Teaching Google Natives To Value Information

Elizabeth Brown

CO

Heick, T. (2014). Teaching google natives to value information. Retrieved from
http://www.teachthought.com/technology/teaching-google-natives-to-value-information/

Summary
Heick suggests enlightening millennial's (who grew up computer savvy) on  the importance of information and research. This generation has used Google, specifically, to answer all of their questions, thereby appreciating information less (because of its simplicity). Heick acknowledges that this not a black or white issue, but maintains "while neurological functions may not [be] change[ing],
how students access, use, share, and store information is." The logical answer is to be cognizant of this reality and provide practical advice. Heick suggests the following:

"1. Is sounds counterintuitive-intuitive, but periodically create information-scarce
      circumstances that force students to function without it.
 2. Illuminate - or have them illuminate - the research process itself.
 3. Do entire projects where the point is not the information, but its utility.
 4. Use think-alouds to model the thinking process during research.
 5. Create single-source research assignments where students have to do more
     with less."

Evaluation
This article is provides an interesting analysis of a complex issue. Heick concludes that she does not have all of the answers, but she does include some insightful examples. The main point of the article is that we cannot expect students to ignore technology, (nor do we want to), but they can be more thoughtful in their research.