Participate 2.1.1 Collecting Reputable Digital Resources

As an educator, I am constantly looking for reputable digital resources to use in class. I also teach my students to always evaluate the website where they obtain information.  Anyone can create a website, so just because it is published does not make it reputable. As I searched for resources on the upcoming learning module that my group must create over Internet Safety, I found several great resources. The three most valuable are listed below:
Digital Citizenship Resources - LiveBinder 
goorulearning.org
Welcome | Thinkfinity - thinkfinity.org
 
Students can also be taught to safely collect tools and resources that can help them maximize their learning. Some criteria for evaluating websites suggested by the UNFCCC are listed below:
Accuracy

To determine how reliable and free from error the information contained on a website is, remember to look at who is hosting the site. Is it a University, a government, a professional association, a commercial host, an advocacy group, a publisher? What are their biases? A good website should state its purpose and intended audience. It is always a good idea to check with other web resources, journals or magazines that publish website reviews to see if the site has received a stamp of approval, and if so, by whom. Always remember to verify the information on the website with information found in other print and/or web-based sources.

Authority

To determine the authorship of a website, examine the page closely for information about the author and to see if anyone else has contributed to the site. Check information on the WebPages to see if it includes references. A good website should provide a way to contact the producers of the site.

Objectivity

To determine the objectivity of a website, check if advertising and informational content are being supplied by the same person or organization. If so, examine whether there is a bias to the informational content. Keep in mind that many websites with excellent information are sponsored by commercial entities or take advertisements to finance the website.

Currency

To determine the currency of a website, find out when the page was last updated. Also look to see if there are broken links on the site, it could be an indication of an abandoned page. You should also check to see how often new links appear on the site.

Coverage

To determine if the information is adequately covered on a website, compare the information with information found on other websites. Does one site provide more information, more references, more contacts? Also compare the information on the website with information available in print sources such as books, journals, reports, etc. (if available). 
For further information visit the site http://unfccc.int/essential_background/library/items/1420.php

As well as evaluating websites there are tools available for free such as the WOT (Web of Trust) add on that can be downloaded for Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla FoxFire, etc.  This add on can check the trustworthiness of a website you have in question.