by Jolanta Maria Nitoslawska-Romer, M.Ed.
International Director of Academic Affairs, BE+Live
Are you a little fed up with all the videos and advice on taking care of yourself during this pandemic? I am. I think that I am old enough, and perhaps even wise enough to know what I need to do to stay healthy: body and mind. Don’t you? I know everyone means well: your schools, your friends, your organizations, the Internet, YouTube, and all the Social Media you visit. We all know that we need to exercise regularly, eat healthy food and not overheat on snacks and sugary stuff. Oh, and take care of your mind and spirit as well, i.e. BE Mindful, practice Mindfulness or meditation regularly. I am doing all three and I hope you are too. Anyway, all that good advice goes by the wayside if you don’t think it applies to you.
So, as I was thinking about what to write about today, and doing some research on possible topics, I came across crap! Yes, that’s right, all the crap that you get on the Internet, social media and TV. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s lots of fantastic stuff that you can learn about, discover, listen to, and view. However, if you are looking for serious articles about pedagogy or education, as I am, you must be careful about what is crap and what is valuable.
When I was a student, research was pretty one dimensional. I looked in the Reader’s Guide to Periodic Literature and cross-referenced sources to find what I needed. If a library did not subscribe to the journal I needed, I used the interlibrary loan. These methods are antiquated now, so it’s tempting to cruise the Internet for information or allow our students to do so. This is quite inadvisable because as available information expands, so too does the opportunity to be fooled. We need to evolve how we do research or how we ask kids to research because they will go to Google if we don’t help them discover other research methods that would make their tasks more manageable.
So, let me share the CRAAP Method with you. Now, you will tell me: “What does this have to do with taking care of yourself over vacation time?” The way I see it, taking care of yourself is also not being fooled or misinformed by “Fake News”. It also helps you when you need to find information on consumer goods such as cars, TVs, or any other appliances or items you may be looking for. So now, when you have a bit more time, you may find it even fun to start using the CRAAP Method for checking your sources. I only recently discovered it myself and find that it’s simple and easy. So here goes! Try it out by yourself! It can also be a great tool for your Upper Elementary or Secondary students when you ask them to do some research as part of their BE+Live activities.
Start by watching this BBC documentary! Do it now, before you continue to read: it’ll only take up 1.5 minutes of your time!
Was that fun? What did you think? Is everything on the internet real and accurate? So, you are convinced, right?
Now, it’s up to you! You can start by searching for any interesting article or web sites about stuff YOU are interested in. Use the CRAAP Method below. It’s a handy guide to evaluate resources. CRAAP is an acronym for the general criteria that are used. ENJOY! Have FUN! And take care of yourself with accurate information.
| CRAAP | Questions to consider | Examples |
| Currency | When was the information published or last updated? Have newer articles been published on your topic? Are links or references to other sources up to date? Is your topic in an area that changed rapidly, like technology or popular culture? Does your topic require current information or more historical resources? | Outdated Information: http://www.vegsource.com/harris/b_cancer.htm Current Website:http://www.nytimes.com/ |
| Relevance | Does the information answer your research question? Does the information meet the stated requirements of the assignment? Is the information too technical or too simplified for you to use? Does the source add something new to your knowledge of the topic? | Questionable Depth: http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/popsci.html Website with better depth of information: http://www.timeforkids.com/ |
| Authority | What are the author’s credentials? Is the author affiliated with an educational institution or prominent organization? Can you find information about the author from reference sources or the Internet? Do other books or authors cite the author? | Example of why you should examine the URLand the sponsoring organization: http://www.python.org/~guido/ Example of a more reputable website: http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/civilwar/content.aspx?id=23 |
| Accuracy | Are there statements you know to be false? Are there errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar? Was the information reviewed by editors or subject experts before it was published? What citations or references support the author’s claims? What do other people have to say about the topic? | Example of why sources should be verified: http://www.improbable.com/airchives/classical/cat/feline-nov2001.html |
| Purpose | Is the author’s purpose to sell, persuade, entertain, or inform? Is there an obvious bias or prejudice? Are alternative points of view presented? Does the author omit important facts or data that might disprove the claim? Does the author use strong or emotional language? | Websites with possible bias: http://www.zip4tweens.com/ http://www.beefnutrition.org/ http://www.chevron.com/globalissues/climatech |
* Information used courtesy of University of Maryland University College Library and Creighton University Library; modified by Gettysburg College.
Do take care of yourselves by avoiding any “Fake News! It’s no fun to be fooled and worse yet, to pass on incorrect information to others! Don’t let that happen to you!
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