Suggested Obejctive a: Define Terminology Associated with Telecommunications

Suggested Objective b: Identify Various Information Sources on the Internet

Mozilla Firefox is the Internet browser of choice for use with Canvas. It is a free web browser that is free, fast, and secure. Let's learn more about Mozilla Firefox and how to use it.

Getting Started with Firefox provides you with basic information for how to download Firefox to your computer. Click the Getting Started with Firefox link to see written and picture instructions for installing Firefox to your computer. There are three pages to this section that you will scroll to see how to install Firefox. (NOTE: You will NOT install Firefox on these lab machines. We have it already.)

Browsing with Firefox is explains how to navigate and search the Web. There are 5 pages in this section. Click each page to learn more about browsing for information using the Firefox browser. As you scroll the pages, you will learn how to open and close new windows and tabs, how to pin and manage tabs, view your browsing history, and downlad files.

Customizing Firefox is a three page section. Information is provided for choosing a Home Page, installing a theme or extension, and for managing add-ons. Look carefully at each of these pages.

Bookmarking in Firefox has four pages of information. You will learn how to create a bookmark and save it in a folder. You will also learn how to create and delete folders, move bookmarks from one folder to another, and how to delete a bookmakr. This section is very useful for you to remember in completing your course work this school year.

Firefox Security and Privacy has information for website security indicators. You should learn to identify if a site is secure or not. If a site is unsafe, you could give potentially important information to people who would use the information wrongfully. Learn how to set your privacy settings.

Once you have viewed each of the above areas for Firefox, take the short 7 question Firefox quiz. After you finish the quiz, write down your score. Find which question or questions you missed, if any. Write these down so that you can go back and review the information for the missed areas.

How to Use Firefox and Get the Most Out of Your Browser

Suggested Objective c: Use a Web Browsing Application to Locate, Evaluate, and Collect Information

Not all information on the Internet is accurate and true. Let's look at how to conduct better searches on the Internet. Click each of the links below to learn how to improve your Internet searching abilities.

Search Better - All about Online Search explains the importance of searching for information online. There is a short video on the page to watch called Information Savvy: Find Anything Online. Watch the video and then scroll down to the Fact vs Fiction section to learn about common misconceptions with online searches.

Introduction to Search Engines relates what a search engine is and does. Three common search engines are presented. Google is likely the most familiar to everyone. Read the information provided and learn about the different types of websites. Be sure to click the next button at the bottom of the page to learn how to organize your search and use bookmarking services that are in the cloud.

Google Search Tips provides a short video for using Google to locate information. Various options are presented with written and picture instructions. Each of the six pages in this section has various videos to explain ideas. Pay particular attention to the information understanding search results and how to narrow searches.

Judging Online Information provides 7 key questions a person should ask to evaluate whether a webpage has reliable information. You can click each question to read the answer provided. The seven questions are as shown below:

Is the information relevant?

What is the site's purpose?

Is the site biased?

What is the site's top-level domain?

Is the author reliable?

Is the information current?

Does the site have a good reputation?

After you view the information referencing searching and evaluating information on the Internet, practice evaluating information on this page. Click the Evaluate a Webpage Practice link. Write down you ideas for discussion. Once you complete the Evaluate a Webpage Practice, take the 8 question Quiz that is available. Again, write down your results and what you may have missed for further review.

Let's watch a couple of videos on Googling.

How Do I Search Google Effectively? Part I: Boolean Operators and Phrase Searching

How Does Google Search Work?

CARS Checklist

McGraw Hill has provided people with a checklist for evaluating information located on the Internet. Four "steps" are given in this easy, fast evaluation process. It is called CARS. CARS stands for Creditibility, Accuracy, Reasonableness, and Support.

"Questions to ask about general credibility might include these:

Is there sufficient evidence presented to make the argument persuasive?
Are there compelling arguments and reasons given?
Are there enough details for a reasonable conclusion about the information?

The goal of the accuracy test is to ensure that the information is actually correct: up-to-date, factual, detailed, exact, and comprehensive. For example, even though a very credible writer said something that was correct twenty years ago, it may not be correct today. Similarly, a reputable source might be giving up-to-date information, but the information may be only partial and not give the full story.

The test of reasonableness involves examining the information for fairness, objectivity, moderateness, and consistency. Fairness. Fairness includes offering a balanced, reasoned argument. ment, not selected or slanted. Even ideas or claims made by the source’s opponents should be presented in an accurate manner. Pretending that the opponent has wild, irra-tional ideas or arguments no one could accept is to commit the straw man fallacy. A good information source will also possess a calm, reasoned tone, arguing or presenting material thoughtfully and without attempting to get you emotionally worked up. Pay attention to the tone and be cautious of highly emotional writing. Angry, hateful, critical, spiteful tones often betray an irrational and unfair attack under way rather than a reasoned argument. And writing that attempts to inflame your feelings to prevent you from thinking clearly is also unfair and manipulative.

The area of support is concerned with the source and corroboration of the information. Much information, especially statistics and claims of fact, comes from other sources. Citing sources strengthens the credibility of the information. (Remember this when you write a research paper.)"

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