Step Zero: What to Do Before Searching and Four NETS for Better Searching
I must admit that rarely do I sit down ahead of time to choose my keywords for searching the Internet. I usually start with one or two words and then narrow my search as I see the results. However, using the 3M approach to plan ahead will probably save valuable time. Although I have used Bernie Dodge’s first Three Nets, the fourth, looking for similar pages, was new to me. I usually look for similar pages the hard way – by typing keywords from the existing page. No more simple searches for my students or me. At the beginning of the first research assignment, I plan to have a lesson on advanced searching. It will save time for all of us.
Information Search Strategies on the Internet: A Critical Component of New Literacies
The author points out that adults spend 70% of their time online searching the Internet. This is obviously a necessary skill for our students to have to seek information in the future. Therefore, since our job as teachers is to prepare our students for the future, it follows that we must teach them how to properly obtain online information. For instance, reading a textbook is different from reading a website. The textbook is reading linearly from left to right from beginning to end. A website usually has links within text which result in jumping around, sometimes to unrelated information. Students must be taught strategies to search for information on the Internet and how to properly evaluate what they find. Problem-solving skills must be developed.
Although my district is fortunate in that we can give most students access to technology, our digital divide is more focused on the disparity of levels of technological experience. As was reflected in the study, our problem comes with some teachers who are resistant or ignorant of how to integrate the technology into curriculum. The end result is that a disparity develops among the students’ experiences with technology and the gap in skill levels between students grows. And the snowball continues to roll.
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4 comments:
You have made a great discovery, one that will help your students and yourself in the long run.
You made a great point when you said, "since our job as teachers is to prepare our students for the future, it follows that we must teach them how to properly obtain online information." Most adults do not know how to properly locate information on the net. Teaching this skills will eliminate wasted time, students claiming they can't find information, and so on.
Good reflections!!!
It is funny that my school decided to go back in time and "go back to basics" We are focusing just in reading and math now but the ironic part is that the reading program that we are using is gearing towards the future. How is this? Well, we are teaching our students to read but we are also teaching them to look for context clues, author's meaning, reading captions, etc. We are even teaching our students to search the internet and find information. I was really surprised to find that our reading program was not only about teaching reading but it is also geared towards preparing our students for the future.
I totally agree. It is really hard to correctly teach students to become skilled at searching for information online when we have a number of teachers and administrators who are still resistant to technology integration. :(
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