How To Get The Most Out Of Web Sstudyearches

I have been reading Alan November's Web Literacy For Educator's and while it is more of what I would call a "technical book," it really breaks down what to look for as far as reputable websites.  November presents situations in which students have used "reputable" websites however did not critically think about the information presented on the website therefore when the information was used, it was "misused."  From a teacher perspective, I think about when I do my own research online.  I have the ability to question information that I find before I make decisions to use the material however I think about my 10/11 year olds.  I'm not sure they all would know to question the information they find without the proper guidance.
November presents a simple scaffold to assist students validate web information by using a process called REAL.  R-Read the URL  E-Examine the content  A-Ask about the author and owner L-Look at the Links.
As an adult, these are things I think about however I don't take a lot of time to dissect each piece of a URL.  November breaks down reading the URL as far as what to look for so you can identify where it originates from, who the author is, and how valid it actually presents itself.  The extensions in a web address is helpful to identify the owner of the website.  For example a web address that ends in ".k12" is from a school in the United States.  A web address that ends in ".edu" is from an educational organization (most U.S. colleges), ".ac" is from an Academic Institution not in the United States.  Most of these are familiar however there are extensions that are not familiar.  I would be hesitant to use a web address if I didn't recognize the extension.
Examining the content is also important as both an educator and student because often times information on the web is beautifully written and presented however it's relevance and/or validity is questionable.  Students need to be guided to further question the material found on the web by asking questions such as, "Are there links and resources provided and do they work?  Is the site current?  Does the information contradict information you have found elsewhere?"  All of these questions are great for guiding students to decipher between sites that are useful and those that might just be mediocre.
Asking about the Author/Owner is also beneficial.  November states that anyone can be the author of a website so it's important to question.  Some questions to ask in order to find the author are, "Is the author's name provided?  Is there a contact person or address provided?  Does the author seem knowledgeable.  Is he/she an expert?"  Presenting these questions for students to look for can only help guide them to more reputable information/websites.
Look at the Links  Quite simply...do the links go to where they say they are going to go?  November states to look at the forward links and back links and make sure they function properly to the appropriate sites.  Lots of times links either don't work, throw you to an irrelevant site, or bring you to information that could be questionable.  This helps students to validate sites information.
Overall, I found this particular information in November's book to be both interesting and beneficial.  It really made me think ahead for when I have my students do any sort of research on the internet.  I feel like I can help guide them at least a little bit better as far as what to look for when they do searches and what to steer clear of.  I feel like using the acronym "REAL" can help students focus on their search and also have an awareness for sites that are either questionable or irrelevant.  Certainly, communication and collaboration is a huge component of the process of validating website information.  Students can discuss with each other as well as use me as their guide and facilitator.  Students will definitely need to use their critical thinking skills in order to determine whether information is true/false or questionable.  Again, asking themselves, "Does any of this information contradict anything else I've read?  Should I further research other sites and/or links on this page?"  Lastly, students need to be creative in their searches.  Perhaps using key phrases and vocabulary to help narrow down to reputable resources. 
Connection to Curriculum and Instruction and Connection to technology, Common Core, and State Standards
I feel as if I could really use these techniques in my classroom with my kids; specifically when we are using online review games as a class.  From the beginning of the year, I have had "gaming groups" to accommodate all of my students with the one computer I have in my classroom.  I set up the groups either at random or by ability level.  I then have the students rotate through different activities and one being the eno board with specific games saved for each group of students.  They know where to find them on the home screen and which are appropriate because I have designated a list for them to use.  I could, however, allow students to search for their own review games appropriate to the material we are studying and learning about.  In doing this, I could spend time prior to my "gaming groups" modeling and demonstrating what a "good site" would be and what to look for.  Although I have 6th graders, I feel as if if I took the time to direct them to what to look for when searching, they would be able to find more reliable and more reputable sites to use and share with the class. 
As of right now, my classes are in CCSS  Content 6.G.A. 1 - 4.  With the study of geometry, I constantly use my eno board to demonstrate and display information from my own searches online.  For example, when we first started our exploration of polygons, I googled for images of "real-world" polygons however with some of the polygon images I found, I wanted more of an explanation, so I clicked on the link to find out more information.  I found myself researching further in depth on some of the images I found than I had anticipated.  The CCSS of Geometry is a great unit to incorporate technology because the kids are able to relate real-world images to what we are studying.