Howard Rheingold’s Net Smart (Chapters 2 & 3)

     I can't ever seem to understand how students in today's classrooms have a hard time finding information. The majority have barely scratched the surface of their cell phone's capabilities; opting instead to play games or check Instagram. As a rational owner of a smart phone, I know that this is the allure of the devices. But as an educator, I see missed opportunities. I'm starting to realize, however, that students are given access to cutting edge technology, but have no direct instruction on how to properly use it.

     Triangulating is a great way to determine the credibility of a source. In all honesty, how long should it take to verify information when connected to the Internet? Unless it's breaking news (which Rheingold says news networks could be an hour behind Twitter in reporting), students should be able to quickly check vetted sources for anything they need. Rosenberg provides a pretty comprehensive list of ways to ensure the site you are using is credible. These methods require some modeling in order to be practiced by students, and therefore effective.

     When left on their own, many students lack the ability to determine what sources are credible. The example Rheingold provides involving his daughter and Stormfront's Martin Luther King Jr. website is one that was used during one of my district's in-service days a few years ago. To combat this, the freshman teachers started providing the students with approved websites for research topics. When researching the Holocaust to prepare for Night, students were given links to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's website. Many bellyached about wanting to use Google, but I had to explain the concerns about validity. Perhaps a unit on crap detection is in order for the first asking period next year.

www.searchinfluence.com

     One roadblock in the way of most students is the idea of infotention. Lack of intention when browsing the Internet leads to wandering attention. Many people (a group which students belong to, I'm told) go on their phones with the intention of vegging out and not being productive. That's actually a fine, healthy thing to do; as long as nothing more important needs to get done.

     Full disclosure: my wife and I had an argument the other day. It stemmed from someone's use of a cell phone at an inopportune time. I would come right out and tell you who the offending party was, but I get the sense you already know it was me. To make the situation worse, I had just finished chapter one and resolved to be more mentally present. Easier said than done.

     It was like a scene from a propaganda piece about how chaotic life with kids can be. Toys were spread everywhere, dishes lay dirty in the sink, a pre-schooler and a toddler wrestled on the floor- crying and possibly bleeding. My wife came downstairs from putting laundry away only to find me oblivious to the chaos around me, on my phone. I can't even tell you what I was doing since it wasn't important enough to remember- but it almost started World War 3.

     I had no intention when I checked my phone. I was using it to escape my reality (which is really great and doesn't require escaping) at a really bad time. As a result, my attention ran roughshod and in turn led to a pretty unenjoyable day or two at my house (don't worry guys, I made amends).

     I mention this to highlight the fact that if I can get distracted so easily, then students must definitely find it challenging. Not to sound too much like an old man sitting on his front porch, but back when I was in school, I didn't have the constant distraction that smart phones provide. If I did, based on my story above, I probably wouldn't have graduated.

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