Effective Search Strategies Berger article 501 topic 3

This was a fabulous website about using the Internet to find information. While surfing around this site I found out what the tilde (the ~ sign) means when using Google. I never knew what that sign meant, until the other day. A search can find synonyms on Google by receding the term with a ~ (the tilde or synonym operator). According to Berger the tilde ~ takes the word immediately following it and searches for that specific word as well as the word's synonyms. As with the + and – operators, put the ~ (tilde) next to the word, with no spaces between the ~ and its associated word. Using the query [~kids television] will bring results that include kids, children and child. And in turn [~inexpensive travel] will return hits with cheap or discount also.

This information has been taken from Berger's website infosearcher.com

Berger says teachers need to teach students the skills (technical, cognitive, social & emotional) to be digital literate in the 21st Century.

The following types of literacy have according to Berger become survival skills for learners to participate in knowledge-construction tasks in a digital environment.

• Graphic literacy - Students need to learn screen literacy so they can develop ways of understanding visual instructions and messages.
• Navigation - Internet Geography. When on a Web site it is easy to get lost as info is non-linear and unorganized. Students need to gain a “sense of place ” when surfing the net.
• Context- Hypermedia environment encourages a broad accumulation of info, but not necessarily deep exploration.
• Focus - There are many distractions on the Internet fragmenting our attention. When tasks are difficult we tend to check Facebook, mail etc . Deep reading and reflection are necessary for associative thinking, synthesis and understanding to happen. We need to address this and help students.
• Skepticism - evaluating info. Accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, relevance, and coverage of scope. Students need to develop a sense of skepticism and hone their judgment skills when locating Web-based information to detect erroneous, irrelevant or biased information.
• Ethical behavior - in cyberspace includes respect for digital property; an understanding of the special privileges and responsibilities of online communication; and the critical thinking and decision making skills to manage one’s actions in cyberspace.

Source: Pam Berger Infosearcher.
http://www.infosearcher.com/