July 24, 2009
Dear Principal Smith,
Earlier today in second period, Mr. Horton assigned my class a project where we have to research a current event. He, however, has restricted our use of Internet resources. I have chosen to research the squandering of North Carolina taxpayers money. I am focusing my research in the area of the current congressional session in which our legislators are creating, revising, and trying to pass a State budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. My dad said that he doesn’t understand how “those big Whigs in Raleigh are wasting millions every day, sitting around talking about my money, when people are losing their jobs left and right.” I would like to know more about the details of this session, its purpose, and specific daily costs of these extended sessions.
It is imperative that I be able to use online resources to locate the information in which I am looking. Sites via the Internet provide the most current and up-to-date information. Since this is a current events assignment, I ask how can the class be restricted from using the best tool for the job, at no cost or much extra effort to the school?
I do understand that there are websites out there that could be biased since this is a controversial issue dealing with the government and finances. It will be necessary for me to use an evaluation tool to assess the resources that I come across so that I will be able to collect factual answers to my questions. I have chosen to use a tool from http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/webcrit.html. Using this will allow me to use research from quality sites.
Ms. Smith, please do not get Mr. Horton in trouble! He is a great teacher and everybody loves to go to his class. I would just like to be able to use the best tool for the job that also keeps me an engaged and motivated middle school student. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Melissa Hamm
6th Grader
Friday, July 24, 2009
Need for 21st Century Literacy
Dear Mr. Principal,
What are the literacy skills that students need to survive in the 21st Century? Who is impacted by this question? Everyone is impacted by this question. How can we scrutinize our resources if we are unable to use the latest information. We must be allowed to use the internet as a tool for our research. It is a skill that we will use the rest of our life and isn't school about creating life long learners? As technology races ahead of our resources, how can we stay current? Please look at the work being done by the Univ. of Connecticut and Dr. Leu.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Julie Abdella
What are the literacy skills that students need to survive in the 21st Century? Who is impacted by this question? Everyone is impacted by this question. How can we scrutinize our resources if we are unable to use the latest information. We must be allowed to use the internet as a tool for our research. It is a skill that we will use the rest of our life and isn't school about creating life long learners? As technology races ahead of our resources, how can we stay current? Please look at the work being done by the Univ. of Connecticut and Dr. Leu.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Julie Abdella
Letter to Principal
Dear Principal,
The use of online sources is absolutely critical to provide up to the minute adequate research on a current events topic. I am researching the topic of childhood obesity for an assignment for Mr. Horton’s class. In order to provide sound, effective research in a letter to an elected official to prompt action about this topic, I need to be able to use Internet sources.
Online sources provide access to research and information around the world. Though I can use print sources to support my topic, online sources provide a vast array of instantaneous knowledge and saves time. Through online sources, I can find information from respected researchers, universities, and case studies in a matter of minutes. These sources can support my claim and help spur action.
I plan to use the Five W’s of Web Evaluation we learned in Mr. Horton’s class to ensure my sources are accurate, updated, and unbiased. I will check the authenticity of the site and the information it provides before using it to support my topic.
Please encourage Mr. Horton to allow us to use online sources for this assignment, so we can learn to evaluate and analyze information as these are skills we need in the future.
Sincerely,
Leigh Ann Lane
The use of online sources is absolutely critical to provide up to the minute adequate research on a current events topic. I am researching the topic of childhood obesity for an assignment for Mr. Horton’s class. In order to provide sound, effective research in a letter to an elected official to prompt action about this topic, I need to be able to use Internet sources.
Online sources provide access to research and information around the world. Though I can use print sources to support my topic, online sources provide a vast array of instantaneous knowledge and saves time. Through online sources, I can find information from respected researchers, universities, and case studies in a matter of minutes. These sources can support my claim and help spur action.
I plan to use the Five W’s of Web Evaluation we learned in Mr. Horton’s class to ensure my sources are accurate, updated, and unbiased. I will check the authenticity of the site and the information it provides before using it to support my topic.
