Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry

Walden University's course, Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry was superb. Below are final reflection questions proposed to me, a graduate student who is learning how to integrate technology in the classroom.

Describe your most striking revelation about teaching the new literacy skills to your students because of this course.
Answer;
Walden University's course, EDUC-67121-2 Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom has given me the tools to prepare my students for developing successful research habits when conducting a Web Inquiry. Although I see my students quarterly, the exercises and assessment tools offered in our text" Reading the Web" can maximize their searches. I too can model simple strategies and teach my students how to be proficient with foundational skills such as decoding, fluency, and vocabulary. Web strategies that allow students to access, score, and survey the Web are methods that students at any level may learn and progress. I can encourage my students to take notes, ask questions, and reflect. "Reading the Web" by Eagleton and Dobler displays the Quest Inquiry Model. This illustration is a common sense guide for showing students that questions, understandings, evaluations, synthesizing, and transforming are worth their efforts. I am enthusiastic to share these skills with my students and have already begun. I revel in the fact that I can close the gap between
traditional literacies and the new literacies. The most striking revelation that I have had has been that I have chosen not to fear learning and teaching Internet inquiry. My job is not to know it all, but to take on the new role of scaffolding my students Internet inquiries and to make sure that they self-reflect and self-regulate along the way.

Describe how the knowledge and experience gained in this course will influence your teaching practice going forward.
Answer:
I have improved tremendously with my Internet research because of this course. If only a bit of the content from this course content could be required for all teachers, the new literacies would reach all students. Teachers like Vick Davis http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-teachers-vicki-davis in a rural town proves that the Internet can create resources and learning capabilities in all classrooms. I now realize that there are student-centered, curriculum-based projects on the Internet. There are opportunities in my content area found in Web Quests such as www.whitney.org/jaboblawrence. On this site, students explore various themes associated with this artist's work. A link on this site, http://www2whitney.org/WatchAndListen/Exhibitions/ClaesOldenburgIn shows artist Claes Oldenburg's work being installed with the assistance of many professionals with their expertise. By using these short Whitney museum clips, I will be able to engage an motivate my students to share their thoughts and opinions. In this site: www.artjunction.org/projects/communitystories students and teachers investigate global forces and then based on the research, create works of art or writings. Their goal for this project is to teach students about each other from each other, across geographical, political, cultural, linguistic, or other borders. These spectacular sites offer students the opportunities to connect in many ways. David Warlick, the President of the Landmark Project makes note about English teacher, Carla Beards blog site called, "The English Teacher Web". She posted an article that is titled, "It's Not about the Technology". He responded on his own blog with a counter thought. Warlick on our Laureate video expounds upon this by saying that students can connect to the world of content and do things with it. He believes that technology is about connections and conversations. As I move along in my personal quest to increase learning for my students by engaging them on the Web with experts, other students, museum sites, gallery collections, pod casts, virtual tours, and with each other, I will then be taking strides forward along with my digital learners in this century. The greatest influence that I have gained from Supporting On line literacy as a teacher will be seen as a balancing act of artistic production and thinking skills.

Identify at least one professional development goal I would like to pursue that builds from this course and develops my literacy on technology skills. Describe steps I will take to accomplish this goal.
Answer:
I would like to initiate a teacher in-service that would expose my colleagues to the new literacies that I have been reviewing with this program. I believe that teachers who are in the classroom are not given enough time to explore new ideas that will develop inquiry based lessons. During the in-service teachers would be able to help each other and work on bringing all classrooms into the 21st century. My mission for the in-service would be to have weekly sessions for the teachers so that they can develop lessons while getting the help they need. Too often teachers are given one day to learn new information and then it is never discussed again. Many times, teachers do not incorporate new ideas due to frustration from lack of training.

I recommend to you our course text, Reading the Web. It is a necessary text that provides inquiry skills for you students that you can easily access.

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