Internet Research

When I first read through the virtual session on Internet research I was quite surprised about the fact that I do not know everything about it. Seriously I thought I am an expert on that topic because of my experiences as a pupil and student researcher.
First of all I want to give you a quick insight into my Internet use. I am in the Internet every single day for at least five to ten minutes. I check my E-mails and do some other very unnecessary things concerning our topic in the very first session. You know what I mean, don’t you?

Of course I also use the Internet for research on presentations and term papers. In the Internet one is not only quicker, but also independent of time and space. I like to get an overview over a certain topic by typing it into a search engine instead of looking it up in many books. Now do not judge me for that. I do not only use the Internet for my term papers, of course not. It is only my very first step in the process. Later I use books and newspapers as it is appropriate for students.

If I do research on the internet there are some negative points I have to consider as well. The first one is that I do not always find what I need. The information can be questionable and outdated. I have to keep in mind that my results are not preselected or evaluated, so it is my job to do that for myself. That can be difficult…

… so I want to teach and show my students how to do research on the Internet successfully. I will tell my pupils that they can never simply use what they find on the internet. They have to evaluate their research results and it is my task to show them how. Regarding that I really liked the virtual session part about the guidance of pupils through a lesson based on Internet research. The explanation of the three different levels was new and very helpful to me. Now I have a clue about how to apply my knowledge about the Internet in my future classroom. I wish my teachers would have known about the guided, half-guided and free search!