Final Reflections

This semester has continued to push me outside of both my comfort zone in some of the activities we participated in, as well as the traditional classroom approaches to learning.  We have redefined what qualifies as literacy, what we use to communicate information, how what we are using can be applied within a learning environment and how all of these channels tie into our day to day lives.    With changing technology, definitions of terms like literacy, place, culture and infrastructure all continue to evolve and expand to incorporate virtual existences.  There is a movement between the conceptual and the actual, and the space between continues to become less and less evident.  As the virtual world becomes the reality of our world, we need to make sure we understand the implications such dependencies on it can create. This course was eye opening in quickly students, coworkers and people all become dependent on new medias.  As we continue to learn various medias we should explore both the value and devaluation of its evolution. This course did not discuss much about the devaluation of information because of the readiness of it, or ability to find it "at our fingertips." It also did not get into discussions of media based assessment strategies or many of the challenges faced as we continue to move to a technology based learning group.  My guess is that these two topics could be entire courses of their own, alongside this one.  I have fulled enjoyed the coursework, and as stated in my individual assessment this has been one of the most interactive online courses I have ever taken-an element that is typically lacking in online courses.  Continuing to use various methods of information gathering and presentation will continue to keep material and presentations differentiated and lead to a broader appeal across audiences.

Information Literacy

I developed this literacy guide for middle school students to utilize in their research and source qualification.  The guide is a general recommendation of research and approach based around 5 main steps: Defining, decoding, evaluating, creating and communicating. 

Define/Find:

Who was the most popular poet in 2013? Who was the most popular singer in 2013?

The most important part of defining an information literacy guide is determining what you want the overall goal to be. The topic needs to be well defined, and a rubric needs to be created.   One needs to know not only what the requirements are but also how it will be evaluated.   In the case of middle school students, it may be something along the lines of online research and validated sources.  Once it is determined what the research task is, the skills of research and development begin. Various media sources can be utilized for information gathering: the internet, interviews, peers, social media, blogs, wikis, T.V. and print (newspapers, magazines, periodicals, etc.) are all sources that can utilized and validated.

Decode:

Why were these people the most popular?

Once the information gathering has begun, it is important to interpret the information to criticize.  It can be an argument in agreement with or against the information presented, but gathering it and deciphering just what the information means, and how it applies to an individual theory takes a level of critical evaluation.  There is no right or wrong when making inferences about information, however it is important to be able to back up statements with facts and details that support a hypothesis.

Evaluate:

How were they the most popular?

Once the information is gathered and organized, it needs to be evaluated and validated.  Because there are so many sources of information available to us today, not all information communicated to us is factual or legitimate.  It needs to be referenced from a validated source. Information can be cross checked virtually immediately through any of the media’s referenced above, or through multiple sources.  Generally speaking, scholarly journals and sites are considered acceptable sources; while Wikipedia, social networks and blogs may need additional clarification and facts finding to ensure the details are legitimized.  In addition, newscasts and articles may be “first release” versions and require “additional information” before all of the details are clear or validated. 

Create

What are some traits that make these individuals more successful than their peers?

Would you argue someone else in their place and why?

From here, we can create our own conclusions, and inferences from the information presented to us. We make our own argument for or against suggestions and theories presented in the research gathered.

Communicate:

Present your arguments in a PowerPoint or speech presentation.

Agree or disagree with the information gathered at this point.  Find alternative points of view and incorporate those into support of any arguments you may have.  Site any sources utilized so that authors receive credit for their work.