Richardson, Jeff - Reflective Searching

Remember that I got a zero score on the Google Challenge pop culture segment.
Thinking through my obvious prowess (super power) as a researcher, and seeing how my peers (i.e. teenage students) evaluate information, led  me to a few revelations. Much like the teens purported by their teachers in the "How Teens Do Research in the Digital World" article, I too quickly settle on what I believe the article called "quick and close enough". Most of my searches deal with subjects that I already know about - or at least I think I know. So, finding an answer that agrees with what I think I know is good enough.

As a searcher, my patience is directly related to my interest in the subject. If you looked at the sites currently open on my iPad, you would see that I spend a lot of time consulting many different resources attempting to corroborate the best methods of dealing with a small hive beetle infestation in my bee hives. You would see one instance of my Infinite Campus portal and even one instance of my Schoology page. You would not see "best teaching practices" sites open - but you may find one in my history. The Bible states it this way; Forwhere your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:34 - NIV). Thinking like my students, how excited should I expect them to get about Graphic Design, color, print processes, or what goes into designing fonts and why they are not really free? 

Regretfully, I cannot speak for everyone about being part of the Google Generation. I have embraced the convenience of Google. I rarely use the phrase "look it up", I say "Google it". Worse, I no longer memorize phone number sequences, addresses, or even locations. If I can remember enough to do a google search on my handheld device, why should I tax my meager faculties with such trivial things? At this point in my life, I wish Google had a method of reminding me of peoples names when I needed them. Siri has trouble with that one too. It is embarrassing when I ask her who I am talking to and she doesn't understand the question.... My wife and children seem upset but they rarely call me by my name either. That said, maybe we are part of the Google generation - even Siri.

Seriously, I learned a good deal about my inefficiencies. I learned how to tell if Wikipedia sources are credible, how to search using images and color descriptions, how to eliminate words to filter search results, and how to use quotation marks to search for exact word phrases. I have bookmarked these resources and will practice their use to work toward proficiency. While ignorance may not be bliss, the readings have made me think that there are other valuable tools that I could have been utilizing had I known about them. I see a paradox in that I have wasted time with less than effective search methods using a tool that saves time. I learned that I am not alone in my worries about the addiction of technology and its consequential results on the literacy of today's teens. Most of my students live with economic hardship. A high percent of them either cannot read, or find it "too boring". I have resorted to recording myself reading my textbook to them while doing the exercises just so they will turn in something. Like the presentation "Information Behavior of the Researcher of the Future" said; "They seem to go online to keep from reading in the traditional sense".

Me and my PLN - Richardson, J.

If you are tasked with reading my posts, it will be quite evident that I am new to writing blogs. I am also new to using Twitter and to web 2.0 (and 3.0 for that matter) tools.

My goals are to learn to use these tools, find ways to apply them to some degree in my Graphic Design courses, and further develop curriculum to better engage students in projects based on proper research following their interests on topics of design.

At this point, I cannot elaborate on any detailed ways to do that. Hmm, another goal!

Cheers!
Jeff

8 Ways Into Inquiry Learning - J.Richardson

Reading through our material, I agreed heavily with Information overload, the need to filter through all of it, discard what is irrelevant, keep and use what is. My disconnect is mostly occupational difference; I don't typically share what I find online on a regular basis. I figure my interests are unique to me, and the information is out there for others who may have similar interests. I know that working through our courses will make sharing opinions on our subject matter necessary, and I may make a change.

I did learn that RSS feeds may help me stay current with the sites I do follow. I must be a digital dinosaur as I typically get my professional and personal interest alerts from email. The disconnect is with twitter. I admit that twitter is good for breaking news feeds. The downside is that a lot of that news can come with an unqualified opinion or commentary. In Mr. Alexander's post (https://bryanalexander.org/uncategorized/my-daily-info-wrangling-routine/), he waded through the information to gain sources for his lectures and writings. And, unlike "Diana Laufenberg, who taught history at the progressive public school" (https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/27529/creating-classrooms-we-need-8-ways-into-inquiry-learning), I teach a very technical subject that requires students to learn a concrete set of tools before they can creatively use those tools. With our institution becoming more 'work-based' and desiring that all coursework be designed as 'project based', generating useful information students can use along with what they need is one more hoop. I find that keeping them off social media during class is the real challenge for learning Adobe software toward the goal of industry certification.

I agree that education needs to change as today's students claim to learn differently than those 25 years ago. As we, as a culture or a society, move forward in some ways (evolve?), we move away from other things despite the value (devolve?). I compare it to moving from agriculture to industry. I taught in college and found students that did not know how to learn. They wanted to be spoon fed information. At the High School level, I find students do not want to read. Not at all for any reason. This disturbs me. History has shown that the illiterate are subjected to believe truth as it is told to them by the literate (The Early Roman Catholic Church as an example).

This brings me back to my made up word - Enter-cation. The greater portion of my High School students cannot resist their addiction to social media. They are constantly checking their twitter feeds, snapchat, instagram, and RSS feeds on youtube. Many of them sincerely believe their future and fortune will be as a youtube gaming star. If I can find a way to educate them whilst entertaining them (Enter-cation), maybe I can get them to retain what may be a useful skill they can employ as they become productive members of society.

How many of our cohort teach technical or STEM courses and have the same technology challenges? Please share your thoughts of using personal technology instead of fighting it in the technical classroom.

FRIT 7234, Information Fluency & Inquiry Learning

I read; "Welcome to FRIT 7234, Information Fluency & Inquiry Learning", and I was relieved to think I was in the right place. 
Reading further, I found that I needed to set up a blog, a twitter account, a PLN (?), a website for the other class, follow the courses, post short intro bio's, mow the grass, catch up on my grading.... wait - things are already running together. 

Thanks for reminding me how my students feel at the first of the semester.

Since I am unsure of how this works, (i.e. what I am doing), I hope that my ramblings resemble what was in mind for the course. Needless to say, I have a lot to figure out. Where is everything? How do I post____? How can I be sure it posted? Am I washing biscuits or baking dishes? 
Maybe this course will answer some of these questions.

JR