In thinking about Dr. November’s Ed Talk, a few essentials truly resonated with me and are reflected in how we learn at MJDS. We all want to develop the best possible next generation, learners who want and know how to seek out objective and evidence-based information. We strive to develop young people who are able to identify bias and make informed decisions about how they live life and interact with one another. We want our children to question and challenge their world views on a regular basis and avoid making the mistakes of past generations.
At MJDS we apply these beliefs daily. Today I observed a 5th grade class, collaborating with one another, to practice leveraging google to find unbiased information from the endless clutter of the internet. Tomorrow, our upper school teachers will meet to brainstorm how to ensure that every assignment and task requiring a google search, will be designed utilizing the strategies Dr. November taught us in last week’s sessions with our 5th-8th graders. For those in attendance at the Ed Talk, please refer to cats vs. dogs (or dogs vs. cats) and the Ear Mouse. In order for our students to improve their utilization of technology, we need your help. Reinforce what we practice at school and hold one another accountable for finding the best, the most truthful, information that exists, so that our world views do not keep us from seeking the problems that most require a solution.
Take a moment to read this article from CommonSense.org, which reflects a similar view on the importance of students finding the best information in the world – https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/the-forgotten-elements-of-digital-citizenship
Some questions to pose with your 5th-8th grader after working w/ Dr. November
What was at least one thing you learned from Dr. Alan November that surprised you?
What do you think you will do with that information?
How can I (we) support you with the new information you learned?
What were 3-5 things you learned that you didn’t know before?
What evidence do you have that Dr. November knew what he was talking about?
Do you think that the type of learning he was talking about is happening at MJDS? How do you know?
What is at least one thing you want to ask your teacher(s) to spend more time discussing or learning about in your classroom/s that would support what Dr. November explained to you?
How can you use google to find the best information in the world? Can you show me?