Everyday more and more information is being put on the Internet. It is an amazing concept to be able to find almost anything that you may want or need. But with that lay the inherent problem: Is all of that information accessible and accurate?
From a teaching stand point there are so many valuable resource at the click of the mouse. It is great to be able to find and share information with colleagues anywhere at anytime. The problem arises in having to search through so much information to find what you are looking for. Even narrowing your search and using keywords you still have to sort through pages and pages of junk. There have been many frustrating hours spent searching for some information but just not being able to find it or finding the information, saving the link, and then when you try to retrieve the information that it is no longer there. I think that is even more frustration than not being able to find the information in the first place.
I grew up in a different generation before the Internet and remember my first programming class in COBAL using punch cards and putting the phone handset into a cradle. But I digress and show my age. The Internet has grown very quickly and not everyone is on the same page. Many of our students are very computer savvy but don’t really understand about quality of information over quantity of information. They can make a PowerPoint or edit photos or build a web site but they do not know how to find what they need.
Are they lazy, uninformed, or inexperienced? It is probably a combination of all three. What I have experienced is that the students today are into instant gratification. If they cannot find what they are looking for immediately then they get frustrated.
Being an educated adult I am aware that everything on the Internet is not always accurate. For our students they are not as knowledgeable and willing to check their sources for accuracy. Students will look for the easiest way to get their answer. They tend to choose sites that may or may not contain correct information. My students live and die using the first page of Google and Wikipedia. Don’t get me wrong; they are very valuable resources to begin a search but not the ultimate end point.
Our goal as teachers and consumers of the Internet is to let everyone know that it is a great resource, a tool. We need to realize that if we don’t educate how to use the tool then our students will never be able to reach their potential. You don’t just hand someone a hammer and saw and hope for the best!
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You make some great points. While I do remember the Internet coming around, I have gotten more and more use from it only in recent years. Instant gratification is definately a problem...get it done yesterday...With patients, hopefully this too will change. -- todd
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ReplyDeleteYou made some wonderful points Gary! When I wrote my blog I made note of all the positives of the Internet; however, you brought up some of the negatives of the Internet that are very important to think about. You are definitely right in the fact that students need to make sure that the information they find is accurate. We as teachers need to get that across to the students and teach them how to check to see if the website is credible. I also agree with you in the fact that students enjoy instant gratification. Wikipedia is usually the first source to pop up on a Google search. It is a great starting point as you said; however, what is read may be incorrect. The sources on the different pages of Wikipedia are great to browse through. You gave me a lot to think about :)
ReplyDeleteHi Gary!
ReplyDeleteThe problems that you have brought up are substantial. However, there is a way around this issue, and if done correctly, can really solve the problem. “What is it?” you may be asking? Basically, if the library media specialist (LMS) is trained appropriately, and up for the challenge, this problem may be negated. As you know, I am currently enrolled in the LMS program. There have been many recent changes with this job description, all (from my point of view) positive. The individuals who work in the library are no longer ‘librarians’. Instead, they are trained in three areas. First, the collection. What books/resources need to be ordered for the new year, what books/resources do the teachers need, and what books/resources are out of date and need to go? Next, the technology end needs to be addressed. A good LMS is up-to-date on all forms of technology, and should be teaching the students how to use it! Third and most important, RESEARCH. A superb library media specialist will take the time to collaborate with the teachers in order to begin instruction of all students on HOW TO RESEARCH information!
Research skills need to be taught starting in kindergarten. I know, I know, I hear it already… students are too young to be researching information in kindergarten. This statement is a myth! We all know that kindergarteners can and do play on the Internet. Whether they are playing Web-Kins, or learning how to count numbers, this age level is on-line. Since these students are there, we need to teach them Internet safety skills and ways to find the information they need! An excellent LMS knows this and starts educating these students immediately. IN the primary grades, there is a research style called the Super 3 and in the upper grades it is called the Big6. (more on this on my blog!)
Needless to say, the Internet is here to stay! I will go as far to say that all schools have a library. Most schools have a person in the role of librarian. What ALL schools need is a trained media specialist who will teach students alternative ways to find information WITHOUT using either GOOGLE or WIKIPEDIA. Most schools PAY for an on-line subscription to excellent databases. In my experience, however, most schools are not using this resource. It is easier for the teachers to say “Google it” instead of going through the arduous task of teaching proper research skills. IF the LMS is being used properly, the teachers burden will be lifted, the students will learn GOOD VALUABLE research skills, and the LMS will have done his/her job!
All for now!
Kathryn
Wow...All of the comments here have been great! Gary you have brought up some very valid points and I have to agree with all of them. I haven't written my blog on this topic yet but as I read through some of yours I found myself nodding and agreeing out loud to what you have written. Thank you for being willing to be upfront. ~Kristen
ReplyDeleteGreat insights, Gary! It's a double-edged sword..... this internet. Sure, it's endless hours of searching and obtaining information, but students do need to learn the tools to sort out what's true and what's just another person's opinion. We need to focus on teaching the students from a very young as, as Katherine said.
ReplyDeleteI also came through the age of punchcards when I took Cobol, Fortran, and RPG in college. It is amazing how fast new technology keeps evolving so quickly. Today in our lives we are expose to so much technology. The web is just amazing with all the tons of good information available for teachers and students. But we do have to sift throught it to get the good info.
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