It's a Global Society...Are You Information Literate?

This week’s assignment, "Becoming Information Literate in a Global Society", was a real eye opener for me. I mean, I knew there was a better way to use search engines, I just never took the time to figure it out. I did what most people do, google it and then clicked on the title I liked best. After all, the first few sites had the best information, right? When doing research for school I am careful to avoid Wikipedia because anyone can add to the information found there. I usually stick to the college or city e-libraries. However, when I am doing personal research I do tend to scan the first few, looking for the title I think is most relevant. I probably would have continued on this inefficient way of searching had I not taken this class and been introduced to Dr. November’s MAPping Information. (http://novemberlearning.com/) This is when I learned my way of searching might not produce the best information.

Today, I have begun a new chapter…a new google-ing chapter. Google has always been my search engine of choice, maybe because it’s familiar or maybe because it’s easy to click the google menu box at the top of Firefox. Whatever it may have been before, I’ve learned by reading http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2048976/Major-Search-Engines-and-Directories that google was voted “Most Outstanding Search Engine” and all the other unique qualities google provides; it will continue to be my go-to search engine! I do see the benefit of using other search engines like Ask.com, another one of my favorites, to make sure I have covered all my bases when doing research. If I want to ensure I have explored every avenue on a particular subject, I will do many searches using many different search engines.

Now, I normally look at the domain name and extension once I’ve opened a page, but today I found myself looking before making my choice. For instance, today at work I was looking for sites with free, pre-made, downloadable visual cue cards beyond what I’ve already made. By looking at the extensions I was able to avoid random organizations (.org, .com, .net) and instead find educational sites (.edu, .k12) that were set up to help educators. When I first began reading about MAPping Information, I truly thought about how much time this was going to add to my searching process. Once I started applying the information, I see how this will actually cut down on my research time. I will no longer be reading information that twenty minutes later I realize I can’t use. I can move quickly to sites that are relevant to my search, cutting down the amount of time spent on the internet….theoretically, that is.

There is still so much to learn, so much to remember. I plan on continuing to educate myself and using this new found information (new to me, that is) to educate my family. I have two teenage daughters, one of whom is in college herself, which could greatly benefit from Dr. November’s website. As far as my future students, I know by educating them in technology I can help them become efficient learners. If I am just finding out about this information this far into my college experience, when do I think my students will learn it? The internet is growing faster every day. We have to be prepared on how it works if we plan on entering its world. Otherwise we can find ourselves lost, aimlessly searching, never quite finding what we need, and possible missing out on the best information. I also expect my students to be smarter and quicker with technology than I am, so to help them flourish I can offer them the little bit of knowledge I do have.