Blog 4: Information Literacy

The methods I use to research a topic depend completely upon whether I am researching for personal interest or for a class. When I am at home and am interested in finding out more about a topic, I normally go to Google and type in keywords that might bring up corresponding webpages. The 'Information Literacy' presentation brought up an excellent point about the validity of webpages found online; some websites may look credible, but in all reality they are not scholarly sources. Many past professors of mine have completely disallowed the option of research information found on websites because of this problem. Therefore, when I am researching for a course, I use more discretion and find books at the library or search through the databases available on the GVSU website (JStor, for example). Wikipedia is a great source of information, but because anyone in the world can edit its pages, I would not recommend using it for a college research paper or regarding it as a scholarly source.

Furthermore, in the 'Information Literacy' presentation, I identified myself only in a few of the problems that some students are experiencing when researching online. When searching for information in a database, I almost always feel overwhelmed with the dozens of journals and articles that I find. Perhaps I need more practice with databases and knowing which keywords to use. Sometimes it is also rather difficult for me to synthesize information when an article is terribly long; I often find myself spending a great amount of time trying to pick out the most important points, which I think is an effective way to go about it, but it is still quite overwhelming. When I was in High School, I was definitely at times a student who would simply regurgitate ideas, just as many of us were; for this reason, college was a bit of a shock in my first year, and I needed to do a bit of adjusting when it came to thinking abstractly and originally.

I found the 'Electronic Constructivism' article interesting, because the author pointed out that a simple change in how directions are stated on an assignment can almost completely eliminate the paraphrasing and regurgitating of ideas issue. I thought the author had a neat approach to researching historical figures; instead of stating directions for an assignment in a way that allows the students to simply resummarize information found in an encyclopedia, for example, the author explained that there are several different and more creative approaches the teacher could take. For example, if the teacher thinks a little more abstractly and helps the students step into the shoes of the historical figures, they will no longer see them as "...just static characters described in black and white text" (Yoder). Being creative is a great way to promote abstract and dynamic thinking and learning.

I remember in High School being brought down to the "Media Center", or in other words, the library, to be shown how to properly use a search engine. In hindsight, I think that was a great idea, and I would definitely do something similar to help my students use their time efficiently when researching. It truly is difficult to keep searches narrow, and for that reason, it really is beneficial to know how to properly use a search engine. I would also tell them about my personal strategies; for example, as said before, when I am reading an article, I take out a highlighter and a pencil and I mark up the article so I can later reference the most important parts of it. Instead of allowing oneself become overwhelmed with a topic, it is important for him or her to step back and look at the big picture. Also, as I saw in the 'Information Literacy' presentation, I too think it is important to first think about what it is you need to learn more about. Before immediately sitting down in front of a computer and starting one's research, the researcher needs to evaluate all research tools. An almanac or another print source might be the best way to find basic information such as simple facts, for example.

Lastly, I do love many aspects of Web 2.0 websites. I find it very interesting that Wikipedia can be edited by anyone in the world; however, this has its problems. I reference Wikipedia very often, but I keep in mind that not everything stated on it is 100% factual. Aside from this blog, I have two personal blogs that I update every now and then--one blog I use solely for practicing my German language skills, and the other blog I simply post music on to listen to when I am at the computer. I also admit that I frequently facebook; it's always fun to see the comments and opinions from friends on updates that I make, and it is a great way to communicate back and forth between friends, family, and co-workers. Another part of Web 2.0 that I sometimes take part in are forums. Forums are excellent sources of information as well, especially when a person is looking for information about his or her own current situation (be it a real life situation, or a technological problem that person is having). Many people post questions on forums, because each forum normally has a specific topic and purpose that other people will pay attention to if they know anything about it or have questions they would like to post as well. In my future classroom, I think video blogs will be a great way for students to record themselves so they can truly hear their pronunciation of German words. I think it would also be very fun and interesting for the student, because other students in the class will be able to make video comments or text comments in response. All in all, I love Web 2.0, because it is a great source of interactivity and communication.

