The Internet as a Textbook
- Jan 3, 2019
- 2 min read
The internet is a great to place to learn new things. There is a nearly limitless supply of information on it and large communities that are willing to help each other regardless of how far away they are from one another geographically. I personally use the internet to learn all the time, a great example being my interest in photography. I have never once attended a photography class or seminar but I would consider my self pretty proficient at using a DSLR and photo editing software. I learned all I know from personal experience and the help of the internet. From online forums to YouTube videos to digital manuals I have a found my way and learned a lot. Here is a great example of how that information might look...
I posted a question on the website Reddit when I was unsure about how a certain creator I watch applied a certain look for his video. The other people in the forum helped me to discover how this was done so that I can do it in the future.
While this a great way to get quick answers to a question there are some problems it brings up. It might not necessarily promote "good" learning all the time. It can be hard to verify an answer because often times they come from an anonymous source and that source could unreliable. That it one of the problems with Wikipedia, anyone can edit it so the information is not always verified by a professional.
I hope that my future students will understand this point. It is my fear that since they have grown up in the age of the internet being more accessible than it ever has been that they put too much trust in the internet. It is important, with any source, to verify its credibility and that can often be difficult to do on the internet. I have doubt my students will use the internet to enhance their learning but I hope they will use caution when reading online.
As a teacher I can provide the skills necessary to engage with internet sources in a safer way. It is not just my job to teach how to cite in MLA but also how to check a validity of any source. That is the core idea behind citations and that idea can be applies to any article or forum on the internet.
Hello Garret,
Wow, this is a great blog post! It was so conversational and interactive, and it was so interesting to read. It was also informative and really made me ponder, too. The way you started the blog with your personal experience learning through Youtube and Reddit was such a great choice since it drew in your audience. You bring up a great point about the accessibility and the unknown quality of online sources, and I am sure this determination to examine sources will inspire your students. With the hope that students will use cautions, what is something us as future educators can practically do to provide the necessary skills?
Garrett,
A really strong blog post! You used not only personal anecdotes but a conversational tone to make it relatable and engaging...keep doing that with future posts!
It can be challenging to teach students to steer clear of Wikipedia as their only source, but I found that rather than fight it, I taught them how to use the internet to verify information found on Wikipedia by utilizing other sources. In fact, they couldn't cite Wikipedia as a source unless they could give a back-up source as well to validate it.
Really well done!
20/20
Hey Garrett,
You mentioned that you learned a lot about photography by watching YouTube videos. I, too, use YouTube as a learning tool! YouTube has actually become my version of TV. I am really into makeup and a lot of what I know about makeup, such as how to apply certain products and what products are good/bad, I learned through YouTube. Also, when I need help with math, there is always a video on YouTube to help me out. Furthermore, I love listening to podcasts, such as those by Mile Higher Podcast and Joe Rogan. You should check them out! Both of those YouTube channels cover a variety of topics. Something I have never used personally, however, is Reddit. I…
Garrett,
I appreciate your honesty in reminding us to be wary of Internet sources. So often, myself, and other students, I'm sure, believe the first article or comment they read when there's no real verification. It's awesome that you will be transparent with any future children you work with because of this understanding.
At the beginning of your post, I saw that you have made the Internet a learning tool for yourself but expect that your student will not use it for the same benefit. What makes you feel that way? Why might they not use it to enhance their learning, and where do you think they may go instead?
Thanks for sharing! Excited to read more :-)