Reflection

With the conclusion of this course, the words that really stand out in my mind are by David Warlick (Laureate Education Inc., 2009) stating, "What do children need to be learning today, to be ready for an unpredictable future". As I think back to my early years in grade school, I was taught basically the same way as my parents. Maybe the math was taught differently. But as the information age began to unfold, I had to quickly adapt. The teachers that instructed me, did not know of these "new" literacy skills. With what I have seen in the past ten years with cell phones and other communication devices, things are changing so fast. I am amazed at how technology helps us so much to navigate around our world or to simply catch up with friends from the past. I am also concerned that our education system is not keeping up with our fast pace world. For the most part, we are still teaching our students the same way we were taught. Yes, we are using more technology with our lessons. What we need to do is teach students how to find answers on a more independent level and take a more active part in their learning. The learning of new literacy skills has become the next chapter in the list of basic learning skills.

This course has given me an opportunity to step back and observe the way Science is taught in my classroom. Traditionally, I lecture my students for a short time and have them participate in hands-on Science activities. I often wonder if they are really getting the idea of the lesson and could there be a better way. In the course, I was able to gain experience and knowledge by creating a lesson plan that incorporated the power of the internet with the science of the water cycle. By using new literacy skills to navigate and find information on the internet, students can take charge in having a better understanding of the water cycle and its importance to life on earth. In addition, the students need to develop their skills in using various websites to extract the information they specifically need for the project. I also understand the importance of teaching my students the definition of plagiarism and the correct way to report information.

One goal that I plan to work on is the development of information literacy skills within the subject of Science. This would basically be a test run to see what works and what adjustments need to be made. Our school has two mobile carts that can be checked out. I will need to work around our 5th grade team and their scheduled time with the cart. I will also need to collaborate with our technology specialist to find appropriate websites. Our county has a strong internet filter that keeps our students safe, but also tends to block out the good sites too.

Another goal I want to work on is the creation of short tutorial cartoons for Science. I have always enjoyed drawing free-hand when explaining Science. Why not combine this with video editing technology? We already have the camera equipment available in our media center and the software installed on our computers. Finding the time is always the challenge. Perhaps during the summer months.

References:

Laureate Education Inc. (2009). Program one. Skills for the Future. [Motion Picture]. Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore: Author.