Blog 3: Digital Deutschland

Stephen Van Orden, a German teacher at Timpview High School in Provo, Utah, decided in 2005 that it was time to change his classroom into a “digital Deutschland”, as he called it. The chalkboard and whiteboard were simply not good enough tools to supplement his instruction with. He was aware that living abroad in German-speaking countries and immersing oneself in the culture was the best way to learn the language; however, not all students could afford such an endeavour. For this reason, he began asking himself, “How can currently available technology help bridge the location gap if living in the country is not an option?” Tablet PC was his answer. For a long time, Van Orden had been using the digital projector, and he enjoyed using it, but after he switched over to the much more advanced Tablet PC, he knew there was no going back. With the Tablet PC, Van Orden could “…project so much more and in such higher quality…”. With the Tablet PC, he also did not have to have his back turned to the class when he was teaching. After searching for software to use on his new Tablet PC, he was absolutely amazed when he found programs like PDF995, which allowed him to display new vocabulary words from the textbook to his students and write on them with notes or pronunciation helps, et cetera. With the help of his Tablet PC, he did not need to waste hundreds of dollars from his school budget on developing pictures of Germany, Australia and Switzerland; instead, he uploaded pictures to his Tablet PC with his digital camera free of cost. Van Orden also began using Pdictionary.com and other picture dictionaries online. As a German student myself, I also find picture dictionaries extremely helpful, because, as Van Orden points out, they “…are a great way to create context”. He also began to use his Tablet PC to show his students videos, vlogs, blogs, et cetera. In my person experience, even looking up a YouTube video with a German speaker is beneficial, and it is free of cost-wonderful!

Van Orden’s approach to using the new technology was definitely transparent. He went into the classroom knowing how to use the hardware and software properly and efficiently, and his approach also covered the many different learning styles of his students, which is not always the case when using a chalkboard. The students did not need to learn how to use any of the applications themselves; instead, they sat back and soaked the information in as he instructed. I would definitely like to implement something like this into my classroom. Using something like an online picture dictionary to help students create visual bridges to new German words would be an excellent way to broaden their vocabulary.

As Van Orden noted in his article, “The possibilities are endless.” His overall goal was to enliven the classroom and find better ways to convey new information to his students. After reading his article, I would have to agree with him that the addition of his Tablet PC to the classroom was a success in creating his digital Deutschland. In the words of Van Orden, “I believe that teachers will use technology if it makes their work easier or if it improves the quality of their work.” In his case, it did both.

Van Orden, Stephen. "Using a Tablet PC in the German Classroom to Enliven Teacher Input." JSTOR. Web. 5 Feb. 2010.

Link to article: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20479879

Extra Credit Blog: Digital Nation Response

I found this news broadcast extremely interesting. While watching it, it reminded me of how I live. As I was watching the video, I will admit that I was also doing several other things at the same time. I love to multitask; if I don't multitask, I get fidgety and lose interest in whatever I am doing. Perhaps this is something that other people in my generation experience, because technology keeps us always on our toes. A good example of this is text messaging. I feel behind the times, because I am probably the only person out of all my friends who does not have text messaging on their cellphone. I can see how with text messaging people probably feel connected with their peers at all times, because they are only a few clicks away. A person can basically carry their friends in their pocket, so to speak. My sister is always texting; no matter what she is doing, her phone is basically glued to her hand. She could be studying for an exam and texting her friends at the same time. I am not sure whether it is a distraction for her or not, because she is so used to texting all the time.

Another thing I found interesting and also true is the danger of texting and talking on the phone while driving. I honestly hope that the use of phones while a car is moving will become illegal, because it truly is so dangerous. Some drivers do not understand that in the time they look down at their phone to type out a single word, a car might have stopped right in front of them. At the very least, drivers should wait until they are at a complete stop before they start looking away from the road.

Lastly, when it comes to questioning whether the internet is addicting or not, I know from experience just how addicting it can be. I have had roommates in the past who would not leave their room for months, because they were so addicted to the game World of Warcraft. Friends of mine have had relationships go awry, because one partner spends too much time playing online video games than with the other partner. I also know a couple of people who spend time playing the Facebook application "Farmville" while at work. The internet can be a huge distraction from responsibilities and real life.