Digital Concept Mapping
Reflective Blog #2
After completing the MAPping information activity, what are your reactions to your findings? I was again astounded by the sheer volume of information available on the Internet. In my everyday wanderings around the web, I do not pay close attention to the vastness of the Internet. This is usually because I am caught up in whatever thread of information I am following. However, when I am searching for particular information, it becomes increasingly apparent that I am still not as proficient as I should or could be in finding specific information. What will you do differently while searching on the Internet for information now? I pay extraordinarily close attention to the quality of information I use from the Internet within my classroom and for my graduate work. Even though I really do love the Internet experience in terms of access to information about any topic I could possibly imagination, I now realize that I must be careful to use only accurate and appropriate information. I am also careful to ensure I give the proper credit to information I put forth in my school work. Do you see any advantages for organizing your information via a social bookmarking tool? Which one did you choose to use and why? What are some ways you think you could use these tools in the future? One aspect of Internet browsers that I had never really taken advantage of is the bookmark feature. I now routinely bookmark quality sites that I am sure I will need to return to. I also take advantage of sites like Evernote to store useful information that I 'accidently' come across in other searches and might use later on in my classroom or in my graduate work. My bookcase at school is stacked with three ring binders full of teaching materials I use. I am constantly having to tote them home or to and from the copier. I have lately been introduced to Livebinders and plan on putting much of my teaching materials on that site so I can access it from any digital device. How confident are you with the information you've used in the past (as part of your college career and/or in your profession)? The information I used while in college and as a beginning teacher (x number of years ago) was, now that I look back on it, probably not of the highest quality. I had very little experience with navigating the Internet and felt lost when searching for information. I am sure I used whatever I could find whether it was quality or not. I feel confident that I probably used inaccurate information and did not give accurate credit for the information I did find. The APA and MLA manuals I had in college barely mentioned citing sources of the information found on the Internet. Now that I have had more experience on the Internet and it has gotten, in my opinion, more user friendly, I find that it only takes just a little more effort to find quality, trustworthy information.
What are some implications for the future of our students if we fail to teach them these skills in school? With so many job opportunities hinging on a thorough knowledge of and applicable use of technology, our students would be facing bleak futures indeed if basic computer skills were not taught. These days, even what I consider a basic knowledge is outdated. Although today's students have grown up in a digital world, it does not mean that they naturally know how to use the available technology around them. There is a large digital divide which directly correlates into an economic divide when students leave the public school system. After all, the schools may block access to sites, but students still have access at home. This is an inaccurate statement. Many of my current students do not have Internet access at home. My district is a Title I district because we have a large number of low socio-economic students and these students have no access to technology or the Internet other that what is offered at school during school hours. With the economic downturn, even some of the families that have HAD the Internet have had to forgo that luxury just so they can have food on the table and a roof over their heads.
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