A recent dinner conversation involved my 13 year old son asking me how I did homework "way back when you were a kid Mom, like- before google." Once I got over the coughing epidsode that resulted from the "way back when" comment, I taught my son a little something about ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA. It went something like this:
Me: We had a set of red, leather bound books that were in alphabetical order and you could go look up information in them.
Son: You could look up anything?
Me: Well.....almost anything.
Son: How many books were in the set???
Me: About 10 I guess....
Son: That's all!? Ten books... I guess your homework was a lot easier back then than mine is now...........
So the thirteen year old had a point. While Encyclopedia Britannica was "safe" and the information was relatively accurate, albeit outdated on many occasions, it was morbidly limited when compared to the information highway available at our fingertips today. We have learned that with the vastness of available information comes the responsibilty to discern what is relative, accurate and yes, safe. As teachers, it is our responsibility to help these young whipper snappers of today navigate through the windfall of available information. It's a little odd that the problem is never the lack of available information but how to weed through the opinions and propaganda of the plethera of information to find truth. One of the ways that I accomplish this is to have several websites that I have researched myself as resources for my students. However, I never want them to be limited by my opinions of relevancey so they also have to site other resources besides the ones I have offered. Two great ideas from our digital literacy research that I will employ for my students is first for them to backtrack all websites and make sure that the root domain is reliable and the other is to use more than one search domain. While google may be the first step for many of our students today, it shouldn't be the only step. So in closing, fellow old-timers, do you think I could get anything for that set of Encylopedia Britannica on ebay?
This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
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2. Show respect and consideration of others when posting and commenting. This includes individuals, students, organizations, political parties, colleagues, etc.
3. Check all posts for spelling and grammar errors before posting.
4. Protect the privacy of others. Gain permission from other people before you write about them. Avoid sharing someone else's last name. Use job titles or pseudonyms when writing about experiences with your co-workers or students.
5. Watch your language. Use politically correct and non-offensive language.
6. Make sure you write about things that are factual.
7. Keep your postings education-oriented. Avoid discussing plans for the weekend, etc.
FINAL BLOG POST - OUR "DAILY TRIPLE" (DUE 12/1).
This week I would like you to use your imagination. You have just won the lottery and will leave your teaching post immediately to travel around the world. As you leave your keys you meet your replacement. You are asked to give this new teacher just ONE piece of advice. What would that be, and why? Enjoy your world expedition!
Blog Post - Week 7
This past week in my own teaching I felt a little disconnected which prompts my question to you, "What was the moment (or moments) when I felt most disconnected or disengaged as a teacher - the moment(s) I said to myself, I'm just going through the motions here?"
Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 6
For the past couple of weeks you have experienced asynchronous online learning (doing modules by yourself). Previously this semester you have experienced synchronous online learning (all together in the Collaborate room). Which do you think is more effective and why do you think that? Which do you like better, and why?
Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 5
This week we have what we call "open mic." You can write a post about anything related to your teaching that you would like responses from your classmates.
Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 4
Here is this week's question: "What was the event that most took me surprise this week - and event that shook me up, caught me off guard, gave me a jolt, or made me unexpectedly happy?"
Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 3
Please write a post about the following question, "In thinking about my past week teaching what is one thing I would do differently, and why?"
Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 2
Please write a post about the following question, " In thinking about my teaching activities this past week, of what do I feel most proud? Why?"
Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 1
Describe something you used in your program in the first weeks of school that you learned in the summer NTI program. How did it work? Did it get you off to a stronger start than last year?
2 comments:
I have two sets, I beleive they might have been updated in 1978.When I was in school we did not have them at home since my house was 600 square feet,I used the neighbors. Now the I-Phone has more information than all the libraries when we grew up. Great post.
Sherri- loved your post! I could not have said it any better! I had a similar conversation with my teenage daughter and she was dumb-founded when I told her that I went through college not once but twice without a computer of any kind! She thought I was making it up. Then I showed her my old typewriter and she couldn't stop laughing! Thank you for sharing as I don't feel like I am "out here all alone!". I have embraced this new technology slowly in the past but am going to jump in with both feet now just to keep up with my students and keep them engaged. Again, thanks for sharing!
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