Week 4 - reactions to Google Reader and Social Bookmarking
I’ve tried a number of ways to “file” or “store” or keep
track of articles and websites that I want to access again. It’s important because either I need
more time to read or reflect on the content, or because I want to use the
article/site for a future project. It's a challenge. Google Reader and Diigo have helped.
In thinking
about Google Reader and Diigo, I like to explore them through the concept of
curation. Both function for me as tools that I use to curate information, both
for myself and for others with whom I have a teaching/learning relationship. These curation tools help me sort
through and organize information I have found and want to find again. I’m still deciding exactly how to best
use both tools, but I’ve gotten better at defining what I want to include in my
RSS feed and Diigo lists.
Intuitively I like the concept of curation, which I
mentioned in an earlier blog post, and which struck a chord when I first heard
it. I first heard the term when it
was used by more tech-savvy colleagues, and have since seen it used in blogs
about “working differently” as educators or teaching and learning. Wikipedia officially defines the term
digital curation as the “selection, preservation, maintenance, collection and archiving of
digital assets.” In two blogs called “Students Becoming Curators of Information” and “Who are Your Curators?” the writers discuss the value of curating in the context of classroom
experiences. In the second blog, Jeff Cobb talks about the potential of curation for lifelong learners: first to find great curators, follow them, and learn; and second to be a curator, and learn as much as possible.
We all have the potential to be curators of information. It may be the best way to teach and
learn in this age of so much information.
WOW!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of, "curation" of information. Jeff Cobb does a very nice job of defining it.
Click on the, "Who are your Curators?" link above for more of the article.
What is a Curator?
The idea behind curators and content curation is that there is such a flood of new content pouring through the Internet pipes these days that being aware of all of it and sorting it out in meaningful ways is simply not possible. Curators are people or organizations that do the hard work of sifting through the content within a particular topic area or “meme” and pulling out the things that seem to make most sense. This effort involves significantly more than finding and regurgitating links, though. A good curator must be skilled at:
1. Locating and evaluating valuable content
2. organizing and connecting content so that it is as accessible as possible
3. creating and re-purposing content when it adds to the underlying value
4. capitalizing on the Social Web to build connections and context
building trusted relationships with learners and other curators
design learning experiences (in a much broader sense than traditional approaches)
Bottom line: A curator is an individual or organization who excels at helping others make sense.
THIS IS the new vision of 21st century education. The new Common Core Standards speak to this directly.
Will this become the next industry? Will we create great edifice to these individuals with great ability?
Thanks
Cool way to discuss the active participatory culture we find ourselves living in today! Love it!
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