I am also linking a YouTube video sent by my professor that paints a visual picture of the growing world of technology. Find it here.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Information Fluency
I have been thinking a lot about what this whole "information fluency" thing is about. If you're like me you are probably wondering what I mean by that, or maybe you already have a good idea about this new term. What I have come to find out is that information/digital fluency is something that everyone involved in the digital world is already working on. You might surf Facebook and/or Twitter, subscribe to a few blogs, or have your favorite Pinterest boards that you follow. That is all part of your information fluency. You log onto these websites because you have an inquiring mind and want to know more. We are all already seeking, sifting, sorting, and sometimes sharing what we find to be interesting, helpful, and inspirational in our digital world. I was recently reading a few articles that I tied together about how to build my own information/digital fluency and apply it in a classroom setting, which just so happens to match my learning goals I set for my class. Being fluent means that you can not only speak the language but you also think in that language; in this case, I mean the "digital language." I believe this happens when we completely immerse ourselves in the digital world and allow ourselves to really find what works best for us. What I have learned is that I need to be flexible with how I control what my students are doing in their own digital world. I can teach them to be digitally fluent, but I can do it by giving them parameters that allows them to still be individuals. I can also pique their curiosity in a topic by giving them something they would enjoy doing online that is related to that topic. They are still learning their objective, but that are also increasing their digital fluency. The digital world is constantly expanding at an exponential rate. We have to live in it if we want to allow ourselves to stay up to date on the latest news and ideas. We also have to teach our students how to be smart about how they live in the digital world, because I can guarantee they are immersing themselves in it already.
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Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI can completely understand why you would be a little unsure of the term "informational fluency". I think at this point it is new to everyone. Our world today, technology is moving so quickly. We are trying to learn how to manage everything that is being thrown at us. Students are being taught with technology which is making them digitally fluent by nature. They are learning at such a young age now, that it becomes part of how they learn. I think giving students projects where they get to be more involved is a great way to integrate technology.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point about how we are all information seekers everytime we longin to facebook, twitter or pinterest. I am on these sites daily doing exactly what you said "looking for information and ideas." I created a PLN for this class but realized that in a way I was already in a learning network with all the blogs, twitter feeds and facebook pages that I follow on a daily basis. What I need to do is organize it all now. Thank you for giving me another way to think about all this information that I am searching out each day.
I look forward to being in your blog group.
Leslie
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your blog! I too was a bit unsure of what "information fluency" really referred to. As an art teacher, I struggle to incorporate technology and still keep a hands on, authentic art experience. After reading your blog, I am starting to develop a new outlook and seeing more possibilities! I look forward to reading more!
Chasity