Please encourage Mr. Horton to allow us to use online sources for this assignment, so we can learn to evaluate and analyze information as these are skills we need in the future.
Sincerely,
Leigh Ann Lane
Wrong Move!
Dear Mr. Principal:
Mr. Horton, my 5th Grade teacher, wants us to research a current topic. I recently heard on a newscast about New Zealand boy racers. It is an interesting topic that I would like to know more about. Mr. Horton told the class that we would not be able to use the Internet. This really restricts my research because New Zealand information is not a part of American news and the topic of boy racers is not something that we get to talk about in class. Without the help of the internet, I feel that my research will not go anywhere. As principal I feel you should have a stern talk with Mr. Horton.
I have visited five sites already that report on the problem that New Zealanders are experiencing about these boy racers. These sites give pictures, tell how the neighbors feel about these boy racers and even allows the police to talk about the problems they are facing when trying to catch them. I would have never been able to get this information without the use of the internet.
In order for me to get the information I did receive, Mr. Horton taught us about the 5 W’s about who, what, when, where, and why. I had over 20 sites but by using the evaluation, I was able to get rid of over 15 of them. This is why I do not understand why Mr. Horton won’t allow us to use the internet.
He is a good teacher, but this was a bad decision. Thank you for your time.
Brianquisha Smith
Mr. Horton, my 5th Grade teacher, wants us to research a current topic. I recently heard on a newscast about New Zealand boy racers. It is an interesting topic that I would like to know more about. Mr. Horton told the class that we would not be able to use the Internet. This really restricts my research because New Zealand information is not a part of American news and the topic of boy racers is not something that we get to talk about in class. Without the help of the internet, I feel that my research will not go anywhere. As principal I feel you should have a stern talk with Mr. Horton.
I have visited five sites already that report on the problem that New Zealanders are experiencing about these boy racers. These sites give pictures, tell how the neighbors feel about these boy racers and even allows the police to talk about the problems they are facing when trying to catch them. I would have never been able to get this information without the use of the internet.
In order for me to get the information I did receive, Mr. Horton taught us about the 5 W’s about who, what, when, where, and why. I had over 20 sites but by using the evaluation, I was able to get rid of over 15 of them. This is why I do not understand why Mr. Horton won’t allow us to use the internet.
He is a good teacher, but this was a bad decision. Thank you for your time.
Brianquisha Smith
Letter to Dr. Pritchard
Dear Dr. Pritchard,
For my part in my group’s position paper, I have researching the role of rubrics in the evaluating and assessing of student writing. I am actually happy that this particular topic was assigned to me because I haven’t really officially studied rubrics for many years, so I am being forced to investigate a topic anew to see what has been discovered about rubrics since the days when it was a new and innovative topic.
Though the notes I have taken thus far has been from books, I am about to explore the internet for other sources. I am certain that my web sources will provide more current information because of the web’s ability to have the most up-to-date information. I am, however, concerned that I get duped by a bogus on-line source that might “look” scholarly but in actuality be unacceptable to the academic community. I think that it’s worth the risk though in order to provide the most updated information. I want to assure you that I will be sure to verify that the websites I reference will be written by an expert in the educational field who is affiliated with an accredited academic institution. I will be sure to review the author’s biography to make sure he or she has the proper credentials as well. If I have trouble finding out what I want to know about the author of the website, I will check further on other websites to discover his/her credentials.
Please also note that my teacher Mr. Horton has taught me the necessary skills to evaluate web sources. My favorite is one I use often from Purdue University from their on-line writing lab (OWL). I will be sure to use the specific strategies taught there (most of which I reference in the above paragraph).
I look forward to completing my work for my group and posting to the CAWP website my work. If you have any suggestions that you think might help me, I welcome them.
Sincerely,
Karen Burden
For my part in my group’s position paper, I have researching the role of rubrics in the evaluating and assessing of student writing. I am actually happy that this particular topic was assigned to me because I haven’t really officially studied rubrics for many years, so I am being forced to investigate a topic anew to see what has been discovered about rubrics since the days when it was a new and innovative topic.
