Web Literacy

Reflection

The web is infused with vast amounts of information on just about any topic. It is usually the first source used in looking for information in schools, homes, and in the workplace. With this in mind, it is essential to teach students how to search for information to narrow down search choices, evaluate sites for validity and reliability, and how to synthesize the vast amount of information that is available. Basically, we as educators are teaching students to learn how to learn.

This course has opened my eyes about how critical it is to teach students to use the web. So far, I have just assumed they know how to search and use the web, especially since computer is one of our enrichment classes. But after the last project we just completed that required extensive web usage, they have not been taught these things. I have learned how critical it is to use methods to narrow down your search instead of going on a wild goose chase. It saves so much time and is so much more effective. More importantly, to begin with, it is essential to help students to be able to come up with rich questions about their topics so they know exactly what information they are looking for.

Without much thought about this in the past, “Anyone can publish on the web; therefore, you shouldn’t trust every website to contain reliable information” (Eagleton, 2007, p. 60). This has also been a striking revelation to me. I think I have always known this in the back of my mind, but never made it an essential thought in my searching. I definitely will be more aware of this as I search the web. Intertwined with evaluating websites is the ability to put information together and determining what is important. Synthesizing information is difficult for most students and with the overwhelming amount of information on the web it makes it even more difficult.

Going forward with what I have learned in this course, I have made a goal for myself to practice and model these skills-developing questions, searching, evaluating, synthesizing, and citing resources-using the QUEST method that we learned. I also plan to teach these skills at the beginning of each school year and review them throughout the year as students are engrossed in project-based learning that involves the new literacies learned in this class. To be more effective and up to date on the latest new literacies, I will participate in classes to help me learn how to use them and to be more aware of the tools that are available to help students succeed. I will accomplish this by signing up for the technical classes that Pioneer Resa offers to educators and any that might be offered within my school district.