Crap Detection Reflection

Howard Rheingold’s vlog was very interesting. It talked about the different types of literacies we need for the internet. They are: attention, participation, cooperation, critical consumption (crap detection) and network awareness. He also discussed how we need to teach our students and children to think for themselves (critical thinking skills) so they can question what is on the sites they are visiting on the internet. This will allow them to determine which sites are legitimate or not. I found that he did not go into detail on what tools to use to determine which sites are legitimate or “crap” until the end of his vlog, he did mention that we have to teach our students to: to ask questions in search engines properly and to determine if the answer is accurate? Students can determine this by looking at the site where they found their answers and to look at the sources and who the author was of that site. They also need to see what others have said about the site or its author. They should also look at what the “agenda” of the site might be.

It is important that students at a young age are provided with these tools. As educators we need for to teach our students critical thinking skills. Not just for determining what is legitimate on the internet but as a way of determining everything that goes on in their lives. We need to try to teach them these skills during our practice so that we can engage our student’s active inquiry and to work with their inquiry to make them think even more critically. It is also imperative that we also use these skills when we are researching professionally. We need to make sure that we ask the right questions and follow up on what the right answers are.