Thursday, January 27, 2011

Literacy and ICT

It is so important that teachers not only teach students how to get information from the internet, but we also have to train them to know how to pick out the truthful information, from the un-truthful.  With pure content at their figuretips people must understand how to access it, how to understand it, use it, analyse it, and then communicate what they think about it.
The power of social media and the internet is obvious today - as popular revolts/protests are breaking out across the middle east.  This has happened despite in some of these countries despite government attempts to limit the effects and openness of the internet.  The power to learn, communicate and share knowledge and ideas with ease will empower this generation and the ones that follow to a level that was impossible in the past.  This power comes with a possible negative if the message being sent (or the one that is being listened to) is untruthful or emphasises intolerance etc.  As teachers we can educate students to understand and use the interent, but also to avoid the potential dangers.

4 comments:

  1. I agree that the most dangerous part of the internet and the openness of social media today, is how easy it is to read, believe, and spread untruthful information. Your example of the revolt and protests in the Middle East tell how the widespread use of information can have HUGE repercussions in the physical world. Personally, I always take in information with a bit of scepticism, but as I have seen in the classroom, most students believe almost anything they read. I remember being taught how to read newspapers and watching TV news broadcasts with a critical eye while I was in grade 10 English class. This must be extended to the internet and all new technology used to spread information. And as if a teacher's job description is not long enough, it falls on us as teachers to model how to filter and verify information for truth and teach understanding of what can happen if people misuse these tools to spread rumours and lies.

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  3. It almost seems like schools should start offering ICT classes, but as we know this is already getting phased into the high school curriculum! Hopefully it is effective. With so much information available on the internet, both good and bad, it falls to teachers to be the first or second line line of defense in teaching our growing generations (I'd hope the parents are involved) the importance of being critical of anything we see, hear, or read. As the saying goes, a lie can go around the world twice while the truth is still getting it's shoes on.

    That being said, the internet is great.

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  4. The power of internet is enormous in today’s world. I agree with Tim that we should trust truthful information on the Internet. Teachers need to teach students to make right decision regarding the information they get from the internet. It could be possible if teachers and students have access to all type of information on the Internet in the classroom

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