Reflecting on Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

The ever-changing realm of technology creates a constant need for new literacies from which students and teachers alike can adapt new strategies for learning in order to maintain a competitive edge in the 21st century global economy. Throughout the last eight weeks of EDUC 6712D - 2 Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom, I have “gained confidence in [my] ability to both navigate the Internet and use it as a tool for [my] own learning and that of [my] students” (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007, p. 277) because I was asked to think about those contemporary technologies and the ways in which I should incorporate them into my classroom. Education consultant, David Warlick (Laureate, 2009) reminds teachers that in addition to learning, technology increases the ability of students to create connections which is, in itself, another 21st century skill that students must master because it not only connects students to each other and the content, but it also gives them the work with specific information in a real world context. As a teacher, I am learning to evolve as well and make myself ready to transition into the digital age and still continue to meet the NY State Curriculum Standards for English Language Arts (1996) that provide the general scope and sequence for grades 7-12. These standards, for the most part, correlate to or complement the teaching of information literacy skills, but can be restrictive to those teachers may need stronger guidance or lack imagination. As a relatively new teacher, that describes me.

One of the most striking things about the new literacies is their ability to turn apathetic students into lifelong learners. The answers are no longer buried beneath the book stacks in the back of the library or hidden on some obscure piece of microfiche, but rather, they are at the very fingertips of those who want to know. They no longer have to wait to get to school or the library or even rely on parents or teachers to provide them with that knowledge. As teachers, we are now responsible for nudging students in the right direction, for awakening the desire for knowledge and “preparing them to apply the inquiry process to the world’s most massive source of information” (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007, p. 281). I often tell my students, when the begin moaning and groaning about reading yet another article, short story, or novel, that I understand that they do not like reading and I am ok with that; however, I believe that their dislike is simply because they have not found the book etc… that is right for them and that if they do not even try it, they will never know if that book etc… is even out there. I encourage them to keep asking questions.

The students that I work with on a daily basis are not used to asking questions; they are used to being feed information, not understanding it, and then giving up on it. Even if they do not give up, they simply rush through that specific assignment just to get it done, pass or fail. They have no interest in learning beyond what is required. This is changing within the walls of my classroom and, I suspect, many classrooms across the world. The knowledge and experience that I have gained from this course and others that I have taken in the Adolescent Literacy and Technology masters program has had a profound experience on my teaching practices. I am differentiating more frequently and using technology to help engage my students in the curriculum. The changes are not drastic, but they are helping to make my students more responsive to me as an educator and more successful in their academic endeavors. I have seen the biggest difference in the area of assessment. I very rarely give exams and if I do, they are not to see what my students did not learn, but rather where the gaps in their learning happen to be so that we can work on closing them. Those gaps show me as well as the students that certain pieces of information are not being properly synthesized and applied. That is what assessment is meant to do and using it in this way rather than for a grade, allows us to backtrack and reteach when necessary. In addition to changing the way that I think about assessment, Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom has also shown me how to be more flexible. Students respond better to having choices rather than being told that they must do something. Even if the choices are limited, when students are able to explore a topic that they are interested in, there is increased motivation and the learning process is more engaging for them. Giving them choices allows their natural curiosity to surface and then drives them to seek knowledge and deeper understanding. Although “inquiry is not the norm in many classrooms” (Thornburg, 2004, p. 8), which may be why some students have no interest in learning, I want to change this for my students. I want to use what I have learned and rekindle that spark.

In order to do this, I am setting goals for my own classroom practices and finding local resources to help me do this. One of the first goals I have set for next year is creating an online campus newsletter written by students. We are a multifaceted facility that encompasses programs in the areas of alternative education, special education, technology, and career preparation. On any given day, there are numerous activities and events occurring that include my students and students that they know who are not in my class. This is a rather large undertaking for me and I know that I will need help. Luckily, we have a great technology department and learning center that can help me get started. First, I will have to talk to them about setting up a website that will be linked to that of the school. We will have to look at how contributions are submitted, an approval process to ensure appropriateness, and ways to make the site interactive for our audience. Once school starts in September, I will have to introduce the concept to my students. They will have to learn how to do observations, interviews, and how to write news articles as well as how to use technology to create interesting and engaging web pages of their own. In order for me to teach them, I will have to spend the summer learning how to do it for myself. This is time that I will not be getting paid for, but the dividends I receive during the school year in the form of student engagement and learning, will be much more valuable.


References

Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford

Press.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). It’s not about the technology: Supporting information

literacy and online inquiry in the classroom. Baltimore: Author.

New York State Department of Education. (1996) Learning standards for English language arts. Albany, NY:

Author. Retrieved June 28, 2009 from http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/ela/elarg.html

Thornburg, D. (2004). Inquiry: The art of helping students ask good questions. (Executive Briefing No. 402).

Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/inquiry.pdf

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