So what's all the hooo-ha?

When I first started this class I was not really sure how I was going to feel about the Google Docs/Drive. But now that I have been at it all summer I think I get it. It's not so much the tools -- because I think there are other things out there (like the Microsoft products) that I like better and I already know how to  use them. The thing that I am beginning to really like is the the ability to share files that can be worked on by a group of people.

Now I am not really a person who loves collaboration (I have mentions that before in some other posts) but sometimes you  have to. So when you have to I love these tools.

Catch up

Well I think I missed the boat on the blogging homework. While I created blogs I did not get the idea.

Using your own blog, create blog posts  that highlights a Google Tip,  Trick, Practice, or Lesson Idea for using different Google Tools

Briefly summarize the tip or lesson, (add a link for further details).  Add a picture or video for visual appeal. Describe how you foresee being able to adapt this tip, trick, practice, or lesson idea to your own classroom, content, or work. Here are some resources we recommend for completing this task.

So I guess I better play catch-up

What is the role of "search" in the definition of literacy?

The ability to search and search well is needed with our access to so much information; reading/literacy is needed to interpret and use it. So...what is the definition of literacy and search?

Google defines them: (LOL! Yes I did a Google search [define literacy] [define search])

lit·er·a·cy/ˈlitə)rəsē/
The ability to read and write.

search/sərCH/
Try to find something by looking or otherwise seeking carefully and thoroughly.


What does it mean to me?

To do anything you need to be able to read and write. The better you are at reading the better you are at everything else. We use our writing skills to communicate. The better you can communicate the better you get along with others. For us to be successful, survive in the world, we need to be able to read and write -- to be literate.

How does search fit into it? To answer our questions, to be able to make decisions we need to be able to find (search) for information. It could be something as simple as "what time is the movie" or more complicated like "how do I afford college". All that information will do us no good if we can’t read it. All that information could be too much information -- we need to be able to filter the information -- filter the search. All that requires reading.

One thing Google didn’t mention in their literacy definition is the ability to understand what we read. All our lives we will need to read, search for our answers, understand what we find, decide what we want to do. We need to be literate on all levels: reading, writing, searching, and understanding.