By Zamyia Tarrant, Resident Teacher
Typing a question into the search bar of your web browser is like searching for a speck of gold in a raging river. Thousands of answers are revealed to the questioner as they are seeking an answer to a question that can be simple as “how to cook pancakes.” The answers can range from mixing pancake powder and water to cook on a stove to buying the latest cooking device that can do it all. The information is endless in the digital age. There is an endless possibility of answers to inquiries and research that it can be overwhelming and yet it can be educative. In the modern world so much information if not all information can be found on the internet. One question is, can there be a balance of finding information through the internet and also access information through experiences? Within the education realm, students use the internet to find the answers that are needed, how can we as educators guide the quest to search for the right answers and also, is all information seeking lead to the internet? Before the digital age, there were systems of obtaining knowledge that helped expand the mind in an immersive experience that I believe overall had a positive effect on the mind compared to gathering information through a screen.
Not to say traversing the internet is a negative notion, however, when learning through actual experiences I believe can have a lasting and more meaningful impression on the mind. Such as storytelling, work study, actively seeking information in libraries, bookstores, going to lectures, and having professionals from all different backgrounds come to schools to help students have a better understanding of their world. All of those ideas and more can really shape the way the mind works and particularly in students across all grades and higher education. Growing up in the midst of the digital age has shaped personal experience in how I see the world and how my knowledge base is evolving. By actually witnessing what is happening in my surroundings and comparing that to what I was finding within my internet searches.
Needless to say, I am a up and coming educator that is trying to find that balance of searching what I can find through technology versus having life experiences.
