Getting "Net" smart really can be whittled down to five basic categories: Attention, Crap Detection, Participation, Collaboration, and Network Smarts according to Howard Rheingold.
Within these categories, people can read about and learn ways to become better online users. As I was reading "Net Smart", it all just seemed to describe everything we have read about or done in class. In our courses this semester, we have really worked hard on being good participators and collaborators. I mean, here we are with our own blogs! And, our group projects have taught us how to collaborate online as well as in the classroom. The previous book we read "Information Diet" helped us learn about the dangers of spending too much of our attention on useless information thrown our way. The activities we did regarding crap detection were also valuable for us. Our searching activities and Pecha Kucha project highlighted how important it is to have network smarts.
I feel I have some tools now to design lessons that will help my students be "net smart".
Signed- Agent 86
I like the connection you drew to what we've been doing in our class this fall as we have really been taking on the role of participant and collaborator. I think that reading Net Smart was a great way for us to read about why these roles are so important and why we need to incorporate them into our own teaching.
ReplyDeleteWhat are your thoughts on relaying these messages to our students?
ReplyDeleteI have already used the videos (Golden Eagle and water walking) we viewed in class to make a point to my students about not believing everything they see posted online. I used it as a warm-up to some research we were doing on sexually transmitted infections. Today I had students pair off and collaborate on making the perfect First Aid kit according to a variety of scenarios. They had to justify their choices and share with the class.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great application of what we have learned in class. How did the students seem to react that activity? I would imagine that it got them to think in different and collaborative ways that they are not used to in all their classes.
ReplyDeleteThey loved the videos and they loved the hands-on real application for making the First Aid kits. They are pretty shy about working together so that is one hurdle I have.
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