• Define what it means to be information literate?
As I’m beginning to learn, the changing technological landscape has made attempts to define literacy a moving target. Or maybe it is more of an expanding definition, something akin to the universal expansion scientists see following the big bang. I’ll have to think some more on the propriety of connecting these two creations later.
What is certain is that literacy had a much smaller meaning pre-connectivity. Dictionary.com still publishes a definition that focuses on having a knowledge of literature, along with the ability to read words for meaning.
Information literacy still refers to the ability to digest content for meaning. It has simply expanded to include content beyond literature and the written words in a literal sense. It now involves ascertaining the meaning of images and sounds. Perhaps more importantly it involves seeing between the lines of text, images, sounds. Like the lessons of media literacy, we should include the ability to evaluate the meaning of the content for reliability, accuracy and bias.
Both the format of the information and the depth of our analysis appear to be changing.
• How can teachers and students thoughtfully evaluate online information resources, including the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia?
This is a topic that my school has been very thoughtful about. Many of my students fail to approach the world with a critical eye. They spend so much time and energy decoding their text and struggling to keep up with the literal nature of their content, that they often fail to look beyond these basic literacies. In this sense, our Academy has included direct instruction on research skills to our standard curriculum for all students. Much of what we have done coincides with the suggestions of our authors. Starting with the basics, students should know who the author is. They should check the author’s expertise to determine whether she/he is qualified to report. Students should also check the author’s background. As the text points out, Wikipedia editors can be tracked and rated on their Wikipage. Students can also follow their links and prior contributions to determine special interest patterns that might suggest a bias or conflict of interest.
Another key strategy would be to check referenced sources for any postings to be sure they are reputable, actually exist, or more importantly, have been interpreted properly by the Wiki editor.
As I begin to understand the true nature of our new levels of connectivity, I’m beginning to ponder new additions to my research skills curriculum. One key understanding / standard that we should be teaching is the potential downside of this collective collaboration on the production of information. One interesting read that comes to mind is the recent book by James Surowiecki, The Wisdom of Crowds.
Surowiecki is a solid proponent of the ability for what he calls the “collective intelligence” to produce meaningful analysis and, ultimately, decisions (Surowiecki, 2005, p. 17). He includes certain conditions that must be present for the collective process to produce meaningful results, however. Individual contributors to the collective intelligence must be diverse in background and opinion, make their decisions independent of influence of others, and be decentralized in that they are drawing their conclusions from local information. Surowiecki argues that only when these conditions have been met can the aggregating mechanism (in our case - the internet) produce meaningful collective conclusions (Surowiecki, 2005, p.10).
When I apply Surowiecki’s thinking to media literacy objectives, it is easy for me to see that these conditions are not met. Anyone who has ever done jury duty has probably seen the down side of attempts to make decisions using the consensus model. But the question remains whether the increased connectivity and use of collaborative information sites like Wikipedia fail as miserably to meet Surowiecki’s requirements. Data collected recently for another book, Wikinomics, suggests that mass collaboration is a social boon, and Wikipedia is actually more accurate than some traditional encyclopedias. Is it possible that today’s ‘research-publish-feedback-edit’ process balances out the potential dangers of the collective intelligence in some way?
I’ve not yet read beyond the introduction, but I’m generally inclined to think of the individual contribution as the origin/foundation of all collaborative efforts. It would seem to follow that, if the initial idea becomes corrupted by the influence of the collective, then the final product will be faulty. Are there measures in our current technology that might prevent overdue influence?
In the spirit of the collective, I remain open to discussion… and my new read Wikinomics remains on my nightstand waiting for summer vacation.
• What are a few of the similarities and differences between the four instructional models of Internet use (Internet Project, Internet Workshop, Internet Inquiry, and WebQuest)?
Some key similarities of these models are the use of the internet to access unlimited resources, the use of the inquiry-based approach to construct understanding, the need for information literacy to be successful, and the potential to incorporate a more active learning process in the classroom. One key benefit in today’s classroom that is also shared across these models is the ability to link to an informational mode familiar to students.
The key differences I noted centered around independence required / allowed in the process. Some of these models allow students a great deal more freedom. For example, webquests tend to prescribe the inquiries to be made and the sites to be used in the research. This may make the webquest model more ideal for a classroom or individual student that needs precise direction.
There are also differences in the degree of open publication of student work and thereby feedback potential from the audience outside the classroom. This may actually be a benefit for fragile students who have not yet developed the sense of confidence that comes from success.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
So, I've been given some readings and a few key questions that those readings should help me answer. Here goes....
What are new literacies and why are they important in the K-12 classroom?
As discussed in the article, Expanding the New Literacies Conversation, these literacies involve the "skills, strategies, dispositions, and social practices that are required by new technologies for information and communication." (Leu, 266) These include, in particular, new literacies for online reading comprehension. This is an area that I know my students are lacking in. These skills include the ability to read and digest search engine results. I've seen many students fail to employ this skill and wind up with material that is either ill-suited to their needs or written at a level beyond their ability to access. Another important skill for students in the k-12 classroom is the ability to assess the reliability of information found on the internet. This is key to conducting meaningful research. All of these 'new literacies' are increasingly important to today's students as they, more than any other generation, are facing a shift to a truly global network - both for work and for play.
Does your school or district have a policy about posting student work online? What does the policy state?
We are a pretty small, private facility, but we do have a policy for posting any information regarding students: you must have parent permission. It is that simple - no pictures, no work, no nothing without parent permission.
