Hufflepuffs are particularly good finders.

We can all look things up on the internet.

Most of us have even been using Google since 2000, when this screenshot was taken...

By the time students get to later years in high school, they can probably (hopefully) discern what sources might be more credible than others.

However, finding facts is not the same as research!

It's about making the connections that machines can't.
What questions should we be asking students?
What questions are not easily answered with just a couple minutes and an internet connection?

Teaching kids how to use the internet for learning might be a bit of a daunting task for a couple reasons.

Firstly, the resources at our fingertips are constantly changing and improving. I thought there wasn't much to Google searching beyond Boolean terms and skipping the 'Ad' listings, but there are already more tools than I realized and I'm sure they will continue to be refined and added to even before I actually start teaching.

Me today in class

Secondly, while they are digital natives, students will have to be taught how to use these tools! Their internet use is second-nature, but mainly for social media and fact finding, not for critical thought. They get practice when teachers intentionally present problems without a clear answer and questions that are open-ended.

I liked the case of the Boeing Dreamliner's exploding battery, where the engineers really weren't worried about how to fix the problem - but were stumped on finding out what CAUSED the problem. Today and in the future, humanity needs not problem solvers, but problem seekers. Teachers have an important role to play in shaping our students to be up to the challenge!

Yup, that doesn't look good.