Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom Reflection

In this constantly changing and evolving society that we live in, it is very difficult keep up. Some new gadget may be the cutting edge answer to all our problems one day and become obsolete the next. Successful corporations spend millions and even billion of dollars to make sure that they have the newest cutting edge technology that will ensure their survival. Public education institutions do not have this same source of financial influence, so how can we prepare our students for a world that is always one step ahead. As David Warlick says, the answer is that it is not about the technology (Laureate Inc, 2009). This discovery is a striking revelation for me as a teacher. In my classroom, I have an iPad, a Smartboard, I use wireless technology and yes they simplify my teaching, but it is true that it is not about the technology, but it is how we use the tools available to us. The Internet is available to the majority of the students and the secret to teaching this new literacy is finding a way to make connections apply them to the curriculum. For instance a blogging assignment with a writing prompt turns a writing assignment into a communication assignment that connects the students together and may even motivate the students to want to write and learn more (Laureate Inc, 2009).

The knowledge and experience that I gained through this course will help me grow as a teacher. One of the main things that I learned is that a formal assessment is not just a way to find a grade for students, but it should serve as a way to help the students to self-reflect on themselves as a learner (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007). As a music teacher I am constantly assessing the students and trying to find ways to help them be more creative and self-efficient. I view a master teacher as a lifetime student and Eagleton and Dobler support this hypothesis by saying a master teacher is always engaging in an ongoing process of self-reflection and we are constant changing and evolving with the needs of our students (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007).

One of my main professional goals as a music teacher is to find more ways to bring inquiry learning and technology into my class. I could sit around and make excuses about how I do not have access to the computer lab with my students, or that I only see them once every six days for 50 minutes at a time, but the real attitude is that every little step in the right direction makes a difference. I may not be able to work through a complete inquiry, technology based project with my student, but I can use the skills that acquired in this course, apply them, and make a difference in their lives. As for a step-by-step plan to commence this goal, my self-reflections tell me that I need to take baby steps and make the change one small step at time.


References:
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry (pp 28-49, 73, 74, 76). New York: The Guilford Press.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). It’s not about the technology [Motion Picture] Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore: Author.