Chapter 5 offers many ideas about how to teach information literacy in the classroom. One of the methods that caught my attention because of its simplicity is using search engines efficiently. Google tends to be the first search engine we go to when we need quick information, but there are many search engines available that are specific to a subject area and can facilitate the research process. Table 5.1 on page 105 lists 16 search engines. For example, the Library of Congress American Memory site provides primary source documents and exhibits on U.S. history; Artcyclopedia contains works of art and biographies of famous artists from the past and the present; and Open Library has the long-term goal of dedicating a page to every book that has ever been published. I cannot believe I have never heard of these! I definitely plan on using these to teach students how to search the Internet effectively. It is important for students to learn how to effectively search the web and to expand their horizons beyond Google.
Another concept that was interesting to me was the section on Wikipedia. Teachers tend to portray this online encyclopedia as such a negative source, but in reality, it can teach students a great deal about what goes on behind the screen of online encyclopedias. Many people "distrust Wikipedia because recognized experts do not serve as referees of the knowledge selection process" (Maloy, 2013, p.114). We all know that it can be edited at any time, which discredits some of the information. However, the text offers some ideas of how to benefit from Wikipedia. This site can be used in comparison with other encyclopedias, like Britannica Online or Microsoft Encarta. Students can "fact-check" entries to see how accurate the information truly is, and if any errors are found, they can submit their revisions. My favorite one is to role-play encyclopedia development. In this activity, students are assigned to groups and choose a topic to write about. The teacher can limit the list of topics so that more than one group has to prepare an entry on the same topic. After this exercise, students will learn how real-life encyclopedia development occurs. These are all great ways of teaching students information literacy, and also of promoting collaboration and interactive work. I am definitely putting these down in my list of things I want to accomplish when I have my own classroom!
Chapter 7 is like a loaded gold mine, full of different technologies software, apps, and games that teachers can use to promote problem solving and inquiry learning. Different ages require different levels of difficulty, but what interested me the most were the digital games. I never knew that there is a difference between computer games and digital games. Computer games have education as only one of their purposes, but digital games for learning "are computer and web-based games that have been designed with educational rather than entertainment goals in mind" (Maloy, 2013, p. 171). I really like the idea of simulation games. Stop Disasters! is one game that presents students with a natural disaster scenario, and the natural disaster is based on the region of the world that is chosen. Students are given 15 minutes to prepare for the disaster, and in this time they are required to balance social and economic factors. This kind of game can expand students' vocabulary, help them understand the concept of money as a limited resource, and teach them about the world they live in.
In conclusion, students need to develop skills that belong to digital citizens, and to accomplish this goal, teachers must be open-minded about technology in the classroom. It is important for students not only to learn how to search the Web, but how to search it efficiently and how to choose the best websites for research. There are also many games, software, and apps at our disposal to help students build problem-solving skills. I could not mention all of them in this blog, so I decided to make a separate presentation that includes my favorite options. I hope you enjoy!
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Works Cited
Artcyclopedia (2014). Retrieved from http://www.artcyclopedia.com/
Library of Congress American Memory. Retrieved from http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/ListSome.php?category=Literature
Maloy, R., O’Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Open Library. Retrieved from https://openlibrary.org/
Zaragoza, S. (2016, February 21). Technology tools in your toolbox!. Created with Padlet http://padlet.com/sofiazaragoza1998/8m8dvk0k4gom
