Website evaluation

The amount of information on the Internet is mind boggling. Thinking about how to thoroughly evaluate a website is an exercise I never really considered before. I have thought about evaluating sources when doing research. For example, I always look for the .edu in the web address as one way to make sure a source is credible. However, this evaluation exercise required a much deeper look at a website. As the Internet becomes more embedded in K-6 instruction, I know it is essential for teachers and students to make website evaluation something that becomes automatic. At a bare minimum students should be able to see the warning signs of sites that are bogus or very biased. I also think that is important for a site to be easy to navigate so that students and teachers can determine quickly if the site is useful for their current task. The Internet can be a huge time saver but it can also be a time waster if information is difficult to find. Thinking about credibility, reliability, accuracy, usability, accessibility are all very helpful items in evaluating sites I want to use as a teacher as well as for teaching students to think critically when they are using the Internet.