Reflection

As I come to the end of a course on Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom, the time for reflection is once again at hand. While I was asked to discuss a major revelation I had in this course, I cannot honestly say that what was introduced was completely new. Some of the technology was introduced, but there were no real novel ideas. Of course this may be due to the fact that this is my sixth course on educational technology and the guiding factors. However, that does not mean that all was for naught. Rather than a revelation, I found confirmation that had not been attained in any other course. The concept of teaching literacy skills from the very basics was finally addressed in this course. While many assume that students know how to effectively use technology because they have been surrounded by it their whole lives, the truth is quite the opposite. Students need to be taught how to search safely and effectively before more complicated tasks can be accomplished.

This class will influence the way in which I approach technology from now on. A major theory that I have gained is the effectiveness of technology depends upon the teaching of literacy skills rather than the single goal of technology introduction. If students do not know how to effectively use the material, having them complete searches, wikis, blogs, PowerPoints, etc. will instructionally be misguided. Showing students how to do something cool is not preparing them for the world based on this new form of literacy. Teaching them the foundations to these programs will ensure that they can complete future projects using their new and cool skills.

One goal I now have is based upon the closing concept of Dr. Warlick (Laureate, 2009). He states that technology is only as good as the connections made through it. Learning should be a community activity. So many people use technology to shut themselves off from the real world that many do not realize the educational connections that can be made. Making a random friend on Facebook, who you may never see in real life, is a little different than two classrooms working together to complete a science experiment. I would really like to teach my students how to make these global connections. Of course, this would involve my own study into the available technology before introducing my students. My number one concern is the safety of the students. I would also really like it if the project actually worked out. This would require research into the types of communication programs that are available, willing school classrooms to participate, and the successfulness of the program. I certainly would not want to start a project only to find that websites and/or computers were unattainable due to timing or budgets as is often the case these days.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Laureate). (2009). Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. It’s Not About the Technology. Baltimore: Dr. Warlick.