Jacquelyn C. Olson

SLM 521 – Elective #10

Current events – Assignment 1

July 5, 2009

Current Events – Assignment 1

News Sources and Narrative

 

USA Today - http://www.usatoday.com/

 

USA Today’s website is very well organized.  Users can pick from a variety of current headlines as pictured on the front page of the online publication, or search through their website by choosing a topic of interest, or search by entering a word or phrase.  Front page headlines feature picture links and headline links to the text of articles.  I like the way the USA Today’s site is pleasantly uncluttered, without pop-ups and glaring ads. Information is easy to access, and return to the home page is simple and effortless.  The language used and the readability of the majority of the news articles would be appropriate for higher level fourth grade students and up. Younger students could access this site with parental supervision.  I would feel comfortable asking my students to access this website to search for news on current events.

Cable News Network - http://www.cnn.com/

CNN’s website is an extremely organized and easy to navigate news source for current event coverage.  CNN offers a variety of methods to search for the information you are looking for.  Subject choices are listed not only on the front page, but on every page of the website allowing readers the opportunity to switch the focus of their reading.  Front page headlines displayed are clean, effortless to read, and serve as links to the content of each article.  I especially like that CNN gives its readers a choice to pick the CNN edition they would like to read (either CNN U.S. Edition or CNN International Edition).  The language used throughout the contents of the headlines and the readability level would be appropriate for higher level fourth grade students and up.  Younger students could use this site with parental support.  I would feel comfortable asking my students to access CNN for current event news.   

Scholastic News Online – http://www.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/

 

Scholastic News Online offers a variety of options to choose from for parents, teachers and students.  Student’s options for current event coverage include national, international and special events.  The number of articles per section is posted on the home page.  Students can also choose the readability level they are most comfortable reading.  Language of articles is appropriate for most learning levels.  Special topics such as entertainment news, sports, music, TV and movies are geared to intermediate level students.  Scholastic News provides a special section entitled Student Press Corps where student reporters are the interviewers who create news reports and stories.  I like Scholastic News Online because it offers young readers the opportunity to follow news items of interest to their age group, and provides current events in age appropriate language and in an appealing format.   Younger students could use this site independently, without adult supervision.   I would feel very comfortable asking my students to search this site for current event news. 

Time for Kids – http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/

Time for Kids offers students the ability to search for current events, access their favorite news genre (such as entertainment news) and read Time For Kids magazine online.  Each feature is written in age-appropriate language for students from K-6th grade, and students can choose the readability level they feel comfortable with.  Picture and text links throughout the site allow students to enjoy easy access for subject and article searches.  Time for Kids offers up-to-date current information even when school is not in session.  For example, students searching the site today would find an article relating to the Fourth of July which discuss its importance as an historical tradition and how the first Fourth of July was celebrated.  Embedded links with the text of this article take the student to the Declaration of Independence and the Washington Monument.  Other features on the Time for Kids site include:  movie trailers and book peaks to intrigue student interest.  I especially like the grade leveled reading options and the abundance of relevant topics.  I feel very confident that my students could navigate this website independently and locate information required for their assignments.  

 

As I browsed through each of the news sources listed, I looked for certain types of characteristics I would like each site I recommend to my elementary students to possess.  Most important to me are the variety and type of articles available, and how organized the information within the online publication is.  In addition, I asked the following questions as I looked at each site.  Is the news current?  Do featured articles coincide with similar news items in the newspapers and TV news broadcasts?  Are the topics ‘safe’ for students to view without parental supervision?  What kinds of regular features does the site offer?  Will the students relate to the articles and subjects available?  Are the subjects relevant to curriculum requirements?  How easy are the items to access?  Do the pages contain hyperlinks to articles and additional sources of information contributing to the quality of information presented? Does the site offer national and international news items? Does the site offer listening and video options to allow learning disabled and diverse learners the ability to access articles and information?  I want each site I recommend to contain a variety of information to entice my students to want to return to the site without being prompted by an assignment.  I want them to like reading the news, even if they are only initially interested in reading entertainment news.  The point is to find something that will spark their interest and pull them back in.  Eventually, they will begin reading national and international news on their own, if they are given a reason to continue to return to the news site.   Other characteristics I looked for concern whether my students could read the articles and understand the language within them?  Is the language close to their reading level or will they struggle with fluency and comprehension as they read?  Can my students locate the information their assignments require independently, or will they need adult supervision?  How comfortable am I allowing my students to search the site independently without fearing that they will encounter material which contains adult content and language?  I used these criteria to evaluate each news site listed on this page.