Graduate Research Papers

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Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Abstract

The requirements of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the expectations of the Iowa Department of Education's (2012) Iowa Core Curriculum 21st Century Skills increase the importance of having an organized collection of resources to teach Internet safety. These requirements and the literature reviewed confirmed the importance of preparing students to use the Internet safely and ethically and be productive digital citizens. While the teachers in the Calamus-Wheatland School District were already instructing students in appropriate online behavior, there wasn't an organized Internet Safety resource that could be used effectively within the time limits of the scheduled computer classes. The original plan for this project was to compile a list of free online resources that could be viewed by students to learn about Internet safety. As the researcher read through journal articles, the project evolved into a structured WebQuest for fourth through sixth grade students to use to learn about digital citizenship.

Thirty-three online sites containing videos and activities to teach appropriate Internet behavior were reviewed using a form that was created based on the literature reviewed regarding website usability, WebQuest usability, and Internet safety was completed. The evaluation form asked questions regarding navigation, color, and font because the literature reviewed showed these criteria were important to the usability and appeal of a website. The forms were compared to determine which websites and activities the researcher felt would best meet the curricular needs of the district, engage the students, and fit in the computer lab timeframe. The WebQuest was then created using seven of these selected resources. The WebQuest created during this research will serve as a resource for teacher librarians and teachers in the computer lab and the classroom.

Year of Submission

2013

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Department

Division of School Library Studies

First Advisor

Karla Krueger

Comments

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Date Original

5-2013

Object Description

1 PDF file (35 pages)

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