When I was going up, I went to this place called a library when I had to do research for a paper. They were and still continue to be places with great stores of knowledge. I lucked out and had one three blocks from my house. Hours I spent plowing through books. In my mind, the internet and electronic databases act as modern day libraries… with of course some key differences.
The default to
get information has become how to access it via the internet. The internet also
acts as means to share personal thoughts and ideas, some with more credibility
than others. So as students learn to tool around the internet, it will be
important to teach them how to look with a critical eye towards validity of
sources. This is a skill that can be taught in my content area of language
arts- looking for the biases, comparing multiple sources and synthesizing
towards something that approaches the truth.
Students can
also create their own depositories of knowledge and understanding. As part of
reading a book, The Croquette for example, they can examine primary source
documents found online in databases and other webpages. They can then create
new layers of appreciation by building mock Facebook pages for character and
then interacting as if the character from the book. Reading and writing skills
are enhanced. Engagement can increase because they took it from consumption of
information to creating their own twist of it. For as long as it has some bases
in reality and context from the book, what’s not to love? Students can also use
databases and the internet to directly connect more easily with the creators of
information through email, messaging, chat rooms, Skype or their equivalent on
different platforms.
I also want to
point that the digital divide helps lead to other divides in this country-
education, employment, socioeconomic status, health amoung many others.
Whenever possible, those involved in education especially within urban schools
need to take steps to close the gap. Incorporating explicitly on how to
navigate, use and harness for their own voice over the internet should be part
of lessons in language arts as well as other content areas. Students need to be directly taught the
critical thinking skills they will need in the future and practice using them
within the educational system. It is not good enough for them to only be
consumers of whatever mush is being served on the internet and various
databases. The so called Information Age means nothing unless coupled to The
Age of Understanding.
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