In today's world, people are more connected than ever. The majority of the world has access to a vast network of information, people, data, news, stories, and more. Through a system known as the World Wide Web, people can see the world through millions of different lenses using thousands of different tools. In our schools, students aren't flocking to the library for research anymore; they are being sent in droves to the internet. It takes a textbook five years to be published, and the half-life of knowledge is about ten months, meaning that by the time students are reading a textbook (especially science), more than half of the information in that textbook could have been proven wrong or been updated.
The most accurate way to acquire information and research is by browsing the internet for the latest updates on a specific topic. In relation to world events and global news, information is being updated in real-time. This is something that was never possible before. We have never lived in a time where access to current news and information was so readily available. Today's students understand how to find the information they need...and quickly!
The best part of all this access to information -- students become researchers and use the knowledge they've acquired to inform their entire class' perspective. This concept? A newer learning theory called 'Connectivism.' The teacher guides students to information and facilitates learning on a specific topic, while student's take responsibility by looking for information on their own and collaborating with peers or others online. Through this process, they learn how to distinguish important information from unimportant information, they gain a diverse perspective, and they make connections with what they already know.
Forget the textbook where every student would come to the same conclusion based on the exact same paragraph of information. Information is being rapidly dispensed from a multitude of channels. We now have the ability to gain insight on a global scale from a global perspective right as information is being disbursed. Students have infinite resources for acquiring new information and perspectives, and teachers should be utilizing this as a means for discovery in their classrooms. The more connected to the world our students are, the more they understand.
Kaylyn, you have a gift with words. You were able to put an entire lesson into your own words and explain it in a way that was concise, accurate, and engaging. It probably only took you a relatively short amount of time to write this reflection, which I am equally envious of. The most powerful idea that you touched on was the fact that technology allows us to acquire a global perspective, thus expanding our understanding. We used to be reliant on a single textbook, but now we have unlimited access to the most current and diverse information out there. Excellent post!
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