Standard+4

=4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility= ==Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. Teachers: ==
 * a. || advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources. ||
 * b. || address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources. ||
 * c. || promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information. ||
 * d. || develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools. ||

__//Reflection://__
The term, "Google it" has become very popular within the last several years as a way of looking up new information. Unfortunately, Google is not always the best source of information. When our students are asked to complete a research project on a famous author, they usually ask if they can use Google as one of their online resources. Due to the increased popularity and ease of Google, my co-teacher and I created a quick mini-lesson on how to evaluate a website's information. We discussed domain names and how to differentiate between personal and professional websites. Then, our students also received information on useful databases of information from our school librarians. The last item we taught them was how to give credit to different writers for what they have found in research. A few of our students believed that "copying and pasting" was a form of completing the assignment. For this reason, we actually encouraged them to copy and paste information they found from the website onto a columned word processing document, which we later used to teach them how to paraphrase information and summarize text. Finally, we did a lesson, using an internet website tool that helps teach how to document citations and give credit where it is needed.

Overall, the tools for this project were quite useful, many of the students have a basic understanding of citations and domain names, but this reinforced those skills and students were seen later in the year displaying them. Also, by completing this assignment, students were better prepared to enter into 8th grade. The reason they are better prepared is because in 8th grade, they are required to utilize these skills again and complete another research project to better prepare them for high school. Overall, the research skills are a tool that will be useful to them for many years down the road.

__//Artifact://__
The following artifacts include the Research project guidelines and requirements, notes about understanding a website's URL, our library resources, the "Source Document" for paraphrasing information, and the website tool for MLA citations.

[[file:Research Guidelines.pdf]]
Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting