Week 7 - How College Students Search Article

How College Students Search for Information in the Digital Age 

1. What surprises you about the strategies digital age students use as they conduct research for course assignments?

As I read through the article I found that it made since concerning the findings. When I completed all of my Action Research Projects for my undergraduate course work I first turned to the library databases as I do for much of my course related research. Anytime I am doing personal research I usually refer to Google and search through their listings. These are the same results the study found. I also know that I have rarely asked a librarian for any help, I have relied on the help of the computer and internet first then confronted my instructor for further information. The results were not really surprising at all. 

2. How accurately do the findings from this study reflect your own research strategies?

As I indicated above there is little difference between the findings of this study and my own research strategies. 

3. This study provides a detailed description of the parameters of research assignments typical required for academia. How does it differ from the kinds of research people do in the workplace?

In academics students are mainly researching information in order to create a paper or presentation of their findings. For the most part workplace research reflects trying to solve problems or answer questions - at times it to could be for the purpose of presenting information. For the most part research in the workplace is thoroughly read and analyzed to solve a problem or create a project. The research is used for the purpose of learning rather than to reproduce the information in an original format. 

4. Do you think the recommendations to improve research process for college students will better prepare students for the world outside of school?

I think that the recommendations that the study provides are very thought out. If the research the students is required to do requires analysis and interpretation of the information rather than a reproduction of the information then it will help better prepare students for the same type of research that they will conduct in the workplace. I also feel that it is very important for librarians to specifically communicate with faculty to close the gap between the services that they offer. I believe that all of the recommendations the study suggest could provide more successful research techniques for college students. 

Week 6 - Diigo Activity # 4

Diigo

1. Do other people's annotations add to your understanding of content or hinder it?

I believe that it adds to it. At times there are ideas pointed out that I would not have thought of and it is interesting to see each persons perspective on a topic. 

2. Provide an example of a Diigo annotation that in your view is useful rather than spamish.

Any of the instances in our group discussiosn where we were determine if a lesson was a mindset 1 or 2. I think that we were able to create a discussion and explain our thoughts and how we came to the conclusion of why it was or was not. 

3. How did you use tags to make searching more efficient and beneficial?

Tags were used to find the content I was specifically looking for weather it be social bookmarking or a specific subject or even certain grades - they narrow the search to find sites you are interested in viewing. 

4.In your opinion what is the potential of social bookmarking to promote content area learning and/or information literacy.

Students have the opportunity to locate information for research as they have also done in the past, but by using a group they now have the opportunity to review what others have found and share what they have found. They can make comments and even have discussions about the sites that are found which can lead to a deeper reflection of the information and deeper understanding of the content while also building communication skills. 

Week 6 - Reading Practical Strategies: The Participatory Classroom

Practical Strategies: The Participatory Classroom: Web 2.0 in the Classroom 

Asselin, M. & Moayeri, M. (2011). Practical Strategies: The Participatory Classroom: Web 2.0 in the Classroom. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years 19(2).

1.How can schools meaningfully support the development of all students' new literacies; particularly those literacies engendered by Web 2.0 that foregrounds interactivity and collaboration around shared content?

Schools would have to start by making technology such as Web 2.0 available or accessible to all students. This may not mean everyday for every class, but the school will need to have an adequate amount of computer labs, mobile labs, and iPad labs to meet the needs of all students. Once the school has obtained the necessary technological requirements - schools will need to successfully train all educators on what new literacies are and how they can be met in the classroom. There should be a clear explanation between the two Mindsets and how teachers should gear their lessons towards Mindset 2. With the technology being available and teachers being properly trained on how to use the technology - schools should not have a problem supporting the development of new literacies. 

2.Why should schools engage students in the new literacies engendered by Web 2.0?

Schools should engage students with these new literacies because the build necessary collaboration skills that are key components in the cluture that drive political, social, and economic life today. These skills will help our students be better citizens in the furutre and succeed in the work world. As educators our goal should be to prepare our students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in our society. 

3.What are the differences between new literacies and conventional literacies?

New literacy offers more opportunities for the learners. New Literacy is the ability to locate, invent, and share the knowledge that the student has acquired through an activity. New Literacy is collective rather than individualized, emphasizes collaboration over individual production. New literacy allows others to view and learn from that of another. There is a more collaborative aspect to this new form a literacy. New literacy also focuses greatly on the technological advances and 21st century learning as well. New literacy is the visual, auditory and textual content produced into a multimodal production. Conventional literacy is simply a basic for of a visual, auditory, or textual production of information without the ability to combine the three. 

4. Provide your own example of a classroom use of Web 2.0 that promotes a "Mindset One" approach and a classroom example that promotes a "Mindset 2" approach (the examples do not need to be from your own teaching or learning experiences; you can make them up).

Mindset 1 - (Example 1)An educator wants to complete a review - the educators uses PowerPoint to create a Jeporady Game. The Jeporady board is displayed over the projector. Students are divided into groups and play the game reviewing key componets. (Example 2) An educator gives the students a question in which they must find information, students research the internet, locate information, and create a paper to report their findings. 

Mindset 2 - (Example 1) Students are provided with a workplace scenario - such as they must locate an image on the internet to perform photo editing techniques to as part of the completion of a skills section being learned in the class. Students use the internet to search for an image, save the image, properly cite the image and begin restoration or photo editing techniques. Students use the internet and previously learned skills to create a blog or add a post to their blog. In the blog posting students include the location of the photo, proper citation, reasoning for choosing the image, and all photo editing techniques done to the photo. Students will also insert the original image and the edited image into a blog. For a final part of the assignments students will be required to view each classmates blog and comment on one photo editing technique that was done to the photo and what they like or dislike about that technique - students may also ask questions about how a certain effect was obtained. 

