Reflection: Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

The most striking revelation I had about the teaching of new literacy skills to my students was how unaware of them many of us are (yes, including myself.) Also, that new literacy skills are not the same as basic literacy skills, such as the ability to read and write. Jukes and MacDonald (2007) state that, “But if all learners do is learn the traditional literacies--to read, write, speak and calculate—they may be literate by 20th Century standards but certainly not by 21st Century standards” (p. 2). As a result, educators should teach students new skills and fluencies that will prepare them for success in the 21st Century. In addition to learning more about 21st Century skills, I learned a great deal about specifically teaching Web literacy skills, and this experience was also quite a revelation. Having the opportunity to implement M. Eagleton and E. Dobler’s QUEST Model of Internet Inquiry helped my students and I adopt a better understanding of Web literacy skills. M. Eagleton and E. Dobler state that, “QUEST also serves as an ideal metaphor for the active quest for information that characterizes our daily lives, whether at home, in school, or in the workplace” (p. 51, 2007). This is an important quote because new literacy skills are more beneficial to students when they are relevant and meaningful to their lives. Moreover, through the QUEST model, students can learn to visualize and apply how to effectively problem-solve using the Web.

The knowledge and experience gained in this course will influence my teaching practice from here forward. For example, prior to my students using the Internet to research information, I will ensure that they have an action plan for using the Web to retrieve information, such as the QUEST Model of Internet Inquiry. Furthermore, I will be more mindful of how I will assess students' understanding when they are conducting a guided inquiry by doing the following: observing students; collecting data on student perfomance from their journals and reflections; and providing students with rubrics and on-going feedback.

Finally, in order to build upon my learning in this course and develop my own technology skills, I would like to pursue two professional development goals. One is to inform my colleagues about the strategies I learned to teach students new literacy skills, and the second goal is to attend the Educational Technologist’s free classes that are offered to teachers throughout the school year. These classes are designed to help teachers learn more about the computer applications available to them, as well as the students. Lastly, when teachers know how to successfully use the computer programs, they can more willingly teach their students how to use and apply them to the students' projects or learning tasks.

References

Jukes, I. (2007). 21st century fluency skills: Attributes of a 21st century learner. Retrieved from http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/twca.pdf

Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.