07: Internet Search

Identifying Credible Websites and Understanding Online Resources

In today’s digital world we find teaching ideas, lesson plans and references everywhere — from Google and YouTube to official sites like TIE and NECTA. But not every source is trustworthy. Below are quick checks and clear differences between resource types to help you choose wisely.

1. Recognising Credible Websites

• Domain type: Reliable sites often end with .edu, .gov, or .org. Examples: tie.go.tz and necta.go.tz are official Tanzanian education sites.
  
• Design and functionality: Trust sites with a clean layout, working links, and no excessive pop-ups. Sites with many ads, broken links or obvious spelling errors should be treated with caution.
  
• Citations and references: Credible pages show sources — for example links to UNESCO, TCRA, or peer-reviewed reports. If claims are made without evidence, check elsewhere before using the material in class.
  

2. Understanding Open, Free and Subscription Resources

• Open resources: Freely available for anyone to use and often reusable (OER). Examples: TIE Open Digital Library, OER Africa, and other open teaching materials.
  
• Free resources: No cost to access but may have limits or ads (for example free accounts on platforms like Khan Academy or basic Canva features). Useful for classroom activities, but check restrictions before reuse.
  
• Subscription resources: Require payment or institutional access and typically offer high-quality, peer-reviewed content (for example JSTOR, ScienceDirect, or university library databases). These are excellent for research but may need school/university login.