Week 5 - Track Star Final Draft

Click here to view my Track Star - Learning about Copyrighted Images

Week 5 - Reading Trapped between a Rock and a Hard Place:

TRAPPED BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

Lloyd, A. (2011). Trapped between a Rock and a Hard Place: What Counts as Information 

Literacy in the Workplace and How Is It Conceptualized? 

Library Trends, 60 (2) pp. 277-296.

What does the term "discursive practices" mean?

Discursive practices are the limitations of the setting. Concerning Information Literacy discursive practices is the continued focus on skills rather than a broader focus of how those skills can be used in a social context. 

What does "discourse" mean?

According to the article discourse is defined as being "ideological in that they win over the speaking subject by formulating a positive associative context for concepts so that they can legitimize themselves". From this definition my understanding of discourse is the way that we or a group of associated people understand the activity through the development of a social aspect. 

What is the "rock" and what is the "hard place"?

The rock is referring to how we currently understand and perceive information literacy, which is the focus on skills only. The hard place is how we can change this understanding and change the focus to be on how those skills are used in a social context and applied in the "real world". 

What are the differences between the skills prescribed for information searching in academic and workplace settings?

In the academic setting, the majority of information literacy is in the form of research reports - a presentation of basic information. In a workplace setting information literacy is an accumulation of the information while also answering the question "how?", this is the goal for the future workplace workers. Workplace information literacy is more of a reflective practice. 

How do academic notions of information literacy undermine workplace notions information literacy?

Academic notions require teaching, engaging, and learning of the information that is done in an organized manner to produce a product. The workplace is said to be messy and complex using a variety of different techniques and having little organizational methods to produce a product. 

How are information needs identified in work place setting like nursing and emergency workers?

With nursing there seems to be a lack of information literacy - due to doctors. Therefore the doctors are performing the activities of information literacy due to the understanding that nurses are just there to do what the doctors need - even though they are a profession of their own. Nurses must find their own information to properly care for the patients and rely less on the information literacy of their doctors. 

Why do issues of plagiarism not resonate in workplace settings?

Information that is circulated through a workplace is not considered to be copyrighted and is assumed to be a collective body of knowledge that is passed through the workplace environment without limitations. 

Are information literacy skills transferable across contexts and settings? Why or Why not?

I would say yes. There are skills that overlap into both contexts. For instance both students and workers must be able to locate the information and pull specific content from the information located. The workplace requires more critical thinking and application of the information, but the basic skills clearly overlap in both contexts. 

What is "practice theory"?

Practice theory is the actual interaction of using the information to engage in a social aspect or interact with the world. 

How does the author of this article define information literacy?

"Information literacy is more than a skill it is a practice that is constituted through a complex suite of activities that are sanctioned by the discourse in which the practice is situated. 

How do educators need to change their understanding of information literacy literacy in order to prepare student for the information literacy practices they will encounter in workplace settings?

I think this is quite simple or at least it seems to be. Educators need to change their focus from the skills of acquiring information to encompass the skills of acquiring information, how the information was obtained and founded, how the information will be used, and how the information will be communicated in a social context. Students must be prepared to use the valuable skills they are currently using in education and apply those skills to a "real world" problem. 

What do the terms "ontological" and "epistemological" mean?

This refers to the setting which contains the conditions for finding and using the information and knowledge and how it is used. 

After reading this article, how useful is the traditional research paper we expect students to produce in school in preparing them for workplace settings? What are traditional research papers useful for? Should we still assign traditional research papers?

The traditional research paper is not completely useless nor is it complete in educating our students about information literacy. Our students need to be provided with a learning environment in which they can complete the necessary skills of a research paper and then apply the learned information in a "real world scenario". Without the application of the information the students is missing out on an important part of information literacy and as educators we are failing to successfully prepare our students for the work world. We need to refocus the goals of a research paper and add to it rather than remove it. 

What is one of the biggest challenges to changing the way information literacy is conceptualized in school settings?

Many educators fear change and this will be one of the biggest challenges in an education setting, others will feel that it is to difficult or unnecessary to meet these needs. There will need to be influence from administration to have the change occur. We must inform educators and even educate them about what information literacy really is rather than the discourse or understanding they currently have. By helping educators understand what it is, they will be able to change the curriculum to better meet the full focus of information literacy. 

What attributes of the 21st century make it essential that educators change their approaches toward information literacy?

The way in which we communicate is becoming very versatile. Communication can occur face to face, by video conferencing, online chat, email, and etc. We must prepare our students on how to perform the basic skills of information literacy and then how to properly and successfully communicate that information to others. 

What changes can teachers make to their classroom activities to engage students in the  information literacy practices they will encounter in 21st century workplace settings?

Educators can provide students with "real life scenarios" from workplace settings. Educators can create scenarios in which the students is required to find the answer to a problem encountered and then to communicate that problem through one of the many methods of communication that we currently use in the world such as: face to face, by video conferencing, online chat, email, and etc.

Week 4 - Track Star Rough Draft

Click here to view the rough draft of my Track Star. 

I decided to do my Track Star on Copyright Laws concerning students using photographs in an educational setting.