Since the topic of this post is Information (or Web) Literacy, I asked Library Media Coordinator  Dawn Fiorelli to co-author it with me. Thank you, Dawn!

As we were recently reminded during a professional development conference led by educational technology guru Alan November, web literacy is an essential skill we must teach our students across all content areas. The Common Core requires that students be able to manage web-based information, but more importantly, web literacy involves being able to think critically, conduct meaningful, purposeful research, determine fact from fiction, and synthesize multiple pieces of information. And it all begins with knowing how to use Google to get the results you need.

This article by Alan November makes a compelling case for why we should all teach kids how to search the web as early as first grade and goes on to describe how we can all start. It’s a great read that I highly recommend. Also worthwhile is the Information Literacy Resources page on NovemberLearning.com, which contains information on how to validate websites and “read” a web address.

But the real key here is developing a solid understanding of Google advanced search options. So we’ve compiled some Google tips and tricks resources that are all downloadable. You might want to start with the embedded image above, but be sure to check out Google Tips for Better Search Results, too. Then there’s this link from Google’s website that is geared a little more to consumers but is incredibly useful.

Another powerful tool is Easybib.com.  Our students in grades 5-12 have access to subscription services provided by Easybib which help students evaluate websites using their Criteria for Evaluating Websites guide.