Curating
I cannot remember when I first heard the term "curating" in the context of online learning. I do remember thinking "what"?! Once defined and explained, however, I started to see how important this idea was going to be for blended learning. But in a sense, it is really not a new idea in education (because how much is really truly new anyway?!) I have been curating my curriculum since I started teaching. I have three different sets of files with original copies of all the supplemental activities and worksheets I used throughout the 3 different textbook adoptions while teaching physics. I have CDs burned with all the digital copies of those files, and a flash drive or two with backups as well. The information is even chunked!
But what makes curating fundamentally different is that those files are interpretable only by me. I can reach into a folder and make sense of a logical progression through the material that would help students develop understanding. I could stand in front of students and explained any background knowledge that was needed to provide a foundation for activities. When that face-to-face time is reduced or removed, it would be nearly impossible for a student to take the textbook and that file and learn on their own. To facilitate success, I would have to organize, contextualize, and relate all those individual parts to a successful curriculum for them. And with that vision, I could make sense of why the word "curate" was used...imagine the Indianapolis Children's Museum without neatly arranged exhibits with explanations and connections to our current society; all the same information would be available, but it would have ceased to be accessible.
The primary tool I have begun using for digital curation has been My Big Campus. Once I discovered their bundles, I saw a way to (eventually) make all that I did within the classroom accessible to students. After reviewing some of the tools for curating recommended and used by my classmates, I think Evernote is another that I would like to use with students. I have been using Evernote for a few years personally and LOVE it. I have a note started for this class where I keep track of the information that stands out most to me. I have not thought of its possibilities with curating however. I think it could be a very useful tool, especially when integrated with Skitch (which I have on my MacBook and use for screen shots on a nearly daily basis!)
But what makes curating fundamentally different is that those files are interpretable only by me. I can reach into a folder and make sense of a logical progression through the material that would help students develop understanding. I could stand in front of students and explained any background knowledge that was needed to provide a foundation for activities. When that face-to-face time is reduced or removed, it would be nearly impossible for a student to take the textbook and that file and learn on their own. To facilitate success, I would have to organize, contextualize, and relate all those individual parts to a successful curriculum for them. And with that vision, I could make sense of why the word "curate" was used...imagine the Indianapolis Children's Museum without neatly arranged exhibits with explanations and connections to our current society; all the same information would be available, but it would have ceased to be accessible.
The primary tool I have begun using for digital curation has been My Big Campus. Once I discovered their bundles, I saw a way to (eventually) make all that I did within the classroom accessible to students. After reviewing some of the tools for curating recommended and used by my classmates, I think Evernote is another that I would like to use with students. I have been using Evernote for a few years personally and LOVE it. I have a note started for this class where I keep track of the information that stands out most to me. I have not thought of its possibilities with curating however. I think it could be a very useful tool, especially when integrated with Skitch (which I have on my MacBook and use for screen shots on a nearly daily basis!)