This content reflects work done as part of the Indigenous Perspectives in School Librarianship (IPSL) grant funded by IMLS (RE-246303-OLS-20). Actual assignments may vary.

Module 2: Google Search Strategies & Ethical Use of Information

This week, you’ll explore Google search strategies and a reading about algorithmic bias, along with a variety of readings on some key concepts in Information Literacy, including digital citizenship and the ethical use of information, teaching critical thinking skills to evaluate and use information, including copyright, media bias, misinformation and disinformation.

Module Objectives

  • Utilize search strategies to maximize search effectiveness
  • Consider the role that school librarians play in teaching digital literacy, critical thinking, and media literacy to learners

Think

Create

Choose a topic you might use in planning your lesson / unit plan (starting in Week 3). Write down any key words and alternate terms you can think of for your search topic / questions. Consider alternative ways to articulate your topic / question. Try two or three of these search examples:

  • Site:.org – retrieves webpages with .org URLs (mostly, but not exclusively, organizations, associations, etc.)
  • Site:.edu – retrieves webpages with .edu URLS (educational institutions)
  • Site:.gov – retrieves webpages with .gov URLs (state or federal government websites)

Experiment with the following as they apply to your search:

  • Use quotation marks to search a specific phrase
  • Use an asterisk to truncate and get multiple forms of a word. For example, lib* will search for library, librarian, libraries, etc.
  • Use parentheses to retrieve alternate or opposite terms in the same search.
  • Use the site: search to search within a specific website. For example site:nea.org “digital literacy” will retrieve results from the NEA website about digital literacy

Share & Grow

Answer the following questions and post your responses to the Week 2 Discussion Forum, then respond to three or more of your classmates posts thoughtfully and substantively.

  1. What site search did you try? List your exact search string.
  2. Name one or more resources that you retrieved in your search that might be useful to you in your practice as a school librarian.
  3. Why is it important for all educators to be aware of algorithmic bias when considering teaching critical thinking skills to our learners?
  4. Why should school librarians be concerned about teaching digital literacy? Why is it important to teach these skills?
  5. What do school librarians need to know about media literacy to best help library users enact critical thinking skills?
  6. What key points did you learn about copyright for educators that you might incorporate into your practice as a school librarian?