Good or Bad?

Lately in history class, we have been using a lot of technology. In fact, we don’t even use notebooks or binders. This class is paperless! We have been completing many activities on the devices we have (such as iPods, iPads, and other tablets or phones) to teach us to search for information and use online resources responsibly. One activity we recently participated in was a Google a Day. A Google a Day is a daily challenge. A Google a Day asks three questions and you have to use google to search for the answer. A Google a Day is explained in its motto: “There’s no right way to solve it, but there’s only one right answer.” Through this activity, I have learned that there are many different ways to solve a problem, just like the motto says. This fact is frustrating but is also awesome at the same time. I know I can’t only use one process every time I solve a problem, which is frustrating because, personally, I like one direct way of solving a problem, but it is awesome because it gives you the freedom to get to the end using almost any means.

Thumbs up, thumbs down. Digital image. Mint Life. Christopher Elliot, 14 Mar. 2013. Web. 7 Sept. 2014.

Accuracy, authenticity and reliability are the three things to look for in a good website. When checking for accuracy in a website, you are looking to see if the website has the correct information. What good is a website with incorrect information? To tell if the information is correct, you need to compare that information to information from other sources to see if the sources match up. The information not only has to be accurate, but it needs to be up to date. Information may have been correct a few years ago, but there are always new discoveries that update and further explain information. To check for authenticity, you need to make sure the website you are using is genuine. To do this, you need to check to see if the author is creditable and has the qualifications to be writing about the topic of the website. Reliability has to do with how trustworthy the website is. Once again, this largely depends on who the author is. Also, university websites are usually good sources because they pride themselves on helping others learn with correct information. Government websites (.gov) and educational websites (.edu) are almost always trustworthy. We looked at a website for the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus and while looking at it, found that it is not accurate, authentic or reliable. The website looks very professional, but the author is not qualified to be writing about the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, some of the pictures of tree octopuses are rubber toys, and octopuses can only survive in salt water. The information from the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus website does not match up with other sources. There is no such thing as the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. It is just a hoax, although it was fun to read.