compared to more traditional sources - as many journalists around the world recently learned to their chagrin!

Books remain a wonderful choice for research, particularly since using them -navigating a table of contents, index, etc. - teaches valuable skills about the organization of information that can sometimes be lost in an online environment. Many younger researchers with shakier keyboarding and spelling skills also find books easier to use.

So get out there and have fun researching!