Though the notes I have taken thus far has been from books, I am about to explore the internet for other sources. I am certain that my web sources will provide more current information because of the web’s ability to have the most up-to-date information. I am, however, concerned that I get duped by a bogus on-line source that might “look” scholarly but in actuality be unacceptable to the academic community. I think that it’s worth the risk though in order to provide the most updated information. I want to assure you that I will be sure to verify that the websites I reference will be written by an expert in the educational field who is affiliated with an accredited academic institution. I will be sure to review the author’s biography to make sure he or she has the proper credentials as well. If I have trouble finding out what I want to know about the author of the website, I will check further on other websites to discover his/her credentials.
Please also note that my teacher Mr. Horton has taught me the necessary skills to evaluate web sources. My favorite is one I use often from Purdue University from their on-line writing lab (OWL). I will be sure to use the specific strategies taught there (most of which I reference in the above paragraph).
I look forward to completing my work for my group and posting to the CAWP website my work. If you have any suggestions that you think might help me, I welcome them.
Sincerely,
Karen Burden
Online Research is Cool Man!
Dear Mr. Principal-
We want to research dress codes for students in school. I don't want to have a dress code, but Mr. Horton says I have to research all the different reasons pro and con for having them. He says they should be reputable sources as well. I don't know exactly what that means, but I do know it means I can't interview my friends. Therefore, I have to go online. That means you need to let me.
I should be allowed to do internet research, because there is so much information out there for me to learn. I would miss it otherwise and you do want me to be well-informed don't you. Here is a great example of learning important information online. Just this month a student in Texas asked a Federal Appeals Court to bar his school district from enforcing his dress code. He got in trouble for wearing a t-shirt with a political candidates name on it. It was against school rules to have clothes on with non-school messages. That violates his first amendment rights to free speech, man! Oh, and get this! In Ohio, there is a school where cheerleaders can't wear their uniforms, because they violate the school dress code. Is that lame or what? How are they supposed to cheer without their flippy little skirts? In Nebraska, 23 students were suspended for wearing t-shirts in memory of a dead classmate. The shirts were being sold to buy a headstone for his grave. That is just wrong! See how much I have learned from online research. I would never have known this without using the Internet.
Now, I know that all websites are not equally kosher. Mr. Horton gave us a strategy called the 5 W's of website evaluation that we can use to help us make good decisions about which research to believe. I used that strategy for all of my research. In fact, they all came from MSNBC.com and my grandmother says they are completely unbiased, not like some of those other news stations. Just to be sure though, I used Mr. Horton's rubric and it mostly worked. How cool! Now, if you will just let me use the internet, I can do my homework faster and better.
Thank you very much for fixing my problem.
Sincerely,
Wendy Heather Braindead
We want to research dress codes for students in school. I don't want to have a dress code, but Mr. Horton says I have to research all the different reasons pro and con for having them. He says they should be reputable sources as well. I don't know exactly what that means, but I do know it means I can't interview my friends. Therefore, I have to go online. That means you need to let me.
I should be allowed to do internet research, because there is so much information out there for me to learn. I would miss it otherwise and you do want me to be well-informed don't you. Here is a great example of learning important information online. Just this month a student in Texas asked a Federal Appeals Court to bar his school district from enforcing his dress code. He got in trouble for wearing a t-shirt with a political candidates name on it. It was against school rules to have clothes on with non-school messages. That violates his first amendment rights to free speech, man! Oh, and get this! In Ohio, there is a school where cheerleaders can't wear their uniforms, because they violate the school dress code. Is that lame or what? How are they supposed to cheer without their flippy little skirts? In Nebraska, 23 students were suspended for wearing t-shirts in memory of a dead classmate. The shirts were being sold to buy a headstone for his grave. That is just wrong! See how much I have learned from online research. I would never have known this without using the Internet.
