In week 1, my lens was on the coursework I currently teach - HS Graphic Design. I was not considering what I might later be tasked with in instructional design. That said, after reading this week's articles, I especially relate to the research done by Miller and Bartlett (‘Digital fluency’: towards young people’s critical use of the internet - 2012. Journal of Information Literacy). The UK findings showing such trust in the easily obtained information presented leads me to question my own fact checking; my own filtered bubble feed.
Specifically, this weeks readings enforce my observations of my students in that some are energetic and involved while others lose interest and, in the extreme, just quit trying. Perhaps involving them in inquiry would help their interest level. I still do not see how to construct this inquiry model into a course that is so technical - learning what design tools do which functions and how to combine them to create... yet. (There is that myopia again.) Whilst I still struggle with forming a research topic based on learning tool functionality, I do agree that the formation of essential questions can lead to deeper understanding of later projects. Getting to those students with likely fixed mindsets should rise to a priority in my personal learning goals.
So - for changing my learning goals (post teaching Graphic Design):
I think I should build more fact check challenge into my research topics. Beyond requiring source integrity, I should seek out opposing viewpoints and articles and list those so that students consider them. I should ask them to form rebuttals defending their findings on all topics where appropriate. Since my number one goal is education, I think it would be healthy for them to think about differing viewpoints, the validity of those differing points of reference, their own biases, as well as possible reasons why. From that vantage point, the student is better equipped to judge fact from fiction, truth from propaganda, authentic from staged.
Some skepticism can be healthy in the age of digital information. Call it caution.
What do you think?
Cheers!
Glad to see that you survived and did not drown. It seems like you have adjusted very well towards working on your goals and enhancing your teaching methods. I think that most teachers struggle with providing a quality education that will be challenging and not boring. Keeping students interest is so hard and demanding. Using the inquiry model would be helpful, but knowing how and when to us it is the key. Questioning students will allow to dig deeper into their thoughts and ideas, but often students become robots and only give the answer that they think is right. I want my students to challenge me and the other students.
ReplyDeleteI rally like your idea of allowing students to form rebuttals.