Select any site/tool from the list of Web 2.0 Awards nominees. (If you prefer to select from just the winners, here’s a link to the short list.)
Explore the site you selected.
Create a post about your discovery. What did you like or dislike about the tool? What were the site’s useful features? Could you see any applications for its use in a school or library setting?
I explored Yahoo Answers in the advice category. What a great tool! Some students have difficulty finding information with a search. They can't narrow their subject enough. To be able to ask a simple question might make it easier for them. Students have difficulty with research. Yahoo Answers might give them some pointers on how to find things.
I also noticed that many of the questions were things they might not feel comfortable asking an adult. (For example, someone asked about a strange rash.) Students might not feel comfortable asking an adult, even a parent about some questions. They could ask questions about cutting, suicide, anorexia, etc. These are things they might be tempted to do, but hide. With this tool, they could explore the issue without bias or fear of being caught.
I can also see where this could be a little too broad. I wonder if there is a similar tool on Yahooligans? If there is, that would perhaps help to narrow down the inappropriate materials on the web.
I like the categories along the side and the fact that there are rules for posting that are listed. It actually seems to be a very kid-friendly site as well. Things are very well organized.
What do you guys think?
2 comments:
Yahoo Answers is great. I've used it myself from time to time. I think, though, that we need to be sure and teach kids that the answers are coming from people just like themselves - not necessarily an expert on the topic. While in some situations the advice given is useful, in others it might not be. It's another case of how important it is to help students know how to evaluate the information they find on the web.
I completely agree. I work with them a lot on source evaluation when I let them work on the internet.
Post a Comment