Howard Rheingold on "Crap Detection"

Determining credibility of information on the internet and internet safety has always been a concern and will continue to be so. Can we or should we even try to control and monitor what is going on the internet? It would seem an impossible task. Rheingold suggests that instead we need to learn how to filter the information. He puts the responsibility on the user not the publisher. I agree with him in that we should be spending time teaching people to be critical consumers of the internet or as he puts it crap detectors. Developing literacy skills on internet use and teaching students what questions to ask, and how to search for credible information is going to be a lifelong skill not only for internet use but for everyday real life whether at school or later on in the work force. He backs up his ideas by giving examples of tools to enable people to find credible knowledge and to create a network of trusted people in a particular field. The impact of reading and following poor or wrong information can be catastrophic. Rheingold's blog is a good place to find ideas on how to start creating a network with filters and a good site to bookmark because of the many tools listed. Personally, I will take his advice on ways to protect myself from the web garbage.

The Conflict of Learning Theories with Human Nature and Connectivism and Organization

I listened to the voicethread of people giving testimony to how great networking has been for them. I found it refreshing to hear people enthusiastic about learning something new and in developing professionally. The video by George Siemens on The Conflict of Learning Theories with Human Nature made some clear and valid points. I enjoyed listening to what he had to say and it gave me food for thought. Some points I connected to were his thought on how humans desire or crave to externalize what's in our heads so we can connect with others. That being social is part of learning is something as teachers we sometimes forget in our focus to cover the curriculum. I found it very interesting to hear how learning occurs actually conflicts with the learning theories we have been following ie., the idea that learning takes place in our heads. I found his view on how acquiring knowledge has changed since we went to school interesting. Reflecting back to my elementary years, I don't remember a lot of cooperative learning activities only a lot of seat work. Stephen Downes suggests in his discussion on Connectivism and Organization, that we need to stay current in our field using the internet to have access to all the knowledge available, it is suggested that network learning is the key. He states that knowledge being shared and the learning that happens is only as good as the interaction of all the members of the network. As teachers we've used cooperative learning as a strategy to help students learn. It makes sense that with technology playing such a big role in students learning today that this cooperative learning strategy works is in a minor way the premise for networking. Both speakers convey very simple ideas to understand but so much harder to implement. Personally, and I'm sure I am not alone, to take that risk and the next step to network is overwhelming. To know where to start in preparing my young students in becoming critical thinkers of internet material is also a concern. So many questions come up like:
Where do I get the time to follow a network? How do I involve my young students in networking and becoming critical thinkers of the internet?

As I mentioned earlier, lots of food for thought but I better not think about it too long cuz times are a chang'n fast!