Now, I know that all websites are not equally kosher. Mr. Horton gave us a strategy called the 5 W's of website evaluation that we can use to help us make good decisions about which research to believe. I used that strategy for all of my research. In fact, they all came from MSNBC.com and my grandmother says they are completely unbiased, not like some of those other news stations. Just to be sure though, I used Mr. Horton's rubric and it mostly worked. How cool! Now, if you will just let me use the internet, I can do my homework faster and better.
Thank you very much for fixing my problem.
Sincerely,
Wendy Heather Braindead
Dear Ms. Spann
Dear Ms. Spann,
Our class is researching different famous artists. I have chosen Kehinde Wiley because I love his colorful, realistic paintings. He is most famous for the portraits of rappers he painted for the MTV Hip-Hop awards.
I need to use online sources for my project because of the contemporary nature of my subject. Since Kehinde Wiley is a young artist who is working today, not much printed information has been published about him. Neither our library nor our textbook has any information about him.
If I could use the internet to research Mr. Wiley, I would use the strategies we learned in class for evaluating online resources. I would pay particular attention to point of view or bias. For example, I know that if I found an article on his website, it would be biased to promote him. I would have to look on other sites to find articles that are critical of his work.
Please allow us to access the internet to research current topics!
Thank you,
Jessica
Our class is researching different famous artists. I have chosen Kehinde Wiley because I love his colorful, realistic paintings. He is most famous for the portraits of rappers he painted for the MTV Hip-Hop awards.
I need to use online sources for my project because of the contemporary nature of my subject. Since Kehinde Wiley is a young artist who is working today, not much printed information has been published about him. Neither our library nor our textbook has any information about him.
If I could use the internet to research Mr. Wiley, I would use the strategies we learned in class for evaluating online resources. I would pay particular attention to point of view or bias. For example, I know that if I found an article on his website, it would be biased to promote him. I would have to look on other sites to find articles that are critical of his work.
Please allow us to access the internet to research current topics!
Thank you,
Jessica
Please Mr. Locklair
Dear Mr. Locklair:
In Mr. Horton’s sixth grade class, we are researching current events. I am researching the new hybrid cars. I think this is a fascinating new technology, and I hope that it will eliminate our foreign-oil dependency.
Since hybrid cars are a new technology, there are very few print sources that contain information about them. In fact, there are NO books in our school’s library or the Holly Springs Public Library about hybrid cars. While this may be an issue for the librarians to discuss, I think it might be easier if Mr. Horton would allow us to use online sources. The information will be more up-to-date and easier to access, so I will be able to finish my assignment.
I understand that Mr. Horton thinks there is a lot of junk on the internet. And he’s right. But there are lots of good things out there too. Mrs. Price showed us some strategies for evaluating websites so we don’t get junk stuff. One of the strategies is the 5W’s of evaluating online sources from Mrs. Schrock on www.Discoveryeducation.com . I think that if we could show Mr. Horton that we know how to use these strategies and won’t use the stuff written by buffoons, he would let us use the internet and we would create better products.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and talk to Mr. Horton. He’s a great teacher.
Amy Kay
In Mr. Horton’s sixth grade class, we are researching current events. I am researching the new hybrid cars. I think this is a fascinating new technology, and I hope that it will eliminate our foreign-oil dependency.
Since hybrid cars are a new technology, there are very few print sources that contain information about them. In fact, there are NO books in our school’s library or the Holly Springs Public Library about hybrid cars. While this may be an issue for the librarians to discuss, I think it might be easier if Mr. Horton would allow us to use online sources. The information will be more up-to-date and easier to access, so I will be able to finish my assignment.
I understand that Mr. Horton thinks there is a lot of junk on the internet. And he’s right. But there are lots of good things out there too. Mrs. Price showed us some strategies for evaluating websites so we don’t get junk stuff. One of the strategies is the 5W’s of evaluating online sources from Mrs. Schrock on www.Discoveryeducation.com . I think that if we could show Mr. Horton that we know how to use these strategies and won’t use the stuff written by buffoons, he would let us use the internet and we would create better products.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and talk to Mr. Horton. He’s a great teacher.
