This course has been an eye-opening experience. Not only have I a learned what web literacy is as a necessary 21st century skill, but also that my students lack these literacy skills even though the internet and computer have been a part of their entire school career. The most striking revelation spurns off of a quote from Kajder (2003, p. 49), “Just because our students are able to cruise through the internet with speed and what looks like skill doesn’t mean they know what they are doing” (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007, p. 28). The textbook for this course was not overwhelming, but logically broke down each step of the QUEST method. QUEST is a research/project strategy that teaches students 21st century web literacy skills throughout the process. Another striking revelation was how similar web literacy skills are to traditional literacy skills. The reading comprehension strategies necessary for proficient reading can be applied to web and traditional text (p. 35).
The knowledge and experience from this course will influence my teaching by initiating the Unit Plan for integrating the QUEST model into a social studies project. Planning a unit required me to focus on the web literacy skills and the social studies content. By integrating web literacy throughout content areas and our school day, my students will begin to practice the 21st century skills that will be required in their future. Through the creation of projects, I am excited that my students will not only be consumers of online content, but producers as well (Laureate Education, Inc. 2009).
A definite goal based on my learning in this course is to integrate web literacy into my daily teaching. The internet is an integral part of my day, as a teacher, a student, and a social networker. I need to more explicitly model strategies and skills that came almost naturally to me – critical thinking, effective search engines and methods, and “connecting [my] students to an audience” through blogs, wikis, etc. (November, 2008). I have already started brainstorming how web literacy will fit into my standard/traditional school day. Citing sources can fit into my writing block; research can be a part of my reading and writing instruction; blogs can be used as a reflection tool for content in science and social studies; Voicethreads or podcasts can be alternative assessments. The key for applying this new learning into my teaching is to add these web literacy skills one at a time. As these new tools are added to my students’ repertoire, they will be able to teach me new techniques as well. Introducing the tools and providing support will be essential to my students’ success as they embrace 21st century web skills.
Jenelle
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Developing Students’ Digital Literacy. Baltimore: Author.
November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousands Oaks: Corwin Press.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Website Evaluation
I evaluate Britain in America as a valid website in teaching my students to select appropriate resources on the web so that they can be more literate in 21st century skills.
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