Chapter 5 & Chapter 6 Reflections
I found it interesting that there is now words to define assessing the internet in a proper way, introduced in Chapter 5 as information literacy and defined by the American Library Association (ALA) as the “ability to recognize when information is needed and to then have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.” For most of my life I have been able to instantly find information needed from the internet. It's hard to imagine what life was like without this ability. I do remember one time though when my siblings and I were younger we were at a restaurant on vacation. My brother had us playing trivia games and he was asking us questions and telling us if it was correct or not. At one point he said something that didn't seem right, and I remember my family saying how much easier it would be to just look it up right then and there, but how we couldn't. And now look how far we have come. Now, we can just pull out our Smart phone and find exactly what we want to know. It still seems mind boggling that this is possible. I agree with the chapter when it says that the internet is immensely important for education purposes. Children are able to feed their curiosity instantly, which allows them to question more things knowing they could figure out the answer in the next five minutes. Although, figuring out what websites are safe must definitely be taught. Otherwise, students can feed their minds false information, and cause them to learn incorrect topics.
When it came to the part about eReaders I must admit I was torn. I am someone who loves to read. I love to open a book and flip through pages and pages of words. I like to highlight things that I find interesting and add notes in the margins. Although, this year I made the switch to eBooks for my textbooks due to the fact that I wouldn't have to wait for them to be shipped and some were cheaper. I have recently become a fan the eBook and have learned to use it in a very helpful way. It can be used the same ways as a regular book, but also as it perks. For example, if I want to find a sentence I wrote down for a paper, I can easily type it in the search bar and it will immediately bring me to the page. I love that aspect of an eBook, but I do still love regular paper books, as well. I think it is important to use both in order to stay relevant with the times, but also not completely lose one's past.
Something that stood out to me was electronic notes. I do like how easy it is to type up notes, and how much quicker it gets done. Though, I also find writing my notes to be a form of studying and typing does not assist in that way. While I write the answer the information goes from my hands to ym brain. Typing does not work the same way for me.
In Chapter 6 I especially like the idea of virtual field trips. Some school budgets cannot afford to take actual field trips, so virtual field trips can still allow children to experience other places without having to leave the classroom. Although, I do not necessarily agree with virtual schools, because I feel children need the social aspect of school and interaction with others to learn.
