The following information comes from the FCPS page listing information about Gumshoe, the Tech Titan, who represents the NETS Research and Information Fluency standard. My comments are at the end of each passage.
Unique Traits
Gumshoe is like a hound dog when searching for information. She sniffs out imposters and selects only those websites that provide accurate information. She moves quickly through the World Wide Web by being an efficient and effective researcher.
My Take: Love the name of this character- so appropriate along with the image of a hound dog. What a terrific hook for our learners! I would expand the powers of Gumshoe to include a broader array of information sources to also list media and to break media down into examples especially for our young learners.
Special Skills
Gumshoe uses reading strategies, plans for research using a research model such as the Big 3, 6, or 12, and identifies the best sources of information to use for a given task. She is skilled at organizing information, identifying patterns and relationships, and systematically analyzing collected data.
My Take: Again nicely written for our students to help them build their understanding. I would add the term of inquiry and include some information about curiosity leading us to find information to then as stated analyze it using the term “curation” for organizing information. The mention of one’s Personal Learning System (PLS) connects to the digital tool section below.
Digital Tools
Gumshoe uses online library databases, advanced searching techniques, and online collaboration tools such as documents, spreadsheets, and graphic organizers to help collect and visualize information. She uses citation makers to give credit to her sources.
My Take: Love the listing of library databases and online collaboration tools. As I review these characters/standards, I am finding myself thinking of ways to provide connectors showing how each character supports the other. In this case a line or two about going from curation to creation and communication of one’s ideas might be helpful.
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