Blog 2: Content Curation

An article from The Journal discussed the many benefits of content curation in the classroom. If you are like me, you are wondering what content curation is. It is the process of using the Internet to find a variety of relevant sources that pertain to a particular topic, to organize that information into a logical system, and to share that information online with others. The teacher that this article highlighted as being an avid supported and user of content curation described how she uses it in her classroom. First, she finds informational sources on the Internet that pertain to what her class is learning such as handouts, lessons, tutorials, and music videos. She then posts the resources online for her students to use in and out of the classroom setting. She uses this method to allows students to have the responsibility of additional learning outside the classroom in a convenient format. She states that content curation is way to combine content and technology is a purposeful manner.

There are a couple ways that I want to utilize content curation in my classroom.  LiveBinders will prove to be a great tool in this endeavor. First, I think it would be beneficial to create collections of information for each subject area. All students have areas they excel at, just as all students have areas in which they could use some extra practice. The individual collections can hold handouts, power points  games, and videos that my students will be able to easily access in a central web location for studying and learning outside of the classroom. Second, using LiveBinders provides an opportunity for students to learn responsibility in a way that is achievable, not overwhelming.

I plan to use interactive content forms on a regular basis in my classroom. I believe that this is perhaps the best way to communicate subject matter to students in a way that will be meaningful to their individual learning experiences. If students are taught through exploration of content, they are more likely to remember and correctly apply that information throughout their lives. The Rosetta Stone demo was fascinating to me in the way that it taught languages. It provided for all types of learners through a single activity that included written words, spoken language, pictures, and matching games.

The 2013 K-12 Horizon Report notes the impact that technology continues to have on our schools, our society, and our world. Since social media is such a crucial aspect of communication, information, and discovery, it is all the more important that it be utilized effectively in the classroom.  Although the availability of content can provide a challenge in discerning the credibility of sources, there are also many positive aspects of technology today. A new trend specifically to incorporate in the classroom is BYOD, Bring Your Own Device. This is an excellent means to allow students to further engage individually within the content area. Globally, technology is making its impact as well. Those teachers around the world who live in remote areas now have the opportunity to use cell phones to access online information to teach their students in a whole new way. It is exciting to realize all the ways that technology is positively changing education not only in the United States but also all around the world!