The development of the internet has led to a new age of research. As stated within the presentation, 86% of kids 12 and under turn to the internet for their source of information. When it comes to where I get my information for research it is the same, but I utilize trusted databases within the Grand Valley library system to get scholarly articles that have been peer reviewed. I may utilize Google here and there for quick information that is not for scholastic purposes, but if I need information I know I can trust it is coming from within trusted databases such as JSTOR.
When comparing to myself to what is described in the slides "We are seeing students.." I do see some similarities. First, when looking online you have so many choices of information that sometimes it is difficult to find what you want. When you do find information you trust, you have to actually read through what you are looking at before you hit print. I find myself at times printing quickly with out reading through the entire article, but I will read a majority of the information and look and see what I have in front of me before I am content with my research. After printing is where the real research happens, so I would not consider my research done after hitting print. As for the the comments that students spend way to much time looking online for information in an almanac or print source, I believe this is because many students don't have the opportunity to have those printed sources. Many students that are doing research are doing it from their home and they do not have access to printed books or almanacs.
What I took from the Electronic Constructivism was the suggestions for webquests that were given. Students are wired for a different form of learning, as stated by the digital native article, and webquests that are done properly can really influence students learning. It gets them out of the classroom and onto sources that are not available through printed books or almanacs and can be more accurate than textbooks. By comparing Bush and Washington we can bring them back to life and help move up Bloom's Levels of Taxonomy.
As a teacher, to make students research more effective we must prescreen the websites that we want them to use. By limited the sources online we want them to use we are able to make sure that one, the information is accurate, and two, they are on task. If we know what sites we want the students to use look like, then we can make sure they are on those sites at all times by walking around and utilizing proximity control. To make them more meaningful, we must utilize research techniques that aren't just factual based, we must connect the research to a larger goal that allows the students to analyze and synthesize the information and present it in a creative and fun way.
The web 2.0 webistes I utilize are the same as many college students. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites are that I utilize the most. They allow me to connect with friends and family that I couldn't do before. Also, this site allows me to blog about what I am feeling about a certain topic, and allows for more user interface than basic discussion boards. Within the classroom, these sites could be used to continue the learning process at home with homework that is more interesting to the students. If they are on a computer instead of doing busy worksheets, they will be able to explain to me what they know, and not show me what they dont know.
The web 2.0 usage is the same for most of the blog posts for this class. Facebook and Twitter are almost their own culture in today's society. It goes back to how "digital natives" use technology for their own purposes in an effective manner. Our future students are going to be able to navigate the current social networks faster then we will and be able to throw this skill around for a good laugh when trying to explain it to us. We have all done that to a teacher or professor before, such as the use of projectors. It is important for us to keep in mind that these students still need the skill of Information Literacy. We will have to strive to teach them as our own "immigrant" status will be showing in the future technology world.
ReplyDeleteI somewhat agree with you when you say how teachers should prescreen websites when doing a web search. I think the teacher should see the level of difficulty for completing the search. Teachers should also teach strategies for effective and efficient web searching. However, by limiting the websites in which the students may use it may cut down on the learning process which comes about sifting through information. I could also see how this would cut down on wasted time on searching for information.
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