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Copyright Statement
What emerged was a multi-faceted Web-based project -- the KIDS Report (Kids Identifying and Discovering Sites) -- in which students, under the supervision of teachers, discover, evaluate, and review useful curricular-related Internet resources. Those resources have been published online twice a month during the school year, building a collection of reports available everywhere.
The KIDS Report was originally conceived, developed, and funded by the Internet Scout Project, Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and funded by the National Science Foundation. Leadership for the project has now been transferred to the General Library System, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In the fall of 1998, the KIDS Report Project received generous interim funding from the Tashia and John Morgridge Foundation (via the University of Wisconsin Foundation and Cisco Systems). With this funding, KIDS has grown to involve fifteen schools globally, including urban and rural schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, and involving students, teachers, and librarians with a wide range of socioeconomic and racial ethnic backgrounds. At this juncture, the KIDS Report contains reviews of hundreds of sites and is becoming an important online collection providing a curriculum-appropriate alternative to Internet filtering.
- The most recent issue of the KIDS Report, published every two weeks during the school year.
- All reviews remain linked to selected sites.
- Each report includes reviews of about ten sites.
- Direct links to each of the sites.
Past Issues
- The KIDS Report archive provides links to over three years of reports, beginning in May of the 1995-1996 school year.
- All reviews remain linked to selected sites.
- Topics include history, geography, literature, the arts, science, and math.
Site Selection Criteria
- The selection criteria created by participants is the key to understanding the power behind KIDS.
- Students create a product for other students based on predetermined criteria. Main categories include design, ease of use, content, and credibility.
- Students learn to evaluate critically and annotate what they see on the Internet, while also learning about the content of sites.
- In this process, students see themselves become part of the solution of how to use the Internet in education.
Search KIDS
- A site search feature was added for current and past issues as the result of reader requests.
Subscribe
- All users of the KIDS Report have the option to request e-mail updates, which are sent as reports are published.
- The current count of subscribers is approximately 1200 worldwide.
Teacher Handbook
- A staff development loose-leaf handbook is sent to each participating teacher and librarian.
- The handbook includes sections on Internet search strategies, evaluation guidelines, a sample site evaluation form, annotation expectations, additional print and online resources, and tips from past participants.
- Participating teachers interact with each other and with the project coordinator through a group e-mail address.
- The handbook is also available online for the benefit of all KIDS users.
The KIDS Report is unique because it is created by students and merges product and process in continual interaction, by emphasizing collaboration between teachers and students as they focus on the curriculum. As American schools prepare students to meet the needs of the 21st century, information literacy standards for students are being developed. At the same time that expectations for information literacy are being identified, questions are being raised by administrators, school board members, teachers, parents, and politicians about the presence of unevaluated and unorganized Internet resources in schools. KIDS acknowledges both sides of the filtering versus First Amendment issue and responds by offering a positive alternative to filtering.
From Educators
"Here's a great site for students by students, which makes it perfect for teachers and administrators, too. It's a joint project of four schools operating under specific site selection guidelines, all of which are a model for others. Check it out."
-- Tish Raff, Discovery Channel School Online Educator
"Boy, am I impressed! As a teacher for thirty years including a school Principal for the last 15, I felt I must write a note to tell you what a NEAT idea you have developed and the excellence of your choices. One of the major problems with teachers and students using the Internet is the time it takes to find good sites that relate to the curriculum. You have done teachers and students everywhere a great service by choosing sites that kids like and that are still educationally relevant. I am impressed with the quality of the reviews . . . I will tell all the schools in the area about you . . ."
-- Brian McCabe, School Principal, Nova Scotia
"I'm writing to request permission to reproduce and distribute a screen printout of your site and a copy of your selection guidelines at a workshop I'm doing for children's librarians. I've looked at a number of evaluation checklists, and I think yours is one of the best around. The fact that it was developed by kids should be a real eye-opener for some of the people at the workshop . . . I think I'm probably safe in saying that some of your students could teach this workshop with ease. What you're doing is very exciting."
-- Jean Hewlett, Librarian, North Bay Cooperative Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
From Participating Students
"The KIDS Report was one of the few projects we did in school as an entire class which used the Web as its main resource. Since Websites aren't as trusted as books, it was interesting how many measures we had to take to ensure the site's credibility. By reviewing all the sites, I really gained a broader understanding about the Civil War's cause, its participants, etc. and learned how sites should be used as resources."
-- Brian
"I really enjoyed this project. It was a lot of hard work, but it was well worth it. I had such an amazing feeling when we finished because the final product was finally completed . . . and it looked good!"
-- Rachel
From Participating Teachers
"All of the student goals listed in the KIDS Report Project handbook are important to us. We especially feel critical thinking skills need to be focused on. [Teachers] need to know the full realm of using the Internet to supplement the curriculum."
-- Renee Nolan, Junior High School Teacher, Fond du Lac, WI
"The students are doing more than I ever expected as we pursue this project. The books you sent were a great help in getting us started. 'Kudos' on a job well done to those who put this material together."
-- Nora Kneebone, Middle School Teacher, Iron River, MI
The KIDS Report is featured in the new Millennium Edition of the Internet Kids & Family Yellow Pages, which reached bookstores in October, 1999. Author Jean Armour Polly invited the KIDS Report to submit student reports, along with information about the project. Throughout the book you will find ten reports, featuring curricular-related Web resources selected and reviewed by students. They include topics on:
