When information comes from a network, it is not always obvious where it came from, who wrote it, or why. This expands what it is to be a successful and responsible reader today. It means that part of reading is asking questions about what you are reading." (David Warlick,Literacy in the New Information Landscape.)
My 5th graders have spent the past week creating projects for a Creative Showcase video conference with another school. I was previewing some of their projects and was startled to find a photo of Ruby Bridges "as she looks today"; the photo is of a woman who is clearly in her eighties, which I am fairly certain Ruby Bridges is not. The students had already left so I tried to retrace their digital steps. It didn't take long. A cursory search of AP Images for "Ruby Bridges" brings up many photos, one of which isRuby Butler, an octagenarian who witnessed a lynching in the 1950's from a bridge.
The ten year olds who are savvy enough to create a movie on Moviemaker using imported photos from AP still need their "old school" digital immigrant teacher to be the guide on the side and remind them that whatever pops up on the screen isn't necessarily fact, and even if it is, it may not be relevant to the task.
We have been talking all year about the dangers of Wikipedia and its often false information, but I need to be more vigilant in monitoring their use of the "safe" and district-endorsed databases, because information, while readily available, must be questioned, not only for its accuracy, but its value to the objective. Because I teach reading comprehension, it is a lesson we include regularly: What is the author's purpose?
As for myself, I have begun to question information that comes from a network more thoroughly. Before committing to a course of action or route to a destination (of both the physical and academic sorts) I have to verify the validity of the information. Yahoo Maps are often exactly that--maps for the yahoos who trust them and have time to spare rerouting. Even Google Maps can have outdated satellite images and provide very convincing but false data. News sources can be biased just like their old yellow journalism print counterparts. Questioning truly is part of being a responsible reader.
