Website Review: Web Smarts

WEB SMARTS is an interactive learning experience focusing on digital literacy.

This online tutorial helps youth learn when to trust a website and when it avoid it. Students work their way through a series of screens exploring video-based examples and answering engaging questions. The experience ends with a quiz. A teacher page discusses how the website might be used with students.

Librarians will find this short, online tutorial to be an effective way to help students become more web literate.

To visit the website, go to http://websmarts.thinkport.org.

Website Review: Carnegie Cyber Academy

THE CARNEGIE CYBER ACADEMY is a professional-quality website focusing on digital citizenship.

The Training Missions section explores cybersecurity topics such as email threats and website safety. Students earn badges as they complete tasks. Four missions are currently available. Each mission has an online component as well as a hint sheet that can be downloaded.

The Academy Library contains useful information on searching for resources, evaluating source credibility, and using web resources. The Cyberpedia is an encyclopedia of key vocabulary related to digital literacy.

The Fun Stuff area provides short animations and games on curriculum-related topics as well as themes such as holidays. Links to the YouTube Channel provide additional resources on topics such as cyberbullying. The Carnegie Cadets: The MySecureCyberspace Game is a downloadable game focusing on digital literacy skills. The News and Cadet Life pages aren’t being updated but have interesting archival information.

The Faculty Pages help teachers locate useful information for teaching digital citizenship. A Classroom and Support Materials section provides many more resources for teachers including over a dozen lesson starters, downloadable materials, a youth user manual, and other resources.

Librarians will find many uses for the engaging digital citizenship information, games, and learning activities. While the website can be used as a self-contained information literacy curriculum, pieces on specific topics such as online reputations, netiquette, and online safety can be woven into the existing curriculum.

To visit the website, go to http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/.

App Review: Messy Mia & the Tale of Ancient Technology

MESSY MIA & THE TALE OF ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY is an interactive story and learning app focusing on old and new technology.

Designed for preschool and primary aged children, the 20 page storybook explores how technology such as televisions, phones, and music players have changed over time. The large text, engaging storyline, and attractive illustrations will keep young children interested. The app provides “Read it Myself” and “Read to Me” options. Readers are encouraged to interact with the screen using predictable icons. In addition, a “What’s That Picture?” quiz and three, short games will appeal to users and keep them involved in the story content.

Librarians will find this app an effective way to address digital literacy standards related to changes in technology.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/messy-mia-tales-sto…/id928647708…. The basic app is free, but additional resources can be purchased.

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Website Review: Digital Literacy

DIGITALLITERACY.GOV is a U.S. government initiative providing resources to assist practitioners including librarians in delivering digital literacy training. This interagency project is intended for all age groups and stages of learning.

The “Find Educator Tools” area provides a quick way to search for resources by skill, topic, or keyword. The “Learn the Basics” section contains an overview of basic technology skills. The section on Child Online Protection links to dozens of quality, online resources on topics including cyberbullying, privacy, and other topics related to child safety. The “Learn Job Skills” provides practical resources related to finding a job, career exploration, creating a resume, and other valuable information.

To learn more, go to http://www.digitalliteracy.gov/

Website Review: Commonsense Media

COMMON SENSE MEDIA is a website providing information related to media and technology for parents and teachers. In addition to a great place for educational ratings and reviews, it’s also an effective way to keep up with the movies, games, apps, TV shows, websites, books, and music of interest to youth of particular ages.

Their K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum and interactive learning games are outstanding. The free materials are available as iBook textbooks or as printable lessons with online videos and interactives. Topics include internet safety, privacy and security, relationships & communication, cyberbullying, digital footprint & reputation, self-image & identity, information literacy, and creative credit & copyright. You can even download colorful posters for library displays.

Graphite is their new service that helps educators find the best apps, games, and websites for the classroom. This website is aligned with the Common Core State Standards and provides lots of tools for searching and organizing websites.

To learn more, go to COMMON SENSE MEDIA at https://www.commonsensemedia.org/.