Amy Kay
Mr. Horton Has Issues
Dear Mr. Mares,
I am a sixth grade student in Evil Mr. Horton's class. You may remember my request last week asking you to ban those dangerous vending machines in the cafeteria. I am back with another letter, dealing with a more serious issue. I am needing to research online the recent treatment of Dr. Henry Louis Gates by the Cambridge, Massachusetts police to examine the larger issue of reports of racial profiling by law enforcement. This is a very important issue to our society, as shown by President Obama's reference in his press conference just the other night. I am interested as well to see if our community deals with this issue.
Using online sources would give me the most recent information about Dr. Gates' situation. Online sources would also give me access to the wide range of sources that may be out there: articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos. This wealth of information would be very useful for my current event issue.
But with all of this information, I would have to be very careful in choosing which sources to use. I'd need to see if the information comes from a reputable author free of bias. Mr. Horton, despite his mean streak, has shown us how to do this. I would need to see if it comes from a respected news agency. I would also want to check to see if there are ads on the site that might lead me to think that the author was not sharing his impartial view (Grandma tells me I have a precocious vocabulary). I would have to understand that a person's views posted on YouTube may not have the same standards as a person writing for a newspaper. Keeping these decisions in mind will help me greatly. And Mr. Horton has taught us these thing--you should give him a raise (maybe he'd treat us more nicely).
Thank you for reading my letter. I'm sure I'll be writing you another one soon.
yours,
Richie Matkins
I am a sixth grade student in Evil Mr. Horton's class. You may remember my request last week asking you to ban those dangerous vending machines in the cafeteria. I am back with another letter, dealing with a more serious issue. I am needing to research online the recent treatment of Dr. Henry Louis Gates by the Cambridge, Massachusetts police to examine the larger issue of reports of racial profiling by law enforcement. This is a very important issue to our society, as shown by President Obama's reference in his press conference just the other night. I am interested as well to see if our community deals with this issue.
Using online sources would give me the most recent information about Dr. Gates' situation. Online sources would also give me access to the wide range of sources that may be out there: articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos. This wealth of information would be very useful for my current event issue.
But with all of this information, I would have to be very careful in choosing which sources to use. I'd need to see if the information comes from a reputable author free of bias. Mr. Horton, despite his mean streak, has shown us how to do this. I would need to see if it comes from a respected news agency. I would also want to check to see if there are ads on the site that might lead me to think that the author was not sharing his impartial view (Grandma tells me I have a precocious vocabulary). I would have to understand that a person's views posted on YouTube may not have the same standards as a person writing for a newspaper. Keeping these decisions in mind will help me greatly. And Mr. Horton has taught us these thing--you should give him a raise (maybe he'd treat us more nicely).
Thank you for reading my letter. I'm sure I'll be writing you another one soon.
yours,
Richie Matkins
Watson's for the Humanities
The 5 W's process was a good criteria to use because I was able to basically answer all the questions involving this site; and its designers, EdSitement, made the information transparent and easy to follow. I recommend the National Endowment for the Humanities site is legitimate.
Evaluating Online Sources
There are several websites posted below that you will evaluate. Choose one of the two strategies to evaluate the websites. Post your thoughts about the quality of the websites to this post. After posting your evaluation, read at least one evaluation written by your classmates and post comments responding to their evaluation.
Websites
Five Criteria For Evaluating Webpages
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/webcrit.html
The Five W’s of Website Evaluation
http://kathyschrock.net/abceval/5ws.pdf
Evaluating Print vs. Internet Sources
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/553/04/
Reference Shelf: Evaluating Online Resources
http://edsitement.neh.gov/reference_shelf_evaluating.asp
Evaluating Internet Resources
http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic32.htm
Websites
Five Criteria For Evaluating Webpages
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/webcrit.html
The Five W’s of Website Evaluation
http://kathyschrock.net/abceval/5ws.pdf
Evaluating Print vs. Internet Sources
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/553/04/
Reference Shelf: Evaluating Online Resources
http://edsitement.neh.gov/reference_shelf_evaluating.asp
Evaluating Internet Resources
http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic32.htm
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