So my blogging frequency is not scoring too high; we're supposed to be blogging on a regular basis (at least once a week), and have been encouraged to put our thoughts out into the ‘cloud’ with less editing than one would use on a traditional piece of written work…
I can’t do that.
When it comes to writing I write, re-write, edit, re-edit, all in order to come up with something that may be readable! I’m behind, and our course ends tomorrow… so expect a few blogs within the next 36 hours!!!
Although I am not blogging much, I have been reading, and in doing so I have learned a lot about information overload. My Google Reader is constantly flooded with information; much not worth reading. Online I am also faced with the same problems. How do I filter through the endless amounts of information available? How do I know truth? Can I identify bias? More importantly, how do I assist my pupils overcome these same issues?
Amongst the endless information online, how does one find truth and identify bias online?
In our session a few weeks ago Chris Betcher showed a variety of videos that highlighted how this has been a problem for a long time. What is truth has been a question pondered since the great philosophers. The problem now is with the multitude of information available online we have to filter and the number of judgments we have to make in filtering truth and bias in what we read. Chris offered some ideas for us in how to overcome these issues (See the bottom of this post)
This is a major issue for me, and highlights a major need within our classroom… How do we assist students in filtering through the endless amounts of below average information available on the web? How do we teach students to discern truth? How do we inspire critical thinking to ensure that our students can identify bias on the web, yet still be challenged to grow and expand their own perspectives on learning?
The answer… collaboration.
Using a PLN to find Truth and Bias Online...
I can only teach, role model and guide students so much when it comes to filtering information, I cannot be the expert. In his article ‘World Without Walls: Learning Well with Others’, Will Richardson shares the power of the web 2.0. The web is no longer only about information, it is about connection with others, which seriously alters our role as educators...
“…we as educators need to reconsider our roles in students’ lives, to think of ourselves as connectors first and content experts second."
Our role now requires us to teach the skills to allow students to connect to others to assist them in their learning, and to help them identify what is true online.
"we need to rely on trusted members of our personal networks to help sift through the sea of stuff, locating and sharing with us the most relevant, interesting, useful bits."
This brings with it a whole new range of issues, how do we trust the feedback and recommendations we get? How can we ensure that we listen to more people than those with the same perspectives as us in order to challenge and extend ourselves? How do we teach students online communication skills that allow for such sharing?
What is clear is that a personal learning network is critical in assisting us as teachers and learners and our students achieve success in navigating our way to find the right answers online.
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Excellent post! You've addressed so many of the major issues we were hoping to highlight. I think one important aspect of the power of PLNs is actually getting to know who's in your PLN - not just their username, who they are in real life, what they do for a living, how they have come to understand the information. In that way you can begin to make informed decisions about the validity of what's being shared. And then you can begin to revise and reform your learning network to include only those that you feel are valid sources of information.
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