home

=Welcome to our Digital Research Wiki! media type="custom" key="9702144" align="left"=

Let's Collaborate for Best Results

 * What are some topics you'd like to research?
 * Add your thoughts and comments about any part of the process.
 * Can we work together on a project?

What is a digital research project?
Students formulate a research question, gather information from a variety of online resources, work collaboratively or individually to present their findings using multimedia or web 2.0 tools, make a presentation before an audience, and finally, use an online rubric to reflect on the research process.

1. PLAN IT

 * Choose a topic to research. The topic needs to come from the NC Standard Course of Study for your grade level. The teacher, the media specialist, and the technology teacher will probably have a meeting to select some questions that will help you make some personal connections and dig a little deeper into the topic. See how much of your personality you can bring to the subject.
 * Remember, a KWL Chart works really well for helping you plan your project. Here's for an online KWL Chart you can use to start brainstorming what you already __K__now about the topic, what you __W__ant to know about the topic, and (at the end) show what you've __L__earned.


 * Begin with the end in mind (Who said that?).Your final presentation will show what you've learned. Which multimedia or web 2.0 tool will be the best to use? Here are some questions to consider:
 * Text - will you be writing a lot or a little?
 * Are you writing in a certain style or in a certain form, like a story, a report,or a newsletter?
 * Voice - will you be recording your voice? Poems and riddles are very effective when spoken.
 * Sound effects - These add drama to your presentations.
 * Video - you will need video if you want to show movement
 * Photographs - "a picture is worth a thousand words"
 * Drawings or your own artwork - save and upload for one-of-a-kind illustrations
 * Once you've thought about what you want to express, then decide on an online "tool" or program to use. You're not going to believe how many choices you have! Take a look at this website, and notice how the "tools" are in categories to help you present your research. http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/

2. CARRY IT OUT
> **1. Task Definition**1.1 Define the information problem1.2 Identify information needed > **2. Information Seeking Strategies** 2.1 Determine all possible sources2.2 Select the best sources > **3. Location and Access**3.1 Locate sources (intellectually and physically)3.2 Find information within sources > **4. Use of Information**4.1 Engage (e.g., read, hear, view, touch)4.2 Extract relevant information > **5. Synthesis**5.1 Organize from multiple sources5.2 Present the information > **6. Evaluation**6.1 Judge the product (effectiveness)6.2 Judge the process (efficiency) > > > > > ==3. PRESENT IT==
 * For the next step, you will go to the media center to do research. Here you'll apply your research skills by using a model called "The BIg 6 Research Skills." As the name suggests,there are 6 steps to the process. You will do steps 1-4 in the media center, and then you'll go to the computer lab to complete steps 5-6. Here are the 6 steps to "The Big 6":
 * Some of the online resources you'll be using in the media center for research will be:
 * [|www.ncwiseowl.org]
 * [|www.worldbookonline.com]
 * and "pathfinder links," or websites that your teacher, the media specialist, and the technology teacher have found that really apply to what your are researching
 * Remember to record where you found your information and the date for every time that you do research. You will need this information when you "cite your sources" in step 3.

> > Do you know what "multimedia" means? It is the combining of words (or text), video, sound, and photographs, pictures, or drawings (images). > > Do you know what "intellectual property" is? It is ownership of any created work, which includes all multimedia. > > Many times, photographs and music are "copyrighted," which means that they are legally owned by an individual, and we have to ask permission to use them in our presentations. > > One of your teachers will help you ask permission of the owner to use something that is copyrighted, but usually we just use multimedia that is FREE! All the multimedia on ncwiseowl and worldbook online are free for us to use, because the school has already paid for us to use their services. Here's a list of other free resources (and ask your teachers for some others, if you don't find what you're looking for): > > Click on this website for links to Copyright Free Photos: > http://copyrightfriendly.wikispaces.com/ > > Click on this website for links to Copyright Free Music: > [] > > Attention -- you must (as in absolutely have to) give credit to all the websites you use in your final presentation. This is called "citing your sources." At the end of every presentation you will include a listing of where you found all you information, your pictures, and/or your music or sounds > > Use this website to find the correct way to cite your sources: > [] > > Once you make your presentation to the class, please include it in this wiki! We'll have a page for each grade level, and we hope to see your fabulous and creative work! Make sure you have your parents' permission for your work to be posted on this wiki. > > > ==4 REFLECT ON THE PROJECT AND THE PROCESS==
 * For this step of the process, you will go to one of the technology labs or you may use the laptops on a rolling cart. At this point, you'll decide which is the best technology tool to use to show what you've learned from your research (remember that long list from step 1?). The technology teacher will give you a demonstration of the tool and answer your questions, as you begin to try it out. Once you're familiar with it, you can let your creativity come out to plan, organize, and present your facts.

Most of the time, we'll be using a rubric to help you complete each step of the process and to check that you've included everything that your teachers require for the final project. Here are some examples: > > `Research Process Rubric (for grades 3-5): > [] > > Research Rubric for K-2: > [] > > Big 6 Research Rubric: > [] > > Multimedia Project Rubric (this is too complicated, but it starts us thinking about elements): > [] > > > > > ==TEACHER RESOURCES==

> ==ISTE NETS-Students:== > [] > > > ==ISTE NETS-Teachers:== > [] > > ==NC Essential Standards for Information and Technology Skills:== > [] >