Module 2 reflection 2.1 and 2.2
FLORIDI – READ AND REFLECT
Floridi’s (2007) article was very heavy going. He spoke of the significance of the increased information landscape; the consequences being that there is no right to ignore, vast common knowledge (p. 61).
So what has changed since Floridi wrote the article? Although he predicted such vast common knowledge that can’t be ignored, the rise of ‘fake news’ has been something that has vastly changed the information landscape. Everyone with a device and an internet connection (it feels like that is just about everyone these days!) can click on any old piece of information, it might be a news story that pops up on their Facebook, or a search result in the first page of a simple Google search with no thought by the user on whether it is reputable or not. Do we, or the students we teach have the skills to evaluate whether this information is even ‘real?’. Common sense media has some great resources on teaching kids to spot ‘fake news’. Kathleen Morris also has some excellent posters to help with the research process for younger students which I have found very useful when teaching valuable research skills.
I was interested when Floridi (2007) spoke of ‘digital favelas’(p. 62). I immediately thought of an older generation of people being more disadvantaged here as banking etc goes online. Everything seems to be ‘done online’ these days and it can be disadvantageous for someone with poor literacy, with English as an Additional Language, or an older person who does not have the digital literacy skills to work in an online environment.
Looking at the year 2020, I look at people all around me in the community – people are talking on their phones, listening to music on their phones, studying on their phones, exercising and transferring data to their phones, reading books on their phones, socialising and dating using phone apps, banking and shopping using their phones, getting directions using their phones, watching and making movies on their phones. The information landscape has changed since 2007, but it is also facing a back lash. Schools are stepping away from using iPads, laptops and desktops for absolutely everything. Students are encouraged to use pen and paper, to search using books in our library and not just online tools.
Yet, people who were not ‘born digital’ also have a bit of an advantage where in the past they had to search more closely for information, therefore possibly being more wary of what they read and not blindly accepting what they read online. I realise these are pretty generalised reflections, but I keep trying to tie back into the role of the Teacher Librarian, who should be the main expert in schools in teaching important information seeking skills for students (and teachers) where information is at their fingertips.
REFERENCE LIST
Filucci, S. (2017). How to spot fake news and teach kids to be media savvy. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/how-to-spot-fake-news-and-teach-kids-to-be-media-savvy
Floridi, L. (2007). A look into the future impact of ICT on our lives. The Information Society, 23, 59-64. CSU Library.
Morris, K. (2019) Research skills. Primary Tech: helping teachers create digitally literate learners. http://www.kathleenamorris.com/research/