What is a weblog? How might it be used (to improve/informate) teaching and learning?
Weblogs or blogs are personal websites that allow users/authors to publish instantly to the internet. More importantly, they provide an audience to review what is published, and the chance to edit once feedback has been received. They typically contain information on the individual or on a particular area of the individual's expertise. They are extremely easy to use, and require very little tech knowledge. What I didn't get (until I read the introduction of Will Richardson's text), were the true benefits of a blog's interactive nature. Sure, they can be used for a variety of purposes - posting course assignments, communicating course progress, etc. But, what I found most interesting were the benefits that had to do with communication.
As a special educator, I have many reluctant learners - reluctant to read, reluctant to write, reluctant to participate in class. Taking participation first, those students that are uncomfortable participating during class could take advantage of the blog site to do so. Whether they needed extra time to formulate opinions or simply struggle to express themselves orally, a blogsite can provide a safe place for them to respond to course discussion after taking some more time to contemplate. In this respect, I agree with Richardson's idea that the use of blogs can "support different learning styles." (Richardson, p. 27)
I am also particularly intrigued with the concept of "connective writing." (Richardson, p. 28) This benefit had simply not occurred to me prior to our readings. I love the idea of students using the internet and a blog site to manage each step of the learning process (research, writing, publishing, and revising). Not only does the internet / blogosphere provide an authentic audience to motivate students towards best efforts, but, as Richardson states, "writing stops; blogging continues (Richardson, p.28)." Through the blog, they are given the chance to receive feedback from multiple sources and revisit their ideas based on that feedback. Done right, this could produce a more complete learning experience.
As for the informative benefits, I am a little frightened by the possibilities. In a truly self-centered sense, I love the idea that information can be shared across classrooms and among staff (lead staff to teaching staff in particular). I love the idea of using a blog to keep my TEAM teachers informed and on target for TEAM submission deadlines and my parents aware of extra curricular activities. However, the idea of creating transparency in my classroom is still a little frightening. Yes, I get the double standard I am creating here, but the idea of allowing every parent to have total access to daily classroom curriculum and discussion is a frightening one. Perhaps this suggests that, while I teach democracy, I do not practice it in my classroom. At the moment, I am okay with that. This particular aspect of classroom blogging requires some more thought on my part. I am open to suggestions / discussion for anyone considering the same.
What are new literacies and why are they important in the K-12 classroom?
As discussed in the article, Expanding the New Literacies Conversation, these literacies involve the "skills, strategies, dispositions, and social practices that are required by new technologies for information and communication." (Leu, 266) These include, in particular, new literacies for online reading comprehension. This is an area that I know my students are lacking in. These skills include the ability to read and digest search engine results. I've seen many students fail to employ this skill and wind up with material that is either ill-suited to their needs or written at a level beyond their ability to access. Another important skill for students in the k-12 classroom is the ability to assess the reliability of information found on the internet. This is key to conducting meaningful research. All of these 'new literacies' are increasingly important to today's students as they, more than any other generation, are facing a shift to a truly global network - both for work and for play.
Does your school or district have a policy about posting student work online? What does the policy state?
We are a pretty small, private facility, but we do have a policy for posting any information regarding students: you must have parent permission. It is that simple - no pictures, no work, no nothing without parent permission.
What is a weblog? How might it be used (to improve/informate) teaching and learning?
Weblogs or blogs are personal websites that allow users/authors to publish instantly to the internet. More importantly, they provide an audience to review what is published, and the chance to edit once feedback has been received. They typically contain information on the individual or on a particular area of the individual's expertise. They are extremely easy to use, and require very little tech knowledge. What I didn't get (until I read the introduction of Will Richardson's text), were the true benefits of a blog's interactive nature. Sure, they can be used for a variety of purposes - posting course assignments, communicating course progress, etc. But, what I found most interesting were the benefits that had to do with communication.
As a special educator, I have many reluctant learners - reluctant to read, reluctant to write, reluctant to participate in class. Taking participation first, those students that are uncomfortable participating during class could take advantage of the blog site to do so. Whether they needed extra time to formulate opinions or simply struggle to express themselves orally, a blogsite can provide a safe place for them to respond to course discussion after taking some more time to contemplate. In this respect, I agree with Richardson's idea that the use of blogs can "support different learning styles." (Richardson, p. 27)
I am also particularly intrigued with the concept of "connective writing." (Richardson, p. 28) This benefit had simply not occurred to me prior to our readings. I love the idea of students using the internet and a blog site to manage each step of the learning process (research, writing, publishing, and revising). Not only does the internet / blogosphere provide an authentic audience to motivate students towards best efforts, but, as Richardson states, "writing stops; blogging continues (Richardson, p.28)." Through the blog, they are given the chance to receive feedback from multiple sources and revisit their ideas based on that feedback. Done right, this could produce a more complete learning experience.
As for the informative benefits, I am a little frightened by the possibilities. In a truly self-centered sense, I love the idea that information can be shared across classrooms and among staff (lead staff to teaching staff in particular). I love the idea of using a blog to keep my TEAM teachers informed and on target for TEAM submission deadlines and my parents aware of extra curricular activities. However, the idea of creating transparency in my classroom is still a little frightening. Yes, I get the double standard I am creating here, but the idea of allowing every parent to have total access to daily classroom curriculum and discussion is a frightening one. Perhaps this suggests that, while I teach democracy, I do not practice it in my classroom. At the moment, I am okay with that. This particular aspect of classroom blogging requires some more thought on my part. I am open to suggestions / discussion for anyone considering the same.
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