Journal 8: Find the truth about the pacific tree octopus

(NETS-T 1, 2)

Ferrell, K. (2011). Find the truth about the pacific tree octopus. Learning and Leading, 39(1), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-august-2011.aspx


This article discusses something important that we have all learned at some point or another, and often times, we learned it the hard way. Keith Ferrell talks about how he got his fourth grade students to recognize false information when searching the web. It is much easier to find questionable sources that it is to find reliable ones. He was able to prove this by gathering 'data' his fourth graders found when searching for information on the tree octopus and explorers. The facts that he gathered from the students are a mix of absolutely ridiculous statements on the two topics. Most of the students had gathered their information from the first two links provided by google. Once Ferrell reviewed the data with his students it became apparent to them that the data they found wasn't quite accurate. They were shocked to know that the internet would provide them with false information, especially when the pages appeared to be legitimate.


I know it took me a long time to grasp this truth, and it was long after I was in the fourth grade. The one that I had difficulty reconciling that it was not so legitimate was wikipedia. By all accounts it appears to be an encyclopedia, and I was told encyclopedias are always a legitimate resource. I could not understand why, just because it was online it was not a solid source.I of course was not aware that anyone could enter information and that sometimes people have incorrect information, or purposefully put up false information. But once you realize it, you will forever be skeptical of the articles you find on the web, particularly through google. Ferrell then went through the motions to teach the students how to decipher whether or not a source is legitimate. This is a lesson we all need practice in at some point or another. In my opinion, it is a lesson better learned at a young age, than later on before they find themselves making a big mistake. I think the way Keith Ferrell went about this assignment was rather brilliant. Rather than just tell them "Some websites will not be real" he allowed them to discover for themselves. 


Are false sites such as Wikipedia that are edited by the public always bad?


I believe that wikipedia is a good starting point, especially if you are just brushing up on facts for personal knowledge. For example, if you hear your parents discussing Jacques Cousteau and you can't for the life of you remember who that was, Wikipedia is a quick and easy way to remind you. But as far as scholarly research goes, Wikipedia is a good starting point. It's good to give a quick background on a topic, but for solid facts you need to research further and remember to never use Wikipedia as a solid source in a research project. 


How can you tell if a source is legitimate or not?


You have to double check to see what main site the article came from. If it came from a government issued website like the Library of Congress, from a well respected newspaper like The New York Times, or from a university database it is most likely legitimate. You have to be careful when the main site is something like google sites or blogger which means anyone could have created it.