Digital Post #D

Chapter Five: Teaching Information Literacy and Digital Citizenship

 There were many points of interest in this chapter, as well as the others. The first point of interest that sparked my attention was the section e-Books and e-Readers. I don't really pay much attention to e-books and e-Readers. I know, as a student at Florida SouthWestern State college I have access to them, but I don't know much about them. While they are convenient, there are some people who believe that e-books and reading online does not cause as much intellectual growth as reading from printed texts. E-books are books that can be read throughout devices that can use internet such as computers or e-readers. In addition to that, on these devices there are apps that allow you to read all sorts of books, other than the e-books, and including downloadable textbooks. These are almost weightless items and so easy to handle. I feel like the online ability to read informational as well as fun books  is necessary in today's society. Today is all about technology! Students will go days without their books, months even, but not a day goes by that they don't have their phone, tablet, iPad, etc with them. I'm glad that technology has evolved so much, to try and make it easier on everyone to be successful in life. The academic abilities of students are going up thanks to e-Books and e-Readers! This is a great tool for teachers and students to use in the school environment. In addition to that, if students choose to go into business, e-books can benefit their businesses!

The next section that aroused my attention was Strategies for Conducting Effective Searches with Students. The reason this grabbed hold of my attention was because I didn't realize there was actual 'strategies' some people looked at in order to maintain a safe and effective environment for the students on the internet. There are four different steps in order to create that environment including: 

• Introducing Search Sites Designed for Students
• Teaching Students to Critically Evaluate Search Results
• Using Visual Search Tools 
• Ensuring Safe Online Experiences for Students

Continuing, I didn't realize search sites needed to be specified for students to use. I thought it was common sense "use Google" or "use Bing." Now I get that it's just because I'm older I think that way. When I was younger it wasn't common sense for me to use those sites. I guess it's a learned habit now. I see why we have to teach that to the younger students, and sometimes the older students as well. Also, I believe that the part that teaching students to critically evaluate search results should be readily enforced. Some students will choose websites for projects and such that are not credible sources for information. I know that before I started paying attention, or having strict criteria on what to use, I would always be in the wrong for using a non-credible site. It is important for students to learn that they must research the author of the site and find their background information to see if they are a credible source for the topic at hand. In addition to that, I believe that the visual search tools are important as well. Some people are better off as visual learners, so it's important that they have a visual on the topic at hand. In the search results videos appear that they can watch to see if it's the topic they are looking for. Lastly, I think that another great addition to provide searches for the students is ensuring a safe online experience for each of them. I believe that preselected sites is not only safer, but it is also helpful to students if they are researching a certain topic. They will be closer to the information then if they went out on their own.

 The last addition to this weeks piece on chapter five that caught my interest was the section Responsibilities of Digital Citizens. I believe that once someone uses the internet there is certain rules that they should follow. The internet is supposed to be a safe place. I believe that students must be told the certain rules to follow because without having the knowledge of the rules, a student shouldn't be held accountable, but they are. It is a teachers job to inform the student on the dangers of plagiarism and cheating. That is the most important aspect that students must stray from.


APA Citations

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

What Are Ebooks And How Do They Benefit Your Business Online. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T59nK7